Re: Modular substrate

["Don Matakis" <dmatakis at charter_net>]

Robert Paul Hudson wrote:
> Are the trays slotted at all? Is there any way for the roots to go thru
the
> pots and get tangled in the foam? Putting aside for the moment who the
> manufacturer is and that it is some sort of glorified whatever in some
> peoples minds... what are the benefits of a potted growing system? Is
their
> truth to the claim it keeps a cleaner more controlled substrate? Has
anyone
> here done a very major substrate cleaning in very mature tanks...like
every
> five years? I've read the dutch do this. Would this system make that job
any
> easier?
There are no holes and plenty of room in each tray for a considerable amount
of root system. I do vacuum gravel every time I do a water change. One thing
I noticed is that things seem to decompose faster in this tank than others.
There doesn't seem to be as much detritus as other tanks but too soon to
tell. I leave the heater on 24-7. I use a fan blowing from the air
conditioner outlet to cool the tank and have the tank at 76 continually now.
Before the fan it was reaching 82 without the water column heater on because
the room it is in gets very warm without air in the summer. I did pull a few
plants out of the trays and the roots are well developed and thriving. This
particular tank I am growing twenty two species of plants because I liked
the challenge of making them fit and look good (people have said to me it
will look better with fewer varieties but that is exactly why I had to add
more, and it looks great!), with a side Christmas moss wall as well that is
growing beautifully, thanks to Loh, and the only species that are not doing
well are the Cabombas, red and green. But I think that is a light problem.
Again, the biggest problem I see is getting the trays back in place after
you pull them. But getting past that you can order additional trays and
plant them in other tanks for substitutes in certain sections of your tank
till you are ready to make the switch, all without ever disturbing the
roots! That, to me is the main advantage. Don M.