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Re: best way for beginners

>>>>> Steve Pushak <teban at powersonic_bc.ca> (here: "SP"),
>>>>> on Thu, 24 Sep 1998 02:44:15 -0700,
>>>>> pondered the meaning of life, then wrote down:

    SP> I think the best way for beginners to start is to follow the
    SP> instructions for a single method precisely and use whatever equipment
    SP> and fertilizers are recommended for that method. This does NOT
    SP> necessarily mean starting off with high lighting. You are MUCH better
    SP> off to start with moderate lighting, 2 watts/gal than say +4 watts/gal.
    [...]

Perfectly sensible, Steve, but it only works if you happen to know (or read)
that they need to find a method. If you don't, how would you guess that you 
can't ignore CO2 injection when you have tons of light and a rich substrate?  
An advanced gardener (not me) could do it by choosing the right plants, 
planning appropriate water changes, etc.  But a beginner? 

With all the marketing for products and additives and our own out-of-context
discussions about PMDD, CO2 injection and substrates, how does a new aquatic 
gardener learn:

    1) The different proven methods used by others.
    2) What is a reasonable variation on a method and what is not.
    3) The relative value and interdependence of the elements of each method.

Anyone that has been reading this list for a while might know where to find 
this information in the archives and in individuals' web pages, but there 
isn't an organized and summarized list of these methods anywhere that a 
beginner will easily find and use to contrast and compare. The closest thing 
I can find that is not in the archives is deep in Erik Olson's webpages, a 
bit hard to find, but easier than searching the archives when you don't know
what you're looking for:

    http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Tech/method.html

A lot of the people on this list have done a fantastic job of explaining
their setups and upkeep in their webpages and others have done the same on
this list (now in the archives). A beginner will have a hard time finding 
these, however, and a harder time comparing and chosing what's right for 
them. Can we at least compile a list of these methods?  

Carlos E. Munoz 
<cmunoz at crystal_cirrus.com>