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Re: Circulation, CO2 and light

Well finally the tank that would never die did. Finally out of gas. All 5
valves did not fluctuate at all even down to the bitter end. No check valves
no nothing just the valves from Monolith Marine and also about 30 feet of
CO2 lines. I can see each tank's bubble rate from my desk at any time. Rock
solid. I have been at 400lbs or less for about 2 weeks or so. I figure if
your going to have valve failures (bad flux or any variation in bubble
rates) a manifold with 5 of them is going to be far likely to fail than a
single or double etc.
This valve set up was just the regular old beer regulators that Dave Gomberg
sells and MM's valves added directly to this. No other stuff.
This confirms the varying flow questions, shows that there is a simple easy
to control set up and one that's cheap. The only thing you might add would
be a solinoid for night shut off etc.

Regarding some circulation in your tanks:

In an article David Hubert mentions of the Prandtl boundary layer that exist
in aquatic plants leaves and surfaces that is about 0.5mm thick.
Terrestrial plants have this as well but it is about ten times less. Good
circulation will make this layer much thinner and allow both nutrients and
CO2 to diffuse across this layer much more readily.

I had speculated but this confirms to a certain degree the truthfulness of
this notion. 
My own observations and those of some others also confirm this.

Another interesting thing that confirms some of my notions that I have been
saying for years is - it really doesn't matter about the lighting or color
temps as long as there enough light. Aquatic plants are extremely adaptable,
perhaps some the most adaptable of plants but water, silt, suspended algae
and blooms all affect the amount and type of lighting available to plants at
any one time. All of these add up to plants taking whatever they can get.
They will not be picky about the light in other words. The color is more for
us and perhaps some very picky plants that really don't get submerge much or
are just sensitive.
Regards, 
Tom Barr