Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V5 #487

[Martinphillip03 at aol_com]

James, Thanks for the info. I copied the link and plan to research the site. 
This would be my first planted tank but I have kept fish on and off since 
1970 BD (before dynaflo :)  ) I plan on using CO2, but I didn't want a high 
maintenance tank.  ut I may not get my wish. Once I am ready I will post my 
plan for input. But this project is in the planning stages might be a year 
before I do anything.  

Marty

> Date: Sun, 22 Dec 2002 04:19:01 -0500
> From: "James Purchase" <jppurchase at rogers_com>
> Subject: Re: New Tank
> 
> Marty Martinphillip03 at aol_com  wrote
> 
> <<I gallon. 90 a or gallon 60 Either tank. planted up set to wish I
> read Ecology of the Planted Aquarium. Can you recomend any other planted
> tank books? >>
> 
> Jared gave you a link to his "resource page", I recommend that you put it 
> on
> your browser's "Favorite's" list. He's got all the major stuff covered
> there.
> 
> You might also want to go to your local library and see if they can help 
> you
> locate a copy of "The Complete Book of Aquarium Plants" written by Robert
> Allgayer and Jacques Teton, published in 1987 by Ward Lock Limited, London.
> ISBN 0-7063-6614-X. It is an English translation of a book first published
> in French as "Plantes et Decors d'Aquarium" by A.T.P. - Chamalieres, France
> in 1986. This is long out of print but a copy might be available through
> inter-library loan or one of the 2nd hand book dealers. Its old and out of
> print, but definitely not out of the running as one of the BEST books on
> planted aquariums ever produced.
> 
> If this is your "first" planted tank, read as much as you can but remember
> that much of what is written is based upon a certain set of preconceived
> notions - a "mind-set" if you will. There are many ways to successfully set
> up and maintain a planted aquarium - and not all books or resource sources
> are using the same yardsticks or methodology.
> 
> Find yourself "an expert" and follow his or her advice until you have some
> experience of your own to rely upon. DON'T try to "pick and choose" or
> combine multiple approaches in your first tank. For example, you have
> already read Walstad. Its an excellent book and contains a lot of very good
> advice. Her approach relies on the use of REAL soil in the substrate,
> moderate amounts of light and generally foregoes adding supplemental CO2.
> 
> The "trend" here on the APD has shifted dramatically to tanks lit by much
> more intense lights and fertilized up the wazoo via the water column (as
> opposed to the substrate), with enough CO2 added to leaven bread for an
> army.
> 
> Both approaches can work - but it can be difficult for a beginner to MIX
> both approaches in the same tank. It isn't simply a matter of taking some
> advice from "Column A" and some from "Column B". Disaster awaits anyone
> naive enough to try.
> 
> For example, it seems that many folks are more than willing to shell out 
> the
> bucks needed to give their tanks near-tropical lighting levels but they shy
> away from supplemental bottled CO2. High light is useless without adequate
> CO2 but it isn't as "sexy" nor as likely to impress, so they let it slide.
> 
> Similarly, the more "traditional" approach to plant nutrition has been 
> based
> on the concept of "limiting" nutrients. The "new" approach is to provide 
> the
> plants luxury levels of nutrients, in the belief that the higher plants 
> will
> out compete algae. Again, both approaches can work, but the "luxe" approach
> probably works better in a high light, CO2 supplemented tank than it might
> in a tank set up "a-la-Walstad".
> 
> Its only an opinion, but I'd be willing to bet that many of the "nutrient
> deficiency" posts made to the APD are more than likely related to nutrient
> imbalances or toxicities caused by the over use of trace element mixes and
> additions by hobbyists who really don't understand what is meant by the 
> term
> "trace element". Of the 17 elements considered essential, ALL are required,
> but too much or an imbalance of some of the minor elements can lead to
> problems that can appear to be caused by other factors. Relying on a
> possibly inacurate and out of date test kit to monitor levels of just one
> trace element when the trace mix used came from your local hardware store
> and was designed for roses or tomatoes seems kind of silly to me. It can
> take a while to understand the concept that more of a good thing isn't
> necessarily better. Especially in tanks which are not regularly "flushed" 
> by
> large water changes - and everyone gets lazy now and again.
> 
> Keep it simple, be patient, and welcome to the club.
> 
> James Purchase
> Toronto
> 



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