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Re: [APD] extra plants - ALGAE ALGAE ALGAE



I think that's right. Tom's thumb might be green by natural talent, hard earned skill, or (probably) both. The methodological basics for aquatic gardening apply pretty well from one tank to the next, especially if, imo, you treat the guides, dicta, myths, hypotheses, etc. as rules of thumb (pardon the pun) -- that is you allow for a lot of variation, presumably due to the wide variety of things that affect how tanks perform and which apparently vary from tank to tank. It's not to hard to set up two identical tanks the same way and have them proceed along very similar courses. But it's much easy to set up two tanks and have them develop with significant diffs.
 
In some ways, it might be better for many aquatic gardeners to know what schlub gardeners do that tends to works rather than what's done by those that have no problem running very this or very high that. However, I wouldn't want to push this point too far; besides being counterintuitive to many folks, it leads to a lot of opposing opinions. ;-)
 
Have plants, have fun,
Scott H.
 
PS: I think Tom has a green thumb for algae, too. But it's apparently a discretionary thing for him. Less so for many of the rest of us ;-)
 
* * * * * * * * * * * The 6th Annual AGA Aquascaping Contest entries are on display: http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org As a service to the community the AGA has opened forums: http://forum.aquatic-gardeners.org/ 


----- Original Message ----
From: S K <syl2005 at verizon_net>
To: aquatic-plants at actwin_com
Sent: Monday, January 23, 2006 3:39:01 AM
Subject: [APD] extra plants - ALGAE ALGAE ALGAE


Thanks for your input. I think it's helpful when people try to 
"scientifically" experiment and report findings, but sometimes (most often) 
we can't achieve the same results. All variables can't be controlled. We all 
have different water supply, different fish (the wisest of us will choose 
some algae-eating fish for a planted aquarium, with the focus on plants, not 
the fish) ... substrate ... I played a bit with different sizes, substrates, 
location (within my house giving different amounts of natural lighting) 
different aquarium lighting, different fish  ... and found grossly different 
results. Each tank required different levels of maintenance or gave 
different results. I learned which plants worked best within each tank. And 
some were unworkable (for example, 10 gal kitty litter substrate tank on a 
box window, packed with plants and few fish (fertilization was controlled 
externally) never worked as opposed to a 10 gal flourite substrate right 
next to it, which btw, was packed with masses of breeding fish). Made no 
sense to me. But it is helpful to hear about these. We can put together and 
estimate, perhaps not come to a die-hard conclusion. We can theorize and go 
from there. Maybe eventually find what works.

And then there's the intangible. I think Tom just has a green thumb, 
selectively, toward plants, though ... not algae ;-)

I think the fault lies with this hemichromis. I do.

:-)

Sylvia

> Message: 5
> Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 05:00:21 -0800 (PST)
> From: "S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>
> Subject: Re: [APD] extra plants - ALGAE ALGAE ALGAE
> To: aquatic plants digest <aquatic-plants at actwin_com>
>
> These are hypotheses, not experimental results.  CO2 is a nutrient, why is 
> compeititoin an issue for that but ot other nutirients? What roles to do 
> all the various other chemicals play? What are the controls.
>
> I'm not criticizing what Tom is doing, but I don't want to see leaps to 
> cold fusion based on trial and error without controls. Lots of info is 
> gained this way in the hobby and lots of myths, which are slowly sorted 
> out over time.
>
> If you try something and it works, that's great, but the result, on it's 
> own, doesn't *prove* the hypothesis. In fact, the most common mistake we 
> all make when looking at the results of  something is to commit the 
> fallacy of assuming the consequent.
>
>
> sh
>

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