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Re: Balance and lighting

}
} From: "shaji (s.) bhaskar" <bhaskar at bnr_ca>
} Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 11:10:00 -0400
} Subject: Balance and lighting
}
} In message "Aquatic Plants Digest V1 #", you write:
}
} >From: krandall at world_std.com (Karen A Randall)
} >Date: Sun, 8 Oct 1995 22:41:54 -0400
} >Subject: Re: Balance and lighting
} >
} >You will _always_ have problems if light. CO2 and nutrients are
} >not in balance.  In this sense, you certainly can have "too much"
} >of any of them.
}
} Karen balance is a term for which I have no good definition, and given
} my science background, I just *have* to ask.
}

Shaji,
	I would very much like to see more discussion on this topic. It
would
seem based on existing evidence that I am suffering the dreaded "out of
balance" problem on my 180gal show tank. Given I have optimum levels of
measured CO2 (with a sandpoint controller), as much light as I can get
with 40W 4' lights (8 of them over a 2' wide tank) the only thing that
I have come up with is a problem with my micro-nutrients. As I have
stated
before I have been unable to get a reading on my iron levels (why is for
another discussion). For a while it seemed that actually turning down the
lights to 6-8hours a day helped several of the plants and the production
of algae.

Of course the problem with defining a "balance" with so many varables
that are present in these systems is difficult at best.  I suspect that
some of the varables are more important than others in defining the
proper balance.  Although, I orginally thought that light and CO2 were
the biggest drivers in the system, I am not so sure anymore.  Seems that
if any part of the system is really out of wack the entire tank is
effected.  Of course the challenge is to figure out which ones are bad.
Horst and Kipper give clues in the "The Optimum Aquarium", but when you
think you have followed the "10 golden rules" how do you figure out which
one needs to be re-visited ?

}
} The above are hard questions with no perfect answers.  I'm hoping that
} a discussion of the issues involved will help us come up with some
} sort of guidelines about what combinations of light, CO2 and nutrients
} go well together, and why.  It would be even better if we could also
} explain what is likely to happen when we deviate from this optimum
} mix, and why.
}
} - -Shaji

I think that we do have established guidelines and many have had luck
with them (even I have had luck on my "low tech tank").  For example, as
you know CO2, good light and adding some type of fertilizer (esp Dupla)
seems to generate results for a large number of people on this list.
However, it is not a 100% and that is the crux of the problem.  So, in
my opinion the goal is really to establish the guide lines above and
beyond the obvious.  What are the next tier of requirements that need to
be
established ? And more important, how do you tell if you have met them.

Ted.

-- 
-------------------------------------------------
Ted Fidder
   (fidder at drmail_dr.att.com) (303)-538-5106
   AT&T Bell Labs
   11900 Pecos Street 
   Denver, Colorado   80234