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Re: various fertile topics

on 01:48 AM 10/12/99 , Roger Miller wrote:

 >Fertilizing the water column is pretty convenient and I do resort to it
 >for special cases, but I find that my aquariums do best when I limit
 >regular feedings to the substrate.

I guess it's partially a matter of philosophy. Some people swear by the 
nutrient-free water and rich substrate approach, and others by the PMDD 
concept of a moderately rich water column.

Personally I don't have a choice: my tap water comes pre-fertilized with 
phosphates, so managing the water column nutrients is the only way I can 
keep algae under control. And it works.

...and samm writes:

 >My question is this, first of all do you let the poop
 >build up in the begining--meaning u don't vaccum the
 >gravel?? and also, how does the mulm get deeper into
 >the gravel--is this a gradual thing that is assisted
 >by the fish lurking around in the gravel?

I rarely vacuum the gravel in my plant tanks. I'm not exactly sure how it 
happens, but it's amazing how clean and detrius-free the gravel looks. When 
I change water I just use the filter intake to siphon from the middle of 
the water. I only vacuum the gravel when I have an algae problem or a dying 
plant leaving bits and pieces all over the surface.

I assume my fondness for Corydoras catfish is one reason the top of the 
gravel stays clean. Not that they eat everything, but they stir up the 
gravel nicely.

...and Ivan Trail writes:

 >Where do you get these Jobes sticks?  Are they a pet store Item?  Who
 >Makes them?

Jobe's makes them. They're a regular terrestrial plant item. The ones most 
people here recommend are the sticks for palms and ferns, 16-2-6. If you 
live in California, you can probably find them in any gardening store. Here 
in Utah (where there are few palms) they are rarely at the garden centers, 
but I found them at a Fred Meyer (department store) location. Haven't seen 
them anywhere else.

Use them very sparingly and push them deep into the gravel. I use 1/3 of a 
stick under each plant that looks like it needs it every couple of months. 
A $2.00 package will probably last you a very long time.

--
michael moncur   mgm at starlingtech_com   http://www.starlingtech.com/
"Students achieving Oneness will move on to Twoness."        -- Woody Allen