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Water has 6-7ppm of O2(at say 25C under optimal conditions), if you remove all this O2 and respire it as CO2, the max concentration possible would be around 6-7ppm or so at best of CO2. So even if the fish used it all and expired it all, there's a problem when the O2 is 0ppm. You cannot keep...

Well, the nice scaped tanks are well gardened, if you leave the garden outside to the weeds and do little work, it'll get ratty. Same with a landscape. But....if you chose a more sustainable natural approach to gardening, landscaping, then you can get away with much less work, it can still look...

I am a student, not a master. I've never thought of myself other than a curious aquarist seeking answers not soaked in fear mongering. Few test and do, so I do and test and seek the answers. I make mistakes and redo things. I learn a lot from that. Not a bad path either for any and everyone...

What about all the fear mongers claiming testing PO4 and NO3 are so important for planted tanks? Then they do not test light:werd:????????? Light meters cost $$, but are fairly easy to use. Testing PO4 and NO3 is relatively cheap. Doing NO3/PO4 testing correctly is more involved and rarely...

Typical T5 type lighting. 4ft bulbs = 54Watts 3ft= 39 W 2ft= 24W etc. Regards, Tom Barr

CO2 is a bugger for most newer folks to understand. Best bet, try it and see. Most are okay with light and ferts. Ferts are really pretty easy after 1-2 weeks of doing, becomes "old hat", boring for many. Yawn. Getting a good lighting set up is tougher, but most with experience can help you...

Algae are not CO2 limited, this is about 0.1ppm or less for most FW species. So there's always plenty for them. Plants are limited at 20-50ppm for different species. So adding CO2 is the key. Many worry about nutrients or add more and more light, this helps the algae, not plants. So in...

Water sprite is weed Regards, Tom Barr

In water, the rates of diffusion of CO2(or any gas) are 10,000 slower, so when plants start fixing CO2 to make sugars(their "food"), the rate of exchange is very low between the water and the leave compare to terrestrial plants in air. We can make up for this by adding elevated amounts, or...

Not really that high, 30-40ppm of CO2 is typically fine for every plant I've kept, that's about 400 species by my count. I also measure light and 40-50micromoles, which is close to the range listed by the poster, is adequate and advisable. So folks do not mess this up on the exam I'll give...

PAR is 40 micromols along the sediment, so that's better than watts/gal or anything else. I trimmed a little bit yesterday, did not do much for cutting out 150 stems. Plan to do a much larger trim next weekend for the other side where's it's mounding up taller. Regards, Tom Barr

Starougyne repens 049 Tropica 4x 96W PC lights about 12" above the tank(on 9 hours). Regards, Tom Barr

It's not a gold nugget. Scobinancistrus aureatus the Goldie, and this one is a baby. They take a long time to grow. Regards, Tom Barr

I've seen many tanks with lots of cards, but most of the cards are so so, they are really healthy and active, makes it a lot nicer to keep. Folks generally like them for their coloration........I like most fish for behavior first, then the coloration second or some finnage etc. Nice when you...

320 Cards, maybe 30 plecos of different species, 400 RCS? 30 Amanos, 3 Checkerboard cichlids. Regards, Tom Barr

The goldy toe came out and posed and did not run this time. Time to Mow the lawn. I switched out the P stellataus for the curly Ech vevesius and more Blyxa, opens the tank up more and allows me to see the cards better, better current also and no trimming much. Regards, Tom Barr

Try adding Excel or CO2. Plants grow like mad then. Light is not th eissue, too much is more likely. Plants need CO2, light and nutrients, not just one, not just two, but all 3 in a decent ratio. So if you add lots of light, ferts, but no CO2.....they will grow........but very slowly. This...

Most do well at 1-2 mph which is pretty fast for aquariums. Crypts, swords, fine needle plants, anything that roots or is an epiphyte etc. I push 3000gph+ 1200gph + 350 gph through this 180 Gal tank: Regards, Tom Barr

Try pair of 20W T12 or go with a 40Watt PC light(A&H asupply sells them, they work in all ballast that drive a 55W), then bend the reflector outward to give you more spread, if you can raise the light a bit, that will also help. In the meantime, try using metal screen, maybe 2-3 layers worth...

Yea, I nailed George about this, if it does not hep plants grow, do not add it. That was 12 years ago? He's a nice guy, I like him. Regards, Tom Barr