Search results

Because the total available Carbon(sun total of both CO2 and HCO3) is higher than in soft water. This assumes that the plant can/will use HCO3. Some cannot. In this situation, plants that can do this, have a distinct advantage competitively over other plants. So Vals, Hydrilla, Egeria...

Specially, what ppm's and which nutrients help algae when "too much"? How much is too much? Regards, Tom Barr

Dropping your pH without CO2 will not help the plants, they will grow better without injection in HARDER KH's............actually......... Since KH(more specifically HCO3) can be used as an alternative to CO2. So if you want more plant growth, add CO2, do not add "acids". Plants use CO2 to...

Add Excel to it, about 10mls per 500mls of PMDD. Potassium ascorbate also will work, just a small amount. Muric acid also(Pool acid), (HCL) and few mls added to water prior to adding the ferts. Regards, Tom Barr

Yes, but...........and this is a big "but", unless your test kit, or the OP's is calibrated and we can confirm it is actually measuring the range based on a known standard, it's just a speculation, a guess. Aquarist can calibrate test kits fairly easily, and every researcher would confirm their...

Water treatment operators and reports use N-NO3, which is Nitrogen. So to get Nitrate, you need to multiply by 4.4 to get ppm of NO3. Regards, Tom Barr

That different in depth also changes the flow through the sediment,s thus throws off the entire theory unless you have "flat sediment syndrome", which does not look good IMO. Digging fish also would create pockets of high flow and reduce the evenness of flow. You also have certain regions, that...

Yep, none us will:) I'm still mad at Dupla because I bought 2 of them for 500 and 700$ back in the late 1980's:duh: did mange to sell them off a few years later for a decent $. Regards, tom Barr

I use less light and or/go non CO2, then the demand for nutrient is less, much more so............ Still looks good: I just mist 2x a week with house plant ferts directly to the leaves(not water), do my once a week water change, feed fish, not much else. Regards, Tom Barr

The problem with the theory is that diffusion occurs at the optimal rate of flow already. Plant roots also pull in nutrients and add O2 and have a massive effect on sediments. We cannot take an engineer attitude and approach to biological systems and ignore the plant's effect on the sediment...

Water changes can do other things, for example, adding improper dechlorinator/amount etc. Seachem and Amquel are the two most used brands, never an issue. If you do large weekly water changes..........then the tap and the tank water should be very close. Sometimes they change things at the...

Measure KH, not pH. I do 50-80 % water changes and I have high grade CRS's, rare plecos, and I breed these fish. Got fry to prove it. Anyway, fish have to balance their salt content internal/external, TDS would also work to some extent in place of KH. CO2 is not and never has been a salt. It...

So you like orange water and purple red plants? Well, that's your choice I reckon. I agree on the other points about wider array and upping the level of photography, all good things to help the hobby........but sort of miss the point of the hobby also. We are aquarium planted hobbyists, not...

Oh, I'm not the least bit upset about my tanks. My goal is to actually have fish, breed them, and have the tank looking nice all the time. Easy to care for, sell enough to make a little extra $$$. Over time, I make a lot more than if I won these contest:thumbsup: I agree with nice...

Good point and very true about it being an ADA contest. Photoshopping is done, sometimes heavily(I've got PS and can reverse some of the coloration and things that are often done), fish are added a few days before, non realistic working/running aquarium, I dunno.........not hard for me to judge...

Photoshop could have taken care of it. Since it is a photography contest and not an aquarist contest after all. Regards, Tom Barr

I like some of the rock work, but they are being critical, and the comments about the black edge rim in one of the tank.......like everyone should have ADA seamed tanks...is a bit snooty. Judging is not easy,however............some of the rock work is well done. Fish? You mean there are fish in...

Common sense is the first fatality for every myth. My KH is about 1 and the GH is around 2-3, hardly "hard water". I've never seen any evidence of a Ca++ limited plant or snail. Regards, Tom Barr

Why would a shrimp need more Ca++ than say a plant or a fish? They all need fair amounts. Where do you get your Ca++? From the Ca++ dust in the air? :evil_lol: From the food you eat mostly. Same with fish, shrimp etc. Plants will take Ca++ from the water and from the sediment. I'd not worry...

Assuming that the light is above the compensation point and that CO2 is non limiting and space, then yes...... More biomass= more demand, less biomass= less demand for nutrients. This works only if the light and CO2 are independent. Regards, Tom Barr