What test kit(s) for a planted tank?
- Thread starter clawlan
- Start date
That's a nice test kit that has pretty much everything you can possibly need should you want to precisely dose and control your tank parameters. Some people like to do that and it's good for learning.
For others, we'd rather not worry about it and keep it as simple as possible. Like Rex, I no longer test the waters for anything. I have my CO2 set to the bubble count that will give me 30ppm or close to it, I follow the estimative index method of dosing ferts so I'm slightly overdosing without having to be exact. I no longer care about pH swings because it is mostly a bunch of bull. kH and gH? Weekly water changes takes care of those.
For others, we'd rather not worry about it and keep it as simple as possible. Like Rex, I no longer test the waters for anything. I have my CO2 set to the bubble count that will give me 30ppm or close to it, I follow the estimative index method of dosing ferts so I'm slightly overdosing without having to be exact. I no longer care about pH swings because it is mostly a bunch of bull. kH and gH? Weekly water changes takes care of those.
Oh, and did I mention that I don't do weekly water changes in my heavily planted tank? I think I've done one since I started it, and only because I got paranoid and just thought I should, not because the parameters were off. But that was a couple of months ago, and I've still never had a any fish die in that tank (My dwarf puffer did eat my Ghost Shrimp however).
Diana Walstad's natural planted tank method has you doing a water change once every 3-9 months.
The PPS method has you controlling your levels of nutrients so water changes aren't needed on a weekly basis.
The EI method does require more frequent water changes because we're overdosing on purpose to ensure no nutrients run out, so a water change helps prevent the nutrients from building up to excessive levels.
There are many ways of maintaining a planted tank.
The PPS method has you controlling your levels of nutrients so water changes aren't needed on a weekly basis.
The EI method does require more frequent water changes because we're overdosing on purpose to ensure no nutrients run out, so a water change helps prevent the nutrients from building up to excessive levels.
There are many ways of maintaining a planted tank.
I have to dose my plant tank, I didnt dose for a while then algae started growing and plants started looking Sad, but started Fertilizing and everything has solved itself out...but i do W/C's atleast every two weeks
This is what I'm trying to follow. I didn't believe it at first, and that is why I panicked and did the partial. Now I'm a believer in her methods, even if I don't/can't/haven't used them all. I just wish I had set my other 3 tanks up this way, I'm so tired of weekly water changes.
Has anyone here retrofit a tank with good substrate, without removing the fish?
For Diana's methods, buy her book, I linked to it earlier in this thread. It has been a constant source of reference for me. Others here can point you in the right direction for the other methods. You may be able to Google 'em, as I do remember seeing them listed on a site/forum at one point.
I have tried to strike a balance with Walstad's methods and the high-tech, and have so far been lucky. She uses soils for the substrate, I chose Flourite (before I bought her book). I inject CO2 in my heavily planted tank, and I like the fast growth. My other tanks grow plants well, but they were not originally designed as planted tanks. I'm slowly trying to retrofit them.
Here are some of Walstad's methods, which she backs up with scientific data in her book:
-Soil can provide a long term source of nutrients to your plants roots. Flourite can provide some nutrients over time, especially Iron, but it's major benefit is its ability to hold on to nutrients since it is very porous.
-She does not inject CO2 or add micro-nutrient fertilization, instead uses overfeeding of fishfood and its subsequent decay and conversion (by beneficial bacteria) to provide both. She claims fish food is the ultimate fertilizer because it contains all the nutrients our plants need, including carbon once it breaks down and settles in the substrate. Look at the nutrition stats on the back of your fish food when you get a chance, she has breakdowns of the micro-nutrients in her book.
-She also believes most tap water contains enough nutrients to benefit plant growth. Algae growth is evidence for this as it could not grow without an excess of nutrients (of which it is better equipped to consume, so adding ferts can also better feed algae).
-She encourages putting tanks near windows to benefit from sunlight, but concedes that this can promote algae and suggests blocking sunlight from reaching the substrate and filtering light from the back of a tank if algae becomes a problem.
-She concedes that high-tech tanks work very well for most, but that they are cost prohibitive, and require a lot of maintenance.
I have tried to strike a balance with Walstad's methods and the high-tech, and have so far been lucky. She uses soils for the substrate, I chose Flourite (before I bought her book). I inject CO2 in my heavily planted tank, and I like the fast growth. My other tanks grow plants well, but they were not originally designed as planted tanks. I'm slowly trying to retrofit them.
Here are some of Walstad's methods, which she backs up with scientific data in her book:
-Soil can provide a long term source of nutrients to your plants roots. Flourite can provide some nutrients over time, especially Iron, but it's major benefit is its ability to hold on to nutrients since it is very porous.
-She does not inject CO2 or add micro-nutrient fertilization, instead uses overfeeding of fishfood and its subsequent decay and conversion (by beneficial bacteria) to provide both. She claims fish food is the ultimate fertilizer because it contains all the nutrients our plants need, including carbon once it breaks down and settles in the substrate. Look at the nutrition stats on the back of your fish food when you get a chance, she has breakdowns of the micro-nutrients in her book.
-She also believes most tap water contains enough nutrients to benefit plant growth. Algae growth is evidence for this as it could not grow without an excess of nutrients (of which it is better equipped to consume, so adding ferts can also better feed algae).
-She encourages putting tanks near windows to benefit from sunlight, but concedes that this can promote algae and suggests blocking sunlight from reaching the substrate and filtering light from the back of a tank if algae becomes a problem.
-She concedes that high-tech tanks work very well for most, but that they are cost prohibitive, and require a lot of maintenance.
