Quote:
Originally Posted by Henry Hatch
Let me see if I got this right. My lamotte tests are no good, kh/gh tables are no good, nobody seems to agree on even the most basic aspects of keeping a planted aquarium, most successful planted aquarium keepers seem to have a certain niceness of seeing so that they know what their plants need.
Is it any wonder why this is a niche hobby which may be destined to be populated by people with advanced degrees in biology, chemistry, or mysticism ?
Henry
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No, the Lamotte PO4 and NO3 are good!
It's the Fe test method that's poor and it's not the test kit's fault, it's our assumptions about it.
We assume we can relate a residual Fe levels in the water column to plant health.
We cannot.
We can relate a good correct measure of PO4/NO3 to plant health though........
I think we as a hobby do agree, but a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
The folks that have been at it a long long time tend to see things differently, scientists in the field of aquatic macrophytes are not in any conflict about all this.
Hobbyists? Yea, they are.
You lead them donw the right path, they often do not believe you anyway.
Same with many things.
But that's often how we learn sometimes
The big issue is folks that lack any control over algae, their nutrient levels, use very sad poor test methods, kits etc, lack the eye for good plant growth etc, you want to take their advice?
Now they are trying to help out best they can, but they cannot even help themselves and take their own advice, how can they help you?
Nothing wrong with trying to help, but when you have conflicts about why algae, say BBA, is forming(and they have a problem with it as well) and you tell me it's
PO4 excess, a type of algae I mastered 12 years or so ago......... well........
Algae, plant growth can be complicated, but it does not have to be that way for the "How" part. I know Amano also tries and simplifies things for folks as well.
The "Why" he does not bother with nearly as much. I tend to focus more on that and less on scaping than he does and he runs ADA, that's a lot of work.
I go in depth for many reasons, and many as they learn more can reflect back and look at what I've said they did not understand 2-5 years ago and today it might make a lot of sense.
That's the hope anyway.
I will not understand everything certainly, but I will get things that much more closer and more evolved towards the truth and what is and is not occuring in our planted tanks.
I have resolved the model for why a non CO2 and CO2 enriched tank works well.
That bridges the gap between diverse methodologies.
Substrate vs water column dosing methods, I've also been able to bridge that gap and use the best characters of both to amplify growth.
It took awhile though
About 7-10 years and lot of time and test.
regards,
Tom Barr