Many thanks FacePlanted and Tom. As always, I really appreciate you taking time to answer my questions Tom. I understand. And I know, you have heard this before, I in no way question any method as being effective or ineffective without first learning as much as I can about it, trying it, and seeiing for myself what happens. It is just the way I am. Even when I was at University, I was constantly critical and was always questioning my professors, more to try and better understand where they were coming from and get a better understaning of the issues.

Another reason that I have started doing this since taking up this hobby is experimenting with things myself as the hobby(not so much with re: to you Tom) appear ripe with inconsistencies and I feel the best way to weed through this is to try things for myself. For instance, ask people if pool filter sand is okay to use as a substrate and you get 5 different answers, from everyone who swears that they had the worst plant growth ever using it to ones that claim they had the best plant growth ever from using it a a sole substrate. Another example, you ask why your plants grow leggy and you get different answers from everyone who says increase your light intensity, to others who say decrease lighting intensity to others who say use different K rated tubes. At the end of it, you end up more confused and none the wiser until you decide to test the solution(s) yourself and discover what happens. These are but two examples. I am sure there are other factors that could account for such inconsistencies but for me, it is just easier and more satisying for me to test things out than try and seek what other factors may account for such inconsistencies. I also learn best hands on which is another reason, I need to "do" in order to "learn."

I joined this forum because I have a great deal of respect for you Tom and really value your advise and wealth of knowledge and experience around planted tanks.

Thanks.