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Senior Member
 
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I was reading the current TFH magazine, and there is an interesting article titled:
The Balanced Aquarium: 21st Century Style, by Jeff Walmsley
It shows some amazing picture of wonderfully thriving planted aquariums, but what I found most interesting is his ideas about how to run a planted tank. He believes that you should put as much light over a planted tank as you possibly can, and simply focus on rigorously controlling nutrient supply to match plant growth needs. This is because all plants need light to photosynthesize, and the more light they have, the better they'll do. Thus, if you simply eliminate the amounts of measurable nitrates and phosphate, and don't overdose with trace supplements, you should have no problems with algae growth.
I think it was a very good article, and everyone should check it out.
What do you guys think about this point of view? I think I might try it out on my 125g amazon tank as soon as I get better lighting set up...
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10g Heavily Planted - Betta, Cory's, Oto's
20L - Kuhli Loaches, Banjo Cat, Singapore Flower Shrimp, Thick-Lipped Gourami pair
125g Planted - South American Biotope - with a reticulated stingray!!!
20H - Breeding Angelfish
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Junior Member
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What months issue is it in? I am guessing November? That sounds like a great article? I like the idea of eliminating algae problems! They are so frustrating. This might be practical, I would like to see the article you are sighting.
JOHN CHAMPAGNE
55gallon/4wpg t05/pressurized Co2/moderately planted 9 goldbarbs,10 olive nerite snails,3 ottos, one guppy, 4 green cories, 4 amano shrimp and 6 cardinal tetras.
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Yes, it was a pretty good article, but the real key is the balance of light and food for the plants. As long as there is not too mcuh of either the plants willl literally crowd out the algae, as since they are "higher" plants they are more efficient at using both. I think it is the most difficult to achieve the balance in a tank that doesn't have many fish, where the plants are dependent on the hobbyist dosing them with nutrients. All of my planted tanks have lots of fish in them, and I never add anything to the tank. I grow easy plants -- crypts, Amazon swords, hygro, red lud, wisteria. And I also only grow the plants that do well in my water conditions, which are soft and acid. I just submitted an article to my editor at Aquarium Fish Internationl on easy planted tanks; it should be published in the next months. I'll look forward to your comments on it when it comes out in AFI.
***************************Be warned -- everyone at college has a weird roommate. If you don't have a weird roomate -- then you're the weird roommate.
Conan O'Brien, Stuyvesant High School.
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| I have a high-light, heavily planted tank with a good number of fish, but I still get a ridiculous amount of that staghorn algae. Reducing the photoperiod provides only moderate relief. Do you guys have any clue what's out of balance to provide the stuff with so much incentive to grow? You'd figure as fast as my plants grow it wouldn't have anything to take in, but it's finding a way somehow.
In the Mountains Of the Mountains For the Mountains
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Senior Member
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The December issue of TFH, page 84.
I am not having any algae issues in my tank right now, so I'm guessing I have a pretty good balance of light, nutrients, and plants. I don't believe the tank is overstocked, but there is a good number of fish in it and they provide plenty of nutrients for the plants. I have amazon swords (bought 3, now have about 12 since they started budding off), wisteria, rotala indica, hornwort, red ludwigia, and another plant I don't remember. I'll have to try to look it up or post a picture of it.
I am planning on building a custom canopy for this tank, and am thinking about increasing the amount of light over the tank as well. I think my swords would benefit from a slightly higher wpg ratio. The way I'm going to build my canopy and lighting system should make it so I can increase or decrease the amount of light very easily (either by removing bulbs or simply unplugging them from my timer outlet). This way, if I put too much light on the tank and start to have algae issues, I can reduce it and get back to a balance.
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10g Heavily Planted - Betta, Cory's, Oto's
20L - Kuhli Loaches, Banjo Cat, Singapore Flower Shrimp, Thick-Lipped Gourami pair
125g Planted - South American Biotope - with a reticulated stingray!!!
20H - Breeding Angelfish
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New Member
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Last Login: 12/28/2008 3:54:33 PM
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| Is TFH worth getting? I have seen only a couple of issues at the library and have thought about subscribing sometime. The only negative for me is that it seems to be filled more with saltwater content than freshwater.
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