anybody read the planted article in

[houndour]

I don't get it. If I'm understanding correctly he's saying remove all nitrate/phosphate and iron when you first set up with plants.

Then he says later you will need to dose iron. But if I'm reading correctly remove nitrates and phosphates still.

He recommends rain water too. or RO water.

So if someone can successfully grow an algae free tank on nitrate and phosphate free water and yet gf is proof that by adding nitrates/phosphates you can also have an algae free tank. oh I'm so confused.

I have to say if I was a beginner and read this I would be put right off plants.

 

[jimbooo]

ha ha, i'm with you there sam. have you read last months as well it's a two part article.

although i could go off on one bashing the author etc.. but look at it this way

most people reading PFK are amature fish keepers who have plonked a few plants in their standard equiped tank with one cool white light and no laterite or anything like that.

for a low tech tank the article does actually apply, although he does not specify this.

in any tanks like ours with 3wpg, co2, ferts etc it will definatly not apply causing massive algae blooms etc...

for a beginner on a budget it's just the old school thinking and will set them in the right direction. it should definatly state the tank spec range though as if i were to employ that method i'd be giving up on plants very quickly as the whole lot would wither and die and algae go bananas.

who's up for sending in a cv then. sam, zig, gf225, anyone else fancy bringing PFK up to speed on the "New ways of doing things"

 

[George Farmer]

Don't get me started Sam. All I can assume is that Jeff's tanks are not lit heavily (thus resulting in lower nutrient uptake rates) and his nutrient-rich substrates provide the necessary N and P levels.

What confuses me is that he is growing demanding species too that require high lighting levels, therefore I would assume he has the uptake rate to need N and P dosing.

Another option is that the PFK editorial team have edited his article very heavily giving us the wrong impression.

But then if you read one bit he suggests he actually has decent levels of N, P and Fe. Page 109 last sentence I quote; "Alternanthera reineckii will soon be covered in algae unless you have good quality water. Devoid of the three major nutrients mentioned in the text, it will rapidly become covered in algae." I interpret this as saying that his plant needs decent levels of NO3, PO4 and Fe otherwise algae takes hold.

Confused yet?

Jimbooo - I've just written a letter to PFK explaining that N and P are not the enemy - as well as some other things. I'll PM you a copy.

 

[jimbooo]

great well done mate, i was thinking of doing it myself but dont have anough technical knowledge and writing skill to do it justice.

lets hope they get the message, i look forward to the PM

 

[Bloo]

I read it last night and got very very very confused and almost frightened - I though I would NEVER be able to get my head around all this conflicting information. But of course by the end of the article I decided to ignore most of what he said and go with the proven "experts" here

 

[George Farmer]

I read it last night and got very very very confused and almost frightened - I though I would NEVER be able to get my head around all this conflicting information. But of course by the end of the article I decided to ignore most of what he said and go with the proven "experts" here

[snapback]899655[/snapback]​

I understand your confusion bloozoo.

It is a great pity that the UK's most popular fishkeeping magazine does not provide a better service the the Planted tank hobbyist. The UK is far behind countries like the US in this hobby and magazines like PFK do not really help matters by printing out-dated theories i.e. aim for zero N and P levels.

Stick with us and you'll do just fine I'm sure