Best Substrate For My Tank?

[Primous]

Hmm

I've seen this before on theplantedtank and while his opinion is no doubt valid they picked it apart on tpt I think because of they way he replicated the nitrate levels. Also I said Above 50ppm which I figured I'd mention because we were talking about a potential level of nitrate at 80+ppm within 3 months and above 50ppm in two.

*Edit* @ianho are you a member of Barr's forum? Some pretty interesting stuff there don't you think?

 

[guppi]

found this. http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=3263

 

[ian]

yes, i am a member of the Barr report and converse with Tom via the world wide web (twitter and FB).

Toms posts will often get critiqued, which is fair, as we all want to find out whats best. The problem is, is that this side of the hobby still runs on 1980's rumours and anecdotal evidence. There isn't actually that many people doing actual research into the planted aquarium side of things. Tom is one of a handful of people doing research like this. I personally read his and the other supporting research and came to my own conclusions. You only have to have a look around at the journals out there and look at what people dose and see the fish spawning and acting very natural. I know this is no real gauge to how a fish is feeling...how can we measure that. I know through personal use of ferts that a high amount of NO3 doesn't cause problems to the fish, ie death.

 

[SO19Firearms]

I personally think 50+ppm NO3 will kill a fishno more than the way in which that 50+ppm got there....before we started pouring NO3 into our tanks it was safe to assume that it was the NO3 doing the damage...now I'm more inclined to think that back then NO3 is the only measurable (LoL, is it?) component that ran alongside the actual baddies involved.....

Use EI to dose your tank (with all the other boxes ticked) - Dont change the water - and I dont think it'll be the NO3, PO4, K that kills the livestock first - The toxins might.....but measure your parameters at death - what will they say?

 

[ATK!!!]

Phew I thought I'd gone mad there, I think you need to remember that my tank is going to be planted with around 80% coverage and most of this will be fast growing plants that should utilise a fair percentage of the nitrates produced in the first place. As Ianho has said, many ideas on this subject are invalid with little proof to back them up. If I find any problems with the fishes behaviour then obviously I will stop with the large gaps in water changes and go to a more normal routine. However, other people have done this before and I am determined to make it work for me.

 

[Primous]

Phew I thought I'd gone mad there, I think you need to remember that my tank is going to be planted with around 80% coverage and most of this will be fast growing plants that should utilise a fair percentage of the nitrates produced in the first place. As Ianho has said, many ideas on this subject are invalid with little proof to back them up. If I find any problems with the fishes behaviour then obviously I will stop with the large gaps in water changes and go to a more normal routine. However, other people have done this before and I am determined to make it work for me.

Great! Take a bunch of pics and keep us updated, perhaps make a blog on the forum as I'm sure many (myself included)would like to see how things work out for you. And never forget to look at the science behind any advice you receive. And keep a keen eye on your params with this type of setup.

 

[ATK!!!]

Will do! Thanks for the help everyone, yet another problem solved (for now)