Natural Aquarium Vital

[ian]

I was merely suggesting if you were serious about your plants (as i have noticed you are becoming more serious), then give C02 a go if you can afford it. I still think everyone who get serious about plants should give C02 a go, you learn a lot from it. Just an opinion though.

 

[lljdma06]

I was merely suggesting if you were serious about your plants (as i have noticed you are becoming more serious), then give C02 a go if you can afford it. I still think everyone who get serious about plants should give C02 a go, you learn a lot from it. Just an opinion though.

He's absolutely right, just Natural Aquarium Vital isn't probably the best answer, as I said before.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Yep, I've nixed the idea of the NAV, chalking it up to another bottle of snake oil. But I'll hold off on the CO2 until I can wind up enough courage. I think I'd go with a regular soda canister rather than risk the fire extinguisher route. I also have a welder that lives half a block away. Maybe he can get me the canister and a little instruction on safety.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I have used Excel for many years. I have also used pressurized co2 in one tank for almost as long. While I agree that one can grow lush plants without pushing gas into a tank, all other things being equal, adding co2 can always make any planted tank even better. I have been unwilling to use it in other tanks as it means more work for me. Adding co2 whether pressured, DIY (which I have never used) or one of the other alternatives means spending more and having to do more work since pruning and rescaping will be needed more often

I have also used bacteria in a bottle from Dr. Tim on the last two tanks I cycled, and for me it worked exactly as advertised. And I am not a newbie in this respect. Over the past decade i have fishlessly cycled between 40 and 50 tanks. For many yeras every summe I would set up 3-5 additional tanks on a screened terrace which were used for growout and quarantine and at the end of the summer were then broken down and stored til the next season.

I would rather spend my money on one of the proven bottled bacteria products than anything sold with the ADA label on it or the vast majority of plant products out there that are merely overpriced hype that offer minimal benefits for a lot more cost. But then I am a fish keeper and I see the role of plants as contributing to that goal and not as an end in itself.

 

[lljdma06]

I would rather spend my money on one of the proven bottled bacteria products than anything sold with the ADA label on it or the vast majority of plant products out there that are merely overpriced hype that offer minimal benefits for a lot more cost. But then I am a fish keeper and I see the role of plants as contributing to that goal and not as an end in itself.

Uh... personally, I think ADA makes a very fine product. My amazonia is excellent and my tank is something else with regard to construction and quality. The product you use is your own choice ultimately, but have you tried ADA stuff? I was hesitant at first, but then I got some products at an auction and I've been very satisfied. Just my opinion, though. I'd buy some things from them for sure. Soil, all purpose ferts, that sort of thing.

On the flip side, I don't use bacteria products. IMO, you got the plants, you don't need it.

Like you said, though, you see yourself as primarily a fish keeper. Others keep plants, I'm sort of in between.

Again, we are off topic, I apologize if my rantings got this all started, if the op wants me to remove any portion of this, do let me know and I'll be more than willing. I was a bit crabby this morning. We all have our bad days.

L

 

[This Old Spouse]

No, Liz, everything I read here just adds more to my continuing education. Plus I like to see lively conversation going in here. IMO that's what being on this forum is all about ... learning!

My goal is to have a tank that has beautiful plants and happy fish. I don't really want such lush growth that I can't see the fish, but I want it to be a healthy looking tank. Some of the plants I have are doing well, others not. I also think my lighting has a lot to do with that. My 20g long tank has the best plants and I think it's because the light doesn't have to travel far to get to them, whereas my 29g and 55g are 2' deep so the light doesn't get down as far as the plants would like. Sooooo .... that'll be my next set of questions, and that's about lighting.