My views on time in this hobby.

[thebaldingaquarist]

Hi all,

I have some opinions and thoughts which i seek help in validating. I am not a guru nor expert in aquarium keeping. My history with glass, water , fish, shrimp, lights, soil and plants span a short 7 years only.

I join this forum only recently.

I always have this question in my mind when my itchy hand goes into the water to make some changes to my tank. Everytime, be it what change, i ask this question.

"How long do i have to wait to see a change?"

I find myself guessing all the time. Sometimes i get it right, sometimes i get it wrong. Part and parcel of this hobby i guess. Too many parameters to look at, too many variables to analyze.

Last few days i pondered over whether if i knew the correct answer, would it have made a difference to the decisions i made. Answer is most likely... yes.

But why?

I see forummers have issues with their tanks, mostly with algae, filtration, fertilization.. etc. (I too have these issues) these are parameters which this forum has plenty of case studies for. so as a advice seeker, i have a lot of choices to adopt. alot of advice to follow. the same question remains, "how long will this change take effect in my tank."

There is no definite answer to the question. unless a guru owns my tank, in my place, with the same set of equipment. That guru will be able to answer.

so, i want to know your thoughts on this matter, because not all of us are gurus.

I also seek to find out if there is a finite set of information that allows a guru to understand your tank parameters and variables to give accurate answers to the resolution of a problem and how long it will take to see a change.

If we find out the answer to the questions, we can probably reduce the number of redundant spending and things we do to our tanks.

[felix_fx2]

My time with this planted spans a shorter then you have eric. 3 months before i joined AQ i poked the 1st rotala in gravel.

sometimes better to play by eye when you foresee issues, but if action only taken after problems take root. It's going to take alot effort.
I am no guru, i am another fellow hobbyist with his own set of problems/algae farming to certain extent.
btw, i still believe in experiencing 1st hand a problem before knowing how to win a war against it.

[bennyc]

7 years is a long time. I agree with you there is no finite answer as every tank is different. Our tank is a minor reflection of nature. Can nature be define? I doubt so. But learning and hearing out advice given by fellow hobbist, we can extract info that we must think for ourselves that we choose to believe in. It might not be the exact answer for our very specific tank but it is better bet and maybe a higher chance in getting the right shot.

Even if it is not the correct answer, you will at the very least seek comfort that someone has already been in your shoes of problem and you are not alone.

[thebaldingaquarist]

My time with this planted spans a shorter then you have eric. 3 months before i joined AQ i poked the 1st rotala in gravel.

sometimes better to play by eye when you foresee issues, but if action only taken after problems take root. It's going to take alot effort.
I am no guru, i am another fellow hobbyist with his own set of problems/algae farming to certain extent.
btw, i still believe in experiencing 1st hand a problem before knowing how to win a war against it.

Agree with you Felix. I am just surprised that after the years, no one actually tried to come up with any skeletal guide. It must have been so difficult.

[thebaldingaquarist]

7 years is a long time. I agree with you there is no finite answer as every tank is different. Our tank is a minor reflection of nature. Can nature be define? I doubt so. But learning and hearing out advice given by fellow hobbist, we can extract info that we must think for ourselves that we choose to believe in. It might not be the exact answer for our very specific tank but it is better bet and maybe a higher chance in getting the right shot.

Even if it is not the correct answer, you will at the very least seek comfort that someone has already been in your shoes of problem and you are not alone.

That's the issue. You say, I say, they say.. No one knows whether it's the whole truth or even similar to the truth.

[bennyc]

That's the issue. You say, I say, they say.. No one knows whether it's the whole truth or even similar to the truth.

I think all info has to be taken with a pinch of salt. We have to try it ourselves to be sure. Something to bear in mind is, it is difficult to put everything, and that is if the person is able to describe the problem accurately too. A experience person might be able to spot something that an amateur cant and hence it is not described when narrating the problem.

And since there is no "perfect answer", no one dare to give it.

[thebaldingaquarist]

And since there is no "perfect answer", no one dare to give it.

Plus 1 from me.


Eagerly awaiting more thoughts on this matter from all.

[bennyc]

See the companies, they have the resources to do in depth research and testings. They come with bottled liquid to dose and promises algae free tank, you believe them?

They are selling a brand, if you do not believe i them, why should you take hobbists info wholesale, when they have nothin to gain.

So take it as a guide then.

I agree with you it is frusrating sometimes. Sump or not, what media is good, what light and for how long. This are still some of the answers i am seeking but there is still no conclusion for me.

[Urban Aquaria]

One thing to bear in mind is we are trying to keep living things in an artificial environment, constantly throwing as much technology at it trying to replicate parts of nature (but which will still never be able to fully replicate it).

Even more so for aquascapers or those with planted tanks, we are trying to "bend" nature to our will by forcing plants to grow in a specific way and speed which we want (but that they never do in nature) and prevent algae (which is a natural part of every pond, river and lake anyways), these organisms have evolved over millions of years to be an integral part of the ecosystem and we are basically trying to suppress them.

Its no wonder why we pull our hair out trying to get the perfect tank setup, but in reality nature is never perfect.

[bennyc]

When everyone is running away from Algae, i know of one algae farmer who grows algae to make his scape more natural. Hahaha.

[David]

Hello Erctheanda.

The objective of this hobby is a replication of nature in a closed eco-system that offers aquarist a living art right in his or her home. Mother nature herself is unbiased. She does not decide which aquarist to punish by getting algae. She does not decide which aquarist to punish by not letting plants grow. What she wants is to be RESPECTED by the aquarist.

Light, water, nutrients, aquatic plants and algae are part of our eco-system that can never be separated. In fact, some aquatic plants and almost all algae are indicative organism on how an aquarist is fairing at the hobby in a broader sense. What are we as aquarist really trying to keep? A body of water in a closed environment that is suitable for healthy plants and fishes. So the determining factor between success or failure for any given tank lays on two variable:

1. The dynamic requirements of living things in the body of water.

2. The hands that is sticking into the tank....

Between this two, the one that creates the most variation is the second factor and so to conclude the biggest variable in this hobby is the PERSON....

[thebaldingaquarist]

Hi all, to summarize, the time required for a change to take effect in a tank depends on too many variables. This is the reason why till now, there is no guide to answer the question.

But one thing is for sure.. One will need to gain experience with a fixed tank dimension, lights, plant set, soil, fert before one can start to estimate phantom the variables and parameters that affects a change in our aquariums.

[David]

Not entirely true. Variables can be narrowed down to decrease failure rate.

The fundamentals of any successful planted tank remains constant. Even a novice's chance of a successful planted tank is just as much equal to one that is experienced.

You are right about one thing. There are too many choices out there in the market. It is this choices that creates the problem and it's up to the aquarist to separate 'the wheat from the chaff'.

[felix_fx2]

When everyone is running away from Algae, i know of one algae farmer who grows algae to make his scape more natural. Hahaha.

When i read this post, feel like crying......
my shrimps & nertite just "HOOT" my gsa covered + some light green bba rock. Painful painful....

I just replanted a section of glosso to clear excess hairgrass only, they always hiding under that section. Must be show of power to me....

[Dodofish]

Not entirely true. Variables can be narrowed down to decrease failure rate.

The fundamentals of any successful planted tank remains constant. Even a novice's chance of a successful planted tank is just as much equal to one that is experienced.

You are right about one thing. There are too many choices out there in the market. It is this choices that creates the problem and it's up to the aquarist to separate 'the wheat from the chaff'.

Agreed. I also think having an open mind to listen will help myself learn more. There might be things I have never seen in my short 1 year of planting.

mod's edit: please watch the sms lingo thanks. offending has been edited and bolded.

[Shadow]

To be successful, you need to change the way you think.
1. Stop thinking on how to kill algae with all those liquid and gadget, it may or may not work. Instead focus on growing healthy plants and the rest will settle itself.
2. Stop thinking that nutrients cause algae bloom. The fact is algae very small compare to plants, it require negligible amount of nutrients compare to plants. How can you expect to grow plants by limiting nutrients as an algae control? If you manage to get nutrient levels where algae can't grow, I'm 100% sure you won't be growing plants.
3. Stop waiting until thing happen, once it happen it take longer time to recover and normally this is the time when everything going south way. It best to prevent it from happening.

[thebaldingaquarist]

To be successful, you need to change the way you think.
1. Stop thinking on how to kill algae with all those liquid and gadget, it may or may not work. Instead focus on growing healthy plants and the rest will settle itself.
2. Stop thinking that nutrients cause algae bloom. The fact is algae very small compare to plants, it require negligible amount of nutrients compare to plants. How can you expect to grow plants by limiting nutrients as an algae control? If you manage to get nutrient levels where algae can't grow, I'm 100% sure you won't be growing plants.
3. Stop waiting until thing happen, once it happen it take longer time to recover and normally this is the time when everything going south way. It best to prevent it from happening.

Wow, i fully agree with you.