Any advice on RO and planted tank?

[Jack L]

Thanks everybody for all the advice.

Since starting this thread, I've also gone back over some of the sticky posts that I had not read in a while.

In the interests of academic discussion, my conclusions and questions for further study follow:

1. "Everybody knows" that discus need soft acid water. Except that they don't. My fish have done well for years in DC tap water, which is hard and high pH. However, Filip said that you "only need" soft acid water for spawning and hatching, AND that discus do better in hard water. That agrees with my own experience, in that the only times I've had successful spawning and hatching was with RO water. So what I want to know is: Why should any species thrive best in conditions that are inimical to its procreation?

2. This thread confirms my previously-stated view that CO2 is just too damn complicated. I want to be a hobby aquarist, not a gardener.

3. As I said above, I also had the algae when I had low light. One of the sticky threads (started by ChloroPhyll) includes a checklist of desired parameters, including lighting at 2 to 3 wpg. It was after reading that (or something like it) a few years back that I upped my light into that range. But the consensus here now is that I am running twice as much light as I need, for much longer than I need, and that must be why I have the algae. My conclusion: You can't win!

4. Nobody really knows how to "get rid of" algae. Some think you can get plants that "out-compete" it, depending on about half a dozen other variables, like CO2 levels (which are a function of KH and pH), ferts, lights and clean-up crews. My unscientific suspicion is that you can only control it, at best, once it's introduced; even if I moved my fish to a new BB tank, they would carry algae spores with their slime.

5. Finally, something I've learned all by myself: Siamese algae eaters (SAE) don't eat much algae -- if any. Whoever named them must have been trying to sell off a whole bunch of them.

Thanks again,

Mac

Mac, read till you are ready, then learn as you go. Good on you for reading up ahead of time, but every tank is different so do what works for you. and what works can change as a tank matures.
e.g. i now have some plants coming up that i thought were completely dead months ago. in fact i have to look at the invoice from 6 months back to see what it is. but apparently it was still alive in the buried in the sand. i think its dwarf sag. point is...same tank, same light, same etc, but things change.

[rickztahone]

Thanks everybody for all the advice.

Since starting this thread, I've also gone back over some of the sticky posts that I had not read in a while.

In the interests of academic discussion, my conclusions and questions for further study follow:

1. "Everybody knows" that discus need soft acid water. Except that they don't. My fish have done well for years in DC tap water, which is hard and high pH. However, Filip said that you "only need" soft acid water for spawning and hatching, AND that discus do better in hard water. That agrees with my own experience, in that the only times I've had successful spawning and hatching was with RO water. So what I want to know is: Why should any species thrive best in conditions that are inimical to its procreation?

2. This thread confirms my previously-stated view that CO2 is just too damn complicated. I want to be a hobby aquarist, not a gardener.

3. As I said above, I also had the algae when I had low light. One of the sticky threads (started by ChloroPhyll) includes a checklist of desired parameters, including lighting at 2 to 3 wpg. It was after reading that (or something like it) a few years back that I upped my light into that range. But the consensus here now is that I am running twice as much light as I need, for much longer than I need, and that must be why I have the algae. My conclusion: You can't win!

4. Nobody really knows how to "get rid of" algae. Some think you can get plants that "out-compete" it, depending on about half a dozen other variables, like CO2 levels (which are a function of KH and pH), ferts, lights and clean-up crews. My unscientific suspicion is that you can only control it, at best, once it's introduced; even if I moved my fish to a new BB tank, they would carry algae spores with their slime.

5. Finally, something I've learned all by myself: Siamese algae eaters (SAE) don't eat much algae -- if any. Whoever named them must have been trying to sell off a whole bunch of them.

Thanks again,

Mac

That has to be the quote of the month

[Filip]

Thanks everybody for all the advice.

Since starting this thread, I've also gone back over some of the sticky posts that I had not read in a while.

In the interests of academic discussion, my conclusions and questions for further study follow:

1. "Everybody knows" that discus need soft acid water. Except that they don't. My fish have done well for years in DC tap water, which is hard and high pH. However, Filip said that you "only need" soft acid water for spawning and hatching, AND that discus do better in hard water. That agrees with my own experience, in that the only times I've had successful spawning and hatching was with RO water. So what I want to know is: Why should any species thrive best in conditions that are inimical to its procreation?

2. This thread confirms my previously-stated view that CO2 is just too damn complicated. I want to be a hobby aquarist, not a gardener.

3. As I said above, I also had the algae when I had low light. One of the sticky threads (started by ChloroPhyll) includes a checklist of desired parameters, including lighting at 2 to 3 wpg. It was after reading that (or something like it) a few years back that I upped my light into that range. But the consensus here now is that I am running twice as much light as I need, for much longer than I need, and that must be why I have the algae. My conclusion: You can't win!

4. Nobody really knows how to "get rid of" algae. Some think you can get plants that "out-compete" it, depending on about half a dozen other variables, like CO2 levels (which are a function of KH and pH), ferts, lights and clean-up crews. My unscientific suspicion is that you can only control it, at best, once it's introduced; even if I moved my fish to a new BB tank, they would carry algae spores with their slime.

5. Finally, something I've learned all by myself: Siamese algae eaters (SAE) don't eat much algae -- if any. Whoever named them must have been trying to sell off a whole bunch of them.

Thanks again,

Mac

Very sarcastic but true observations and conclusions about complexity of this hobby.It made me laugh.

After 15 years of constant reading about aquariums on net and hanging on forums it also seems to me that 95% of the info are just theories and subjective experiences.

My opinion on your thoughts and experiences :

1.Discus are captive breed in different conditions for 50 yerars and their genes are accustomed and differs from native discus fish.
That's why you just can't put and keep wildcaught discus in these parameters.
They grow more in higher Tds water becouse of the mineral content of water helps them grow better.

I also would like to know how this works in nature and how they compensate the lack of minerals and food for growth?
I'm sure though it's completely different mechanism and dynamics from how humans grows them.

2.Co2 is a blessing and the greatest achievement , if you are into planted tanks and aquatic gardening.
The only problem is that discus and planted tanks are totally different world's apart with totally opposed demands IME.

Btw. I'm a planted enthusiast and I do like aquatic gardening a lot .it's the thrill of constantly different and changing environment.Your tank is different scape every week,thats the thrill of gardening and pruning for me.
It's like painting

I totally agree on counts 3 and 4 with you.
Algae spores are always present, but it's the different water conditions that makes them thrive or barely survive.
And Yes, nobody knows how to battle them, it's just helpfull hints and theories out there.
You have to balance the ecology. And that means balance of 1000 different parameters

5. My experience with SAE on diatom brown and BBA alge is positive.
But they need to be young and starved a bit. Old and stuffed with beefheart SAE just drink beer in front of TV all day .

[jdhuyvetter]

Flying Fox's are far better algae eaters than SAE's

[bluelagoon]

Flying Fox's are far better algae eaters than SAE's

That is not true.SAE will eat a vast variety of algae.Flying foxes do not,nor do the CAE's.Filip has answered that question correct.

[jdhuyvetter]

I should probably have been more specific. they are far better at hair algae. SAE's were useless in my past tanks for hair algae. Flying Foxes were better. then I discovered Florida Flag Fish. Best I've ever seen for hair or brush algae. But, when it was gone, the fine leaved plants were next.

Again, personal experience. Every fish and every tank is different.

[Jack L]

that is not true.sae will eat a vast variety of algae.flying foxes do not,nor do the cae's.filip has answered that question correct.

cae ?