Forum favorites (old helpful posts)

[Samala]

Well gang, I have a bunch of bookmarks for old (*ish) threads here on RC and I was going through, thinning them down, and figured I would throw up a somewhat useful post of my favorites, the ones I learned the most from and felt are the most productive.

In no particular order:

Stages of marine plant Aquascaping

Distromium, the other blue algae

How to get rid of cyanobacteria (in a planted tank)

Miracle grow for SW planteds to increase N or P

Marine planted tank photos (Plantbrain)

My seagrass and macroalgae tank (Halophila)

N vs. P uptake ratios

Halimeda going sexual

Caulerpa going sexual

Adding N to reduce P

Macroalgaes and hyposalinity treatment

CO2 Magic!

Iron dosing

Nitrate dosing

Alternate iron source (and more Fe discussion)

Outlawed macro

New shoots growing of Penicillus

This is what happens when you overdose P

Perry Institute’s WebCams – one near a grass bed

Feel free to add anything monumental that you feel should appear in this list. Perhaps we can convince someone to stickie it.

>Sarah

[Fishfreak218]

can we make this a sticky??
thank you Sara.. very informative

[CELACANTHr]

Awesome idea!

[Samala]

This one is also very good:

Aquascaping ideas and design threads (including links to AGA and others)

Aquascaping is a bit of a sore point with me. I love the beautiful setups that are dominant in freshwater these days but feel they are sometimes too contrived, too poorly reflective of natural habitats. But thats just me. I also almost hesitate to encourage you marine guys to look at these as it might dampen your otherwise wonderful creativity with design and use of macros. Still, great thread.

>Sarah

[morphriz]

I love the beautiful setups that are dominant in freshwater these days but feel they are sometimes too contrived, too poorly reflective of natural habitats.

Well, you are not alone. FW aquascaping has gone abit too far
When reading the judges comments in the last Aquascaping contest att aquatic plant central I was really disillusioned. I felt they operate after a set of paradigms on how things are suppossed to be. Paradigms based on the history of aquascaping rather than on pure aesthetics or on biological relevance. Anyways, a few weeks later someone, you all know who, wrote an article in RK about seagrass so now your all stuck with me!

I promptly asked Art Giacosa, head-honcho at APC, about including marine planteds in future layout contest. This is his reply:

"We did discuss the possibility of adding marine seagrass aquariums but felt that it would be too different from the freshwaters. However, I do suggest that you post your aquarium in the aquascaping forum for others to see and appreciate. Maybe you can start a trend in that area."

So gear up, aquascaping really needs some new stuff!
//Mattias

[graveyardworm]

Everytime mangroves come up I have to search for this thread so I'd like to post it here.

Mangrove thread with lots of links

[Samala]

A few more:

Gravel substrates for seagrass

Use of soil in substrate

An oldie but goodie Adding more nutrients to a nutrient lacking system?

>Sarah

[piercho]

The ATS thread from the old Borneman forum. Looks like I killed this one off back in '04

A great ATS thread running from '02 to '07. Some looooooong time reefers discuss and try ATS. Steve Tyree even chimes in. I like this thread because its starts with expectations and ends with results. It also shows a time long gone when you could have a civil discussion among adults who don't necessarily agree on RC.

There are many more ATS threads but those two are the most worthwhile, IMO. Now that I've linked them in this stickied thread I don't have to hunt them down when the archane and deeply misunderstood subject of ATS occasionally pops up.

[Plantbrain]

APC, AGS, and ADA all sneer at Marine planted aquariums, namely for one reason: they have not kept them prior.

They have no idea about what should/can go in there, they have no base to judge off of.
They do not know their marine plants.
They do not know how to even culture the plants.
They do not know how to plant many of the plants.
They are scared of the pretty colors.

Those are just a few.

I've been offered to enter, but only as member's show case, not to be judged. Chickens.

You'd figure a new novel approach that opens up the world of plants to an entire new section of the hobby would warrant consideration but no.............

Guess why I have never judge a tank contest?

Why am I the only one willing to go both ways with FW and marine?
If you plan on being a hobbyists, you can focus, but if you seek to learn, you should be curious to explore all facets of this hobby.

You have more tools in the tool box to express nature.
Since that's what they like to claim they try an emulate.

Or with and without CO2(rather than either or)?

It's a bit of of a sore spot for me.
I was really let down by the various aquatic plant contest.

Fortunately the Dutch are smarter than this, they allow marine tank planted tanks in their contest.

See NBAT, however........ the rules for the Style of FW are more rigid.
But they are nearly 70 years old and span non CO2 and CO2 methods, imagine these tanks in the 1940's post WWII?
Still, the Dutch planted tanks have nice grouping, very full looking tanks, the wall of plant look.

Much like the wall of coral or many marine systems.




Regards,
Tom Barr

[Samala]

I would really like to keep this thread ONLY to links for good discussions and information that you can find on this forum and throughout Reefcentral. Some links to outside webpages are certainly fine too, just as long as they're on topic.

If we want to discuss contests and other stuff, we need to open up a new thread.

>Sarah