Well folks…
After three decades of playing with, maintaining and thinking about planted tanks, finally met the setup that has broken any will power to keep going.
Every 72 hours we’re getting this consistently:
Plants grow fine. However, the three pieces of wood that are fuelling the algae growth will not desist. All glued together with the rest of the scape no less and supporting the bank of substrate. No walking away from this one.
It is growing from the wood like some sort of green hairy phantom, eclipsing the rest of the tank, with a regularity only rivalled by an atomic clock. This has led to a setup that requires maintenance every three days at one and a half hours a pop per session on average. And just like clockwork, you’re having to bring it back from failure every three days over and over just to watch it fall again. Totally unacceptable and breaches the one hour per week per tank rule so it’s time to call it.
Had a chat with various folks to get a few opinions, just to see if calling it is premature. The length of time required to burn out the issue is as long as a piece of string from feedback. Not comfortable quitting, especially to a relatively simple opponent that is managed regularly in tanks that are personally maintained. But when the food source for the problem may potentially last years, gotta tap out.
For whatever reason tanks are associated with songs in this house. This tank really has become a mirror for current circumstances and a bloody good lesson in defending against hubris.
For this one, at the end, Pink Floyd comes to mind:
I still haven't really come fully to terms with it.
The end is inconceivable for ourselves, let alone for those we love. My heart to yours Darrel, sorry for the delay replying to your sincere comment. Truth be told, simply didn’t know what to say these last few weeks, pain blinds us.
Now, getting all touchy feely, it’s our job to fill that void we feel. After all, despite our shared musings of our futility, struggling through existence over morning coffee, we’re it mate. Next generation give all of us purpose. Be well mate, we all need a Darrel.