Soilwork
Member
- Joined
- 22 Nov 2015
- Messages
- 559
Hi All,
So thats my topic of discussion. Are we really advancing the hobby? Or rather, has the hobby really moved forwards over the last 80 years or so? Has it moved backwards?
Below is some text taken from an old aquarium book that outlines the ‘four principles’
the first thing this book tackles is what I believe is the most important parameter any hobbyist should consider, and that is Oxygen. Do we have enough? Do we really give this parameter as much respect as it truly deserves? How does today’s most popularly proposed equipment of choice compare to the humble air driven equipment that was the equipment if choice back in the day?
Today, when we talk about aquarium balance we immediately think about light, co2 and nutrients. This is the key balance that makes it to the forefront of most of todays aquarists advice. Do we think too much about plants in isolation when in reality, plants are only a part of the jigsaw that makes for a healthy ecosystem. Should we not instead promote microbes, oxygen and plants when we talk about a healthy aquarium and a healthy ecosystem?
Today, I think that there is an overly incessant need to control something that was originally brought to the home to study up close. To create and not control. I can’t help but feel that our controlling nature makes this hobby so much more difficult than what it really ought be once we have mastered the ‘four principles’ and strived to achieve overall microbial/plant balance.
One thing that springs to mind is our fear of algae. Rather than embrace algae as an almost inevitable part of our journey towards true balance, we do everything in our power to eradicate it. This only serves to disturb the process. Chemicals even more so. One might even argue that algae was very rare a number of decades or so ago disease too.
below are a couple more snippets taken from an old book about water changes and plants
This is how I run my tanks, nutrient lean, full of plants, full of oxygen and with the understanding that water should not need changing. Microbes undisturbed.
Obviously, with the surge in popularity of aquascaping, goals have changed and new methods of looking after plants have emerged. Equipment, chemicals, substrates. My question is, do we really hold more knowledge than that of our ancestors and have we really advanced the hobby from an ecological point if view? Tanks are pretty for sure, but are we missing the point of aquaria? Looking through the mass of confused posts and troubled aquaria one would tend to think we are and that we haven’t really gotten that far in all this time.
How many people don’t know these forums exist or simply don’t seek them out because well, they just do what they have always done and never really had any problems?
What do you think?
CJ
So thats my topic of discussion. Are we really advancing the hobby? Or rather, has the hobby really moved forwards over the last 80 years or so? Has it moved backwards?
Below is some text taken from an old aquarium book that outlines the ‘four principles’
the first thing this book tackles is what I believe is the most important parameter any hobbyist should consider, and that is Oxygen. Do we have enough? Do we really give this parameter as much respect as it truly deserves? How does today’s most popularly proposed equipment of choice compare to the humble air driven equipment that was the equipment if choice back in the day?
Today, when we talk about aquarium balance we immediately think about light, co2 and nutrients. This is the key balance that makes it to the forefront of most of todays aquarists advice. Do we think too much about plants in isolation when in reality, plants are only a part of the jigsaw that makes for a healthy ecosystem. Should we not instead promote microbes, oxygen and plants when we talk about a healthy aquarium and a healthy ecosystem?
Today, I think that there is an overly incessant need to control something that was originally brought to the home to study up close. To create and not control. I can’t help but feel that our controlling nature makes this hobby so much more difficult than what it really ought be once we have mastered the ‘four principles’ and strived to achieve overall microbial/plant balance.
One thing that springs to mind is our fear of algae. Rather than embrace algae as an almost inevitable part of our journey towards true balance, we do everything in our power to eradicate it. This only serves to disturb the process. Chemicals even more so. One might even argue that algae was very rare a number of decades or so ago disease too.
below are a couple more snippets taken from an old book about water changes and plants
This is how I run my tanks, nutrient lean, full of plants, full of oxygen and with the understanding that water should not need changing. Microbes undisturbed.
Obviously, with the surge in popularity of aquascaping, goals have changed and new methods of looking after plants have emerged. Equipment, chemicals, substrates. My question is, do we really hold more knowledge than that of our ancestors and have we really advanced the hobby from an ecological point if view? Tanks are pretty for sure, but are we missing the point of aquaria? Looking through the mass of confused posts and troubled aquaria one would tend to think we are and that we haven’t really gotten that far in all this time.
How many people don’t know these forums exist or simply don’t seek them out because well, they just do what they have always done and never really had any problems?
What do you think?
CJ