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Ok thanks, I'm inclined to follow your advice, given that it isn't standard procedure to split the light period. I'll stick to one period per day. On the subject of lighting hours, does it matter if they coincide with the hours of natural light, or can these be ignored when it comes to...

Reason for the two light stints is algae prevention - someone in one of the many forums (can't remember who, sorry) I have been visiting suggested this as a way to discourage algae, I think his/her reasoning had something to do with the algae being quicker to react to any changes on account of...

This is an invaluable piece of advice for a newbie, cheers! I am starting with 6 hours a day in two three-hour periods and will take it from there. The plants finally arrived after 4 days in transit due to the postal strike. Some of the plants are in poor shape and won't survive, but most of...

If what is wanted is plant growth from the start, would't reducing the light period prevent this growth? My feeling is that the plants must be given exactly what they need from the beginning to give algae no chance of developing: recommended dosing, 10 hours of light (a TWO-HOUR BREAK is...

Hi ceg4048, I have read all your very informed recommendations about algae, from which I have learned loads, and yes the conclusion is that the cause is more complex than the general assumption that it is due to nutrient excess, ie it is a question of balance of the many parameters involved...

Hi chrisr01, What ferts are you using? As per my previous comment, I fear TPN+ may be too strong if combined with the organic contribution of fish/invertebrates, resulting in the unmentionable algae growth. I think it is meant to be used in plant-only aquariums?

The algae! The algae! Regarding the reason for being concerned about dosing TPN+ without WC is that this Tropica product has N and P in it in addition to the usual ferts, so if I am going to have some fish/invertebrates in the tank at a later stage I would better be very careful about the...

I see, thank you. So suppossing that one wants to simplify maintenance to a minimum doing away with most of the water changes (but still get some growth), the way to go would be to use soil or root tabs only, and perhaps dose just a bit of water column fertilizers as well, but limiting the Excel...

Thanks! So co2 fluctuations due to WC aren't that important? I thought they were considered as a likely cause of algal growth, esp. in low tech/maintenance aquariums... Someone in another forum (steveninaster at www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk) has suggested that "If you are worried about adding...

Thanks for that, ceg4048. If I'm getting you right, you imply that Excel = water changes needed, but ferts only (TPN+) = no water changes are always needed. I suppose my question really is: what in Excel makes it necessary to carry out WC, but not if one uses non-carbon fertilizers? On the...

Finally, my new Rio 125 is ready and waiting for the first shipment of plants - any day now. However, it turns out that the SeaChem Flourish Excel that I was planning to use in a low-maintenance setup needs water changes, or so I gather from this forum, which throws a spanner in the works. If...

Thanks for that, George Farmer. I suppose my concern really is whether the Flourite substrate provides enough nutrients in the early stages, when the tank isn't fully established, especially as compared with other soil-based substrates such as CaribSea Eco-Complete or Tetra Plant Complete...

Precisely, according to the EL natural rules additional ferts should't be used, but remember, this is a tank in its early stages with very few fish, so I thought that a bit of encouragement would be welcome. The question is, Tropica PLANT NUTRITION+ liquid contains essential nutrients including...

On setting up a new El natural tank with Fluorite as substrate, are water column fertilizers such as Tropica TPN+ needed as well, or does the Fluorite supply everything the plant mass will need (apart from carbon)? Fluorite is considered the best substrate there is, but it only contains...

"The idea is to optimize the health of the plants which will automatically result in keeping the algae in their larval stage." Wow. This would be the crux of the matter. I wonder if you could please elaborate on just how healthy plants inhibit algal growth? We've established that they don't do...

"at night the plants will release some of the co2 they have taken in during the day, if they have taken more in from the air then surly they will give more back to the water than fully submerged plants also?" Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the co2 exchange was done through the leaves...

In fact, I do keep papyrus plants in (waterlogged) pots and the the thought has occurred to me to keep them in a fishtank. Problem is, these sorts of plants do not contribute to the aquarium ecosystem other than at substrate level, so are of limited use and they complicate the lighting setup of...

So it seems that a certain amount of floating plants can be helpful, especially to combat algae, but too much of it can have the opposite effect! A case of trial and error, I imagine. :?

Just one question: is sunlight really essential in an El Natural system? We have little of it over here (London) in winter, and it is said to encourage algae. Would this sort of setup work mostly with artificial light? I was hoping to place the new tank in a corner sheltered from direct...

Totally agree that one has to have the objectives clear: in my case it isn’t aesthetics but first ease of maintenance and second healthy growth with lack of algae. Quantity or types of plants or fish or any other consideration do not figure highly in my list of priorities. The invaluable...

Ok, so just how does a healthy growing plant mass prevent the onset of algae? The more I research about algae, the more confused I get!

Hi ceg4048, Mm, I thought it was quite established that a sufficient quantity of healthy and growing plant-mass is critical in keeping algae at bay, supposedly by dint of simply outcompeting these for nutrients, ie the algae are starved into non-existance, so to speak, by the plant growth. As...

Still on the subject of setting up a new El Natural tank, it strikes me that an abundance of floating plants - duckweek, water lettuce, etc... - may be the soultion to a dead-easy maintenance aquarim setup: given sufficient quantity, to the point of totally covering the water surface of the...

Right. When you say 'There is no point whatsoever in deleting a filter in a low tech tank', I imagine you'll agree that chemical filtration in the form of carbon (the usual) will remove beneficial compounds and fertilizers needed by plants, so one should as a precautionary measure remove the...

Thanks for your reply, ceg4048. I can't be sure where I have read this about filter bacteria, I have been doing quite a bit of research in the last couple of days and it's been many different webs that I've visited. But I recall that Diana Walstad's original setup was for no filter whatsoever...

Before jumping in the El Natural wagon, and after reading all the related forums in the ukaps web, I have two major doubts about this system: 1 - Given that a biological filter (ie bacteria) isn't necessary and can even be counterproductive since it 'steals' nutrients from the plants, but...

Thanks for the links, George, there is some vital info in them!

After considering how demanding a fully stocked tank can be in terms of maintenance/equipment/disaster potential, I am thinking of simplifying things and try the natural route with a very lightly stocked aquarium with just enough low light plants to keep a handful of fish healthy, carrying out...