GreggZ Planted Rainbow Tank!

[Hanuman]

In my tank it likes good nutrient levels, high CO2, and high light.

Same here. Perhaps I could tweak CO2 / light a bit further but with the temperature swinging I am always a bit concerned about gazing the fish if temperature decreases.

 

[GreggZ]

I've experienced the 'head shrinking' of Pantanals as well. I'm wondering whether it has anything to do with the level of water column dosing.
If Pantanal is in a tank with rich water column dosing, the fact that it loses its roots due to uprooting and replanting would not be a big loss to it, compared to say, a Pantanal in a tank with leaner dosing.
However (fingers crossed), Meta appears more tolerant of trimming and replanting.

Keep in mind I also front load all macros for the week right after a water change. If someone is following a schedule where they change water then space out macro dosing all week their nutrient levels are not stable. If you remove 50% or 75% of the water, you also remove 50% or 75% of the nutrients. Keeping levels stable goes a long with needy plants like Pantanal.

And having CO2 optimized is important as well. If my Pantanal acts up that's the first thing I double check.

Same here. Perhaps I could tweak CO2 / light a bit further but with the temperature swinging I am always a bit concerned about gazing the fish if temperature decreases.

I think fluctuating temperatures and fish response is greatly overblown. I haven't run any heaters in my tank in years. When I do a water change the water is pumped up from holding tanks in my basement. In the winter that water is quite cool. I used to heat it but don't anymore. Tank temp goes from about 74* to maybe 66* (23C to 19C). Fish don't blink and are fine. Remember in nature water temps change, even going a few feet deeper there is drop in temp. IMO it would have to be a pretty radical drop to have any effect on fish at all.

 

[Hanuman]

I think fluctuating temperatures and fish response is greatly overblown. I haven't run any heaters in my tank in years. When I do a water change the water is pumped up from holding tanks in my basement. In the winter that water is quite cool. I used to heat it but don't anymore. Tank temp goes from about 74* to maybe 66* (23C to 19C). Fish don't blink and are fine. Remember in nature water temps change, even going a few feet deeper there is drop in temp. IMO it would have to be a pretty radical drop to have any effect on fish at all.

It's not the temperature affecting the fish that worries me. It's the dissolved CO2 in relation to temperature that concerns me. If your temp is stable you don't have much issues. If temp swings then that's a different thing. You also have a controller which regulates CO2 injection in relation to PH so you don't have much to worry about. That's not my case.

 

[GreggZ]

It's not the temperature affecting the fish that worries me. It's the dissolved CO2 in relation to temperature that concerns me. If your temp is stable you don't have much issues. If temp swings then that's a different thing. You also have a controller which regulates CO2 injection in relation to PH so you don't have much to worry about. That's not my case.

Aha I misunderstood what you meant. Yes with my tank full of hard to replace Rainbows the controller acts as a fail safe. It's a bit trickier if you are dialing it in with a needle valve that is for sure.