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Is this hobby losing the plot?

Thanks for the suggested books. I went for The Optimum Aquarium. I like how one for the reviews describe it as "...not a how to, but more of a how it works..." which is exactly what I need. Technology may have moved on since the early eighties, but the plants don't know that, so this seems a good place to start. (Out of print, so second hand, in very good condition on Amazon for less than a fiver posted.) And I'd have sure as hell never heard of it, if it weren't for you guys...

Re George Farmer's slow burner it's great to see this approach being taken by a seasoned pro, as this is what I have done. (Used a "high energy" set up with low maintenance slower growing plants.) If I can master a tank full of beginner plants, then I can move forward from there. For now I have more forgiving plants, I'll have more time to react and a less demanding maintenence regime. I'm going Echinodorus, Cryptrocoryne and Anubias crazy.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who is very glad to have this middle ground. A Formula 3 car, but driving slowly round an oval, rather than steeming into the Nurburgring!

I think it's too late to trade in for a Nissan Micra and besides, I don't want to. I'll just have get used to the controls...

The reason I'm saying all this, is because it has all happened since and because of reading this thread. A wise man once said "Its not about you!" ;) and I hate to be all me me me, but I want you to know, you've helped a great deal in getting my head around this whole thing.

Thanks again...


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I like that JAX3000 and am glad starting this thread has had its wider benefits!

Maybe the middle ground should be likened to cruising in a Bentley, plenty of power available if needed but delightful cruising the rest of the time..?
 
JAX3000 said:
trade in for a Nissan
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I prefer the low tech to be "drifting around in a sloop" not fast ,but with a lot of comfort and a good glas of wine;)
 
That might go the way of the whole hobby-losing-the-plot thing. Too much expection, too little ability (to hold your alcohol :D)
 
This is a good and interesting conversation. Being one of the guys who entered into this hobby at the emergence of T5 lighting and one of the countless aquarists who stumbled upon the work of Amano and hence began the plunge into aquascaping, I can say it is hard to slow down an over enthusiastic beginner. Why oh why does every one of them want to grow HC!? The combination of varying information and stunning photos of aquascapes lead to beginners to try and hit the ground at full sprint. The scapers who make it through this phase become wiser and learn to take a simpler and more reasonable approach. It has been this way for me....and even now occasionally I pursue stupid high amounts of light and loads of fast growing weeds which look nice at moments few and far between, simply due to the constant trimming and the occasional algae issues that come from walking the razor's edge.

Additionally, I think beginners and some more experienced scapers are pursuing that final photograph. They are not interested in how it looks in their living room or study. They don't care about the micro bubbles swirling or even care to add fish until the photo. I always wonder what some of the tanks with the nice photography and tricks with perspective and dimension look like in person when the effects do not work like they do for the front camera shot. This is a different type of scaper and by and large not representative of most.

Best management for me is lower than you'd think light, always add CO2, and stay as on top of ferts as much as possible. But with the reduced light and thusly a reduced energy system....you can get away with the eventual human neglect most of us non professionals will encounter over the life of a scape. Its more forgiving and its a wiser approach. But try telling the beginners this and they will blow you off....I still tried to grow that HC :p
 
This thread is a bit scary. I am new member, have been reading lots and thought I was doing everything right, after reading this it seems I should throw all the equipment out of the window
 
flygja said:
Shawn... not sure what you mean, since your aquascaping portfolio on Flickr is gorgeous!
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That's because I have hidden away all the photos from the beginning of my aquascaping hobby :p And I've learned to grow HC :D

I suppose that is one thing to realize as well....how often do we get to see the total bombs people make!? lol

A little something I wrote for the ASW magazine (when it was still being put together) from my first, probably, year in the hobby. A Beginner's Perspective It was published a while after writing it. I was hoping to share the experience of a beginner with other beginners.

More to the topic, I absolutely feel things are being over complicated in the hobby and that good simple common sense management is all it takes. I've never been one for testing, and yet, I hear about all these people testing every known paramenter of their water, calculating their fert dosing and estimated plant uptake. All is overly complicated and unnecessary to be successful. Not to mention, few really have a true handle on how to appropriately test samples (use reference solutions, calibration procedures, high quality reagents, etc). Same goes for CO2, with experience and less light than you think you need, CO2 can be managed simply by observation. I use a drop checker to get into the ball park(<Is this an American saying?) and adjust from there. Calculating ppm based upon pH, KH, and CO2 isn't really that important because the number is just that without observation and other relative considerations like plant mass, light level, etc., some of which cannot be measured....so observation and experience is more important than some formula.
 
Alexander Belchenko said:
Shawn, great article! It said there should be next part, can you give us the link?
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Thank you! I don't think the next one ever got published as the magazine thing died out over at ASW. I wrote it, but the issue was never completed. I'll see if I can find the draft if you are interested. It was funny, the second article was literally going to come out after I'd been in the hobby for about 2 or 3 years and I had just become a moderator over at ASW.
 
Great article Shawn indeed, oh and such beautiful scapes on Flikr..

What few beginners realise is just how much attention a fancy hi tech scape will require even after you've chased your tail for a few months getting your modern day CO2 and flow issues sorted and now have to deal with stem plants growing 25mm+ a day. It's a whole lot of trimming and re-planting etc. sooner or later something will have you backing off the maintenance and dealing with the ensuing jungle...

Nobody wants to be told "that's not for you yet" mind so as has been said earlier...get reading first but with a critical eye/hear and listening most closely to those who have shown a proven record of growing successes rather than vociferous opinions.
 
Shawn, I hear what you're saying, though one thing I've learnt in this hobby is "common sense is not common". Some would say "look at your plants" and someone else would say "No, get a dropchecker" and another would say "Drop checkers suck, get a pH probe". And then you run into all sorts of problems with pH pens and low KH and CO2 mist and dissolved CO2 and flow and.... you get what I mean.

I've been into aquascaping for about 7 years now and I still can't grow HC consistently :D
 
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