pdw1731
Aquarium Advice Activist
I just started this hobby back in August and once I got my tank up and running well, I wanted another one. My second tank is where I decided to take the Nestea plunge (am i dating myself or what) and go planted. I admit I was scared to death because I didn't want to 'mess up'. After doing some research i got me some nice plants and a new light and stepped out on faith. I assumed that a 'healty" tank would be algae and disease free, no leaves would ever die and my water would always be pristine.
I, like many of you , have had all of the above happen at one time or another.
Then, my family and I decided to take a trip to the heavily funded, nationally renown Baltimore aquarium.
What we saw was many tanks with species and plants of all kinds. We also saw a tank here and there being quarantined, dead leaves, dying plants algae. I was disappointed at first because i assumed everything there would be my definition of perfect. instead, I recognized that perfect tanks are always in the cycle of life and death. Without light, things die, with light things grow and vice versa. Since then, I am no longer paranoid about the little speck here and dead leaf there. I do pay more attention to my tank now and try to head off the bad things before they get worse. I tend to my tank only as much as needed but otherwise, nature will find a way.
PS...those plants i thought i would kill are growing like crazy and the fish are happy as untattoed mollies excpet for the snail taht got caught on my filter uptake.
I, like many of you , have had all of the above happen at one time or another.
Then, my family and I decided to take a trip to the heavily funded, nationally renown Baltimore aquarium.
What we saw was many tanks with species and plants of all kinds. We also saw a tank here and there being quarantined, dead leaves, dying plants algae. I was disappointed at first because i assumed everything there would be my definition of perfect. instead, I recognized that perfect tanks are always in the cycle of life and death. Without light, things die, with light things grow and vice versa. Since then, I am no longer paranoid about the little speck here and dead leaf there. I do pay more attention to my tank now and try to head off the bad things before they get worse. I tend to my tank only as much as needed but otherwise, nature will find a way.
PS...those plants i thought i would kill are growing like crazy and the fish are happy as untattoed mollies excpet for the snail taht got caught on my filter uptake.
