Re: crenacara filamentosa

[David Sanchez <barbax2@yahoo.com>]

Hi there Yvan this is a great topic of discussion we
have here. I really appreciated your comments because
this is something I have been keeping notes on. You
make a very good point in that the plants alone wont
do the job. This may be true but what happens is we
tend to siphon off, remove all this stuff before it
gets a chance to fully develop in an Aquarium. The
detritus that forms on the bottom of an old tank  is
loaded with beneficial bacterias that will further
breakdown waste products. The problem is we have been
programed to remove all this stuff! Also growing
plants release chemicals into the water that inhibit
the growth of algae. We know some algaes to be cyno
bacteria ( having properties of both plants and
bacteria) does this effect our hatch rate by
inhibiting bacterial growth? Honestly I don't know. I
hope someday to be able to answer such questions but
what I do know is this works! So I guess the correct
thing to say is a mature planted aquarium left alone
will begin to do many more things then we know. So yes
you are correct in what you say. There are animals
like snails, aquatic insects etc... they all   have a
role. Also my friend John would say "why have a small
population of fish in a planted tank with no
filtration? because we have been told to do it that's
why?" He has a bunch of tanks with zero filtration and
heavy fish populations. To top it all off he even
feeds heavy. Would I recommend this for a breeding
tank, NO. But the water is apparently being scrubbed
clean by the plants and organisms in his tank. This is
a fact because we are able to see the decline in
conductivity. Here is an example: 

1) a bare bottom 55 gallon tank holding 100
P.taeniatus grow outs. Conductivity starts at 15
us/cm and shoots up to over 100 in just a day or two.

2) a 55 heavily planted tank with a soil substrate and
over 100 cardinals, 6-7 Killies and 2 prs of A.borelli
Conductivity of source water 80 us/cm drops to 60
us/cm and stays stable at 60/ us/cm.

Folks try this at home for yourself this is data not
here say.


 BTW he uses a good substrate with soil, peat,
laterite etc. The cardinal Tetras in the tank are some
of the biggest I have seen and he has some Apistos I
have given him that have out lived any I have. Is this
a breeding tank, NO but its some of the best planted
tanks I have ever seen.   This is all great, our
discussion on planted tanks but lets not lose sight of
the point here. We must focus here or we will get off
topic I am not talking about a planted  tank but
rather a breeding tank. The plants are not my main
concern. I am indirectly concerned with the plants
only because they are a tool I use to get the water I
need to have Apisto eggs to hatch. There are many
other tools I use plants are just one of them. Also to
be honest I am not concerned with,    if plants are
the only ones to purify the water or not. Again we
must focus. The plants do enough of a job alone for
the most part ( hey there could a bacterial colony in
the substrate who knows etc...)coupled with everything
else I do that this synergy gives me the results I am
talking about mainly, a female with fry and a hatch
rate that I consider successful.

David Sanchez

> 
> Hi David,
> I agree with you concerning the extraordinary
> potential plants have to
> recycle matter and how important they are for our
> tanks and our fish.


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