good dirt?

whats the best dirt to use?

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Comment by LED on February 27, 2013 at 5:49pm: Im sorry that i didnt get to this sooner. Here is a playlist I compiled explaining the Diana Walstad method along with great video footage of tanks that currently use that method

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLs9co0GFFPKj6n7mM2ZwMbnQZAr4Y...

Comment by Robert Jango on February 27, 2013 at 5:55pm: Thanks. I'm gonna play it now.

Comment by LED on February 28, 2013 at 11:10pm: @Robert

Yeah I always value GSPs input, and always like chatting with him one on one.

I'm glad that this post did help you, and I was afraid of being too simplistic, then too complicated. I guess I found a balance between the two. It would be great if people were open to ideas, even old ones that may have failed in the past.

I wish we had more advanced aquarists and experts here but most tend to leave for other more scientific or more serious hobbiests sites. Then we've usually left with people who dont want to do their homework and would rather be told what to do. Being lazy in this hobby tends to lead to sick fish, dead fish, algae blooms, and just down right ugly tanks. If we can all learn together and stick around we can be a good community to help others who come around. Maybe the new people will stay if we can be more informative and inspirational

Ill check out the aquarimax site later.

And yes the same type of bacteria can exist in various ratios in the filtration system. My filtration hasnt been cleaned in about 1 month. Since I have a sump built into the back of my tank I tend to just leave it and let it do its thing (that is untill i notice that the sumps flow is severely decreased) I have a very dense biofilm on my filter bag. so much so that it almost stops the flow of water LOL. Thats when i have to really clean it.

Comment by Robert Jango on March 1, 2013 at 2:12am: Clearly selling plants is what keeps this site alive. But, because Dustin can straddle the area between beginners and advanced hobbyists, the conditions for a robust aquarium community are here.

I definitely agree with your comment, "Maybe the new people will stay if we can be more informative and inspirational." Although "informative" is problematic (I just don't know a lot of stuff) "inspirational" is not. I may have landed a volunteer job at the New England Aquarium and have been invited by the people there to all kinds of field trips - some of them local and others as far away as Brazil. And on the home front, my fish breeding operation is finally starting to pay for itself. I'll start posting when things heat up.

You're also right that "most [advanced aquarists and experts] tend to leave for other more scientific or more serious hobbiests sites. That's what I've been doing, but there's something to be said for the enthusiasm beginners bring to the hobby. Its why I always return.

PS

I checked out your playlist on the Walstad method. You broke it down well and it sure as hell beats reading the book - just not ready for that level of detail... yet. Check out her interview on http://www.aquarimax.com/2013/02/27/aquarimax-episode-153-interview...