# What has UKAPS done for you?



## Martin cape (15 Apr 2013)

Hi guys, 

Thought I'd start a thread. Basically what were your tanks like before you gained any knowledge from UKAPS. Pics would be great. 

Basically I knew nothing. Thought internal filter would be fine, no EI, no co2, nitrate filters in the filter etc. no wonder it used to look terrible. Look at the hair algae lol. 

Before:





Now: (just done a rescape mind, need plants to grow a bit lol)


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## tubamanandy (16 Apr 2013)

Personally, I have learned more in the past few months on this website than 15 years of aquatic plant growing (pictures will follow). The guys are so helpful - I try not to post stupid questions but as my knowledge increases the questions are less.


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## Steve Smith (16 Apr 2013)

There are no stupid questions


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## Martin cape (16 Apr 2013)

SteveUK said:


> There are no stupid questions



Only stupid answers lol


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## anasarka (17 Apr 2013)

For me, this forum is wonderful. Each aquarium that make someone describes it in theme with pictures and detailed explanation of the the technique, plants and everything important to make it. So anyone can easily learn what is needed, and the only task is to come up with their own vision.


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## George Farmer (17 Apr 2013)

It's made my hair go grey.


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## LondonDragon (17 Apr 2013)

George Farmer said:


> It's made my hair go grey.


Its made mine scarce!


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## Piece-of-fish (17 Apr 2013)

It made me a slave of planted tanks  Never ending waterchanges...


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## lurch1000 (17 Apr 2013)

SteveUK said:


> There are no stupid questions


Wasn't it once said the only silly questions are the ones you don't ask?


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## Ian Holdich (17 Apr 2013)

It's made me some great new friends and drinking buddy's.


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## roadmaster (17 Apr 2013)

Gave me the knowledge to target what plant's need and observe growth, rather than fighting algae.
Was afraid to dose dry fertz KNO3,KH2PO4.
Often find myself hip deep in old thread's and have spent hour's at a time reading.
Folk's here are light year's ahead of the game than many in U.S.


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## Martin cape (17 Apr 2013)

Best site I've ever stumbled across. 

I love underwater gardening


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## Ady34 (20 Apr 2013)

Great thread Martin 

ive always kept fish since my early teens, always loved the look of lush planted tanks, but after a few 'fishkeeping' tanks, and to cut a slightly longer story short, ended up with a 6ft x 2ft x 2ft tank housing a single 22" black shark. Then met my now wife and set up (a small) home, so the 6ft had to go, but i still loved having a tank so ended up with this in 2006, BBA and plastic plants.....





to this rio180 in 2008 after moving to a slightly bigger home, BBA and real plants  :




somebody must have told me about c02 here, i didnt understand it, or the correct application and swiftly gave up on that idea as i didnt understand its importance. The tetratec system i was using was clearly insufficient and unreliable so still had BBA but at least i had moved on to real plants again. Still had warm cats too 

to this in early 2011:




still trying....id believed, like many, that my root problem was insufficient light, so added another 2x t5 ho lights to the existing 2x t8 Juwel lighting  ......i also got rid of the c02  There didnt seem to be much good planted tank advice out there in most LFS, its all light and test kits. This photo flatters slightly the tank as this was taken not long after redoing, clearly they are mostly new plants in pot sized bunches  they didnt last long before deterioration and BBA, i had too much light here and no c02. I was getting a little dispondent now, and disinterested..... fortunately it wasnt long after this (mid 2011) when i found UKAPS, i think from an article in PFK...... I was amazed by the resource and information available on one site, i was hooked and determined to have something better long term...repeat buying plants is costly! Seeing the number of quality journals in particular inspired me to want to understand how to do it, so after reading a lot i decided to take the plunge and have a go at a proper planted aquascape.

to this, in 2012:




no algae and mostly happy plants 
Id found somewhere with members willing and able to offer quality advice, a resource for all things aquatic plant related, it gave me the tools to help prevent issues and also the advice needed to fix problems.
Onwards and upwards and still learning 
Thank you ukaps!
Cheerio,
Ady.


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## Martin cape (20 Apr 2013)

Wow. 

You've come a long way. And your cat has multiplied lol. 

Must admit this site has given me so much knowledge and a real hobby now. 

I used to think a "fish tank" was for keeping fish. Nowadays, they get a bit of food a day, that's it!! Now its ferts, co2, water changes etc. plants get much more attention. 

"It's not about keeping fish, its about keeping water!"


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## tim (20 Apr 2013)

Ukaps helps keep my serious case of mts in check also shown me I can grow instead of throw plants  best planted forum there is IMO.


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## viktorlantos (20 Apr 2013)

I think i lost my mind.

Spent a large ammount of time here before..... Then i realized i built a tank shortly. And another one. Then i quit from my IT venture (which made a good money to me) to do an aquascaping shop in a country which was in the worst economic situation in europe around that time. For what? To earn nothing for years but do great tanks.  Well i gave this virus to thousands of people since that time so i start to feel better now. 

But seriously this forum is changed my life without i realize it. Now as you opened this topic i knew what i had in mind for years..... I wanted to say thank you guys. I am glad i came here first and not to a bombmaker forum


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## Martin cape (20 Apr 2013)

Another one, its cost/costing me a fortune lol 

Nice post Victorlantos


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## faizal (30 Apr 2013)

I first came across a planted fish tank at a local LFs here in penang, malaysia. I never knew that one could actually keep live plants in an aquarium let alone grow them. I always assumed that the plants would inevitably die & we need to go back & buy new ones. Then i started surfing the internet & came across the ADA nature aquarium tanks. Saved up a tonne of money & purchased a 4 foot aquarium with T5 lights & an entire range of ADA goodies from a local LFS. I made his day was what i did.
I told him that I wanted to have a non co2 tank because i remember reading about Tom Barrs non co2 methods. So he basically set up the whole thing for me one day. Everything was great for about 1 week.
Then the plants started to melt one by one like clockwork. When I called him up he told me that "ADA products are meant to be used as a complete system in order to attain harmony in any tanks" and this was probably due to some fungal infection & hence it was the perfect time for me to buy some Green Bacter & start dosing it daily into the tank. Which i did. Unfortunately i neither attained harmony nor sweet serenity in my tank. Most plants melted. And i sold off the whole thing & vowed never to look at a planted tank ever again.
Then one day,...i bumped into UKAPS. My questions were never entertained in most of the other forums. George Farmer was the first to welcome me.  Then Clive took me under his wings. I was humbled & utterly grateful to say the least. EVERYTHING i know now about how to keep a planted freshwater tank & its aquascaping methods is due to the kindness & generosityt shown to me by the warm hearted members of UKAPS.


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## fish fodder (30 Apr 2013)

UKAPS has kept me awake beyond my bedtime


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## Henry (1 May 2013)

Ukaps has answered those last few questions I needed the answers to before I felt truly confident about growing great plants. After years of keeping plants and accepting algae (and telling myself I enjoyed how "natural" it looked), I took the plunge and set up a proper hi-tech aquascaped tank. I've never been happier or so successful in this hobby than I am now, and it's all down to the good people of UKAPS. 

Thanks everyone!


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## aliclarke86 (4 May 2013)

Given me somewhere I can come and hang out it feels like and stopped the huffing and puffing from the Mrs as I don't go on and on at her about my tanks anymore  I think she enjoys them a lot more now.

Also what fish fodder said


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## Martin cape (4 May 2013)

Even my Mrs knows about it now. "The Forum" lol. 

Plus it's a good lie for when I buy new plants. 

"You been buying more plants?"
"Course not darling, lads off the forum have sent me some again"


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