I work for a Zoo Shop in Sweden and encounter ignorance all the time
(no hard feelings)
I have had and still look after SW tanks and I can tell you one thing;
The only thing I can find similar to the FW Plant tank is the lights and the circulation. But when it comes to other things like NO3, PO4, CO2, pH, etc... they are two different worlds.
SW's holy trinity is KH/pH, Calcium, Magnesium (if flow is good)
in FW Planted is CO2, NO3, PO4 (if flow is good)
Most of my freshwater customers which report some sort of a problem state that their tank is totally OK and in fine balance :?
Of course I ask them how can they know that and 99% answer with;
"I tested for pH and it is normal"
What is with this pH obsession ??? (this doesn't apply to u Hoskins)
It is hard to kill the myth which was carved into so many fish books and sites for the last few decades when it comes to freshwater tanks. pH is very important when it comes to breeding certain freshwater fish but in planted tanks NO.
I encourage Hoskins to use the pH controller and test for him self. He got some good info from UKAPS as guide lines to be able to recognise the problems if any occur.
Regards, Dusko