MichaelJ
Member
Yep! Cuz there are noting more educating than debates where no one agrees on the definition of what is being debated...
I think injecting CO2 and keeping the lights low is what Wait What? is for
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Poll: what level of tech do you have/prefer?
- Thread starter Wolf6
- Start date
KirstyF
Member
😂😂 Hey the tank is brand new and I like to hedge my bets! don’t worry I’ll probably get around to blasting it with photons like a good high techer at some point…..and then dropping it back some when I have to trim daily and/or peer through the algae to see my fish…hopefully to eventually find the zen of my tanks happy place. 😊I think injecting CO2 and keeping the lights low is what Wait What? is for
MichaelJ
Member
That is a very sound strategy 👍 - start lower... not doing so is probably a good reason why CO2 beginners often gets into all sorts of trouble with CO2.
... and if that happens you know why
I'm still undecided on this question to be honest, I really like both and I think equally.
Lowtech firstly is just SO much easier in terms of maintenance for me, especially because I do prefer to use at least 50% rainwater in my tanks. It's a more chill way of doing things.
There are also so many great niches of it to experiment with like blackwater, emergent plants/pond scape, a river/stream style that's just as interesting and good as high-tech and even just normal lowtech you can get a great look with all sorts of luscious plants. 2 of my tanks are lowtech. I can imagine I will always keep at least one, if not 2 lowtechs. And of course it's much cheaper.
High-tech for me has been a massive learning curve and I found it really difficult to balance at first, a big part being that I just don't have the money to get everything new and perfect. My budget is def more lowtech lol, If I was rich I would do a lot more of it and I'm sure it would be easier. I love the growth, variety and colour of the plants though and even though the maintenance is more extensive and rigorous I think I will always have at least 1 high-tech too. And of course the styles I said you can do in lowtech can be done in high-tech, you can p much do any style in high-tech which is great. Another downside to it is that I definitely get some more jumpers (especially shrimps) from high-tech than low, it's not common but it is downright rare in my lowtech.
Idk I'm pretty evenly balanced, I just think we should all try them all out and experiment more, I'm sure there are more discoveries and styles to find out there that I'd love to see. In both styles you can make things like really natural if you want which really is my goal so I'm happy either way.
Lowtech firstly is just SO much easier in terms of maintenance for me, especially because I do prefer to use at least 50% rainwater in my tanks. It's a more chill way of doing things.
There are also so many great niches of it to experiment with like blackwater, emergent plants/pond scape, a river/stream style that's just as interesting and good as high-tech and even just normal lowtech you can get a great look with all sorts of luscious plants. 2 of my tanks are lowtech. I can imagine I will always keep at least one, if not 2 lowtechs. And of course it's much cheaper.
High-tech for me has been a massive learning curve and I found it really difficult to balance at first, a big part being that I just don't have the money to get everything new and perfect. My budget is def more lowtech lol, If I was rich I would do a lot more of it and I'm sure it would be easier. I love the growth, variety and colour of the plants though and even though the maintenance is more extensive and rigorous I think I will always have at least 1 high-tech too. And of course the styles I said you can do in lowtech can be done in high-tech, you can p much do any style in high-tech which is great. Another downside to it is that I definitely get some more jumpers (especially shrimps) from high-tech than low, it's not common but it is downright rare in my lowtech.
Idk I'm pretty evenly balanced, I just think we should all try them all out and experiment more, I'm sure there are more discoveries and styles to find out there that I'd love to see. In both styles you can make things like really natural if you want which really is my goal so I'm happy either way.
Courtneybst
Member
Do you use low light plants in these environments?
Wookii
Member
For the most part yes @Courtneybst - I probably should have caveated what I said with that point, low light and lower CO2 wouldn't suit some plants - I doubt I'd be able to grow Rotala Macrandra for example.
Luciën
Member
I just love automation I'm a lazy maintainer. Only hi tech thing missing is fully automated water change system. If i was to get an new tank I would probably add that.
Wookii
Member
Man after my own heart lol . . . I have automated water changes on both my tanks, I could never go back to bucket or hoses now, far too few hours in the day 😂
ScareCrow
Member
This is what I've been contemplating on doing just to speed up growth a little. How do you measure your CO²? I've thought of diluting the drop checker solution but that's more of a guide so do you look for a pH drop of less than 1pH?
Wookii
Member
I've kind of learnt to just rely on the drop checker. I just aim for a darker green than I would if I was running high light with lots of fast growing stems where I'd be verging on very light green.
I have thought when I set up my next tank, which will be larger, and have to reset the CO2, I might dilute the standard drop checker solution with some DI water 50:50, and then aim for a medium green which would should be around the 15ppm mark. To me that actual ppm or pH drop is less important when running lower light, or heavy surface plant covering, and more just getting a consistent level of CO2. Much like low tech, you have more time and room to manoeuvre and make adjustments when the tank isn't running on a high light knife edge.
