I don't understand your standpoint. It seems like you decided to believe Barr for some reason (unknown to me). Please, are you able to tell me why 95% of algae problems are caused by wrong CO2 management? Do you have any arguments for it ... except for telling me that you just believe it? Are you able to critically think of it? What exactly happens when you lower the CO2 levels which causes algae to interfere? And why the algae don't bloom also at high CO2 levels? Barr has 50-70 ppm CO2 in his main tank. Do you know what CO2 concentrations algae love the most? Do you think light is the only parameter which helds algae at check? There are so many questions, but just one universal mantra for all: "raise the CO2 level". Why? "Just do it". Sorry, but I don't buy it.
I'm with "ardjuna" on this one, I'm not convinced. Although with the proviso that I don't have any scientific data to back it up with, and I've never run a high tech. tank.
I dont necessarily believe it has to be 95% of cases. But in most cases if using EI co2 problems come from poor co2 management which includes many things. Problems can come from many more things yes.
I dont know what happens and neither do you or T Barr. Hes theory is that if plants suffer (even if we dont realize it) then algae can sense it. It sounds possible to me. Can you offer another theory? Can you prove him wrong? Why should I think this might be wrong?
Its the main one. As mentioned before its not the only way. You can manage by light limitation or phosphates limitting mainly.
Please, do you have any of these studies available for me to read? (I mean it sincerely. I'm not lucky enough to find any, except Barr reports which are actually not Barr's studies but rather excerpts from some textbooks.)
I have already mentioned this "another theory", although I'm not sure how it can help you in your quest for "easy maintenance tank". This theory says that algae in our tanks have everything they need to grow => especially in EI tanks (high nutrients level, high light, good distribution). So why don't they grow? Based on what I read, found out myself and heard from the algologists, I think that the main reason why algae don't grow well in our tanks is that there are some strong factors which inhibit them → like algae-eaters, frequent water changes, maintenance, relatively short photoperiod, huge amount of plants [+ fast growth means algae don't attach to plants so easily] and small amount of critters etc. You can compare it to the physical laws: law of the gravity vs. law of the "human strength". If you take an apple and stretch your hand, your strength will overcome the force of gravity initially. But finally the gravity will win and the small apply will make your hand get down. In a similar way, I see it with algae in our tanks. Under normal conditions (laws) the algae should win (like the law of gravity). But due to our frequent water changes, good filtration, careful maintenance, lot of algae-eaters, short photoperiod etc. the strength of these factors overcomes the algae. As long as you have this "power" in your tank and this power is strong enough to hinder algae, you have an algae-free tank. But in every moment you are at the risk of some bigger and more powerful law to come in and rein ... the law of gravity (algae). I say it just for you to know that I'm not someone who only criticise others. But I don't want you to blindly believe it.
Found it via <Edvet's - 2013 post in "unlimited nutrients....."> (also a thread worth reading ).
Some of the most extraordinary algae I've ever seen was in a low tech soil based tank (run by someone that was very outspoken (& knowledgeable) in that style of tank), algae crew included japonica shrimps (what they were called at the time 😉) & otocinclus & SAE (proper) - zero water changes since tank set up, open tank so water level was topped up as needed ... tanks ranged from 6 months to a couple years post setup - I decided then & there I'd never attempt that sort of soil based tank 😱
I just don't understand how can it happen in planted tank with CO2 supply that the CO2 demand of our plants not being met? Do you know that in many areas of amazonia there is about 10 ppm CO2 in water and the aquatic vegetation is just marvelous? So how can it be that our aquatic plants (many of them being from amazonia) need more that this to grow well? It seems to me that you constantly juggle with arguments according to how it suits you best. Try to explain how can plant grow well under 10 ppm of CO2, 1500-2000 µmol PAR and huge quantity of nutrients which constantly supply the plants with all they need.
