[Manwithnofish]

Well I've heard it said, that high tech tanks require high maintenance. Is this true and if so, what exactly is high maintenance? Is it regular maintence more frequently? I know there will be pruning requirements, but does the tank get "dirtier" faster and require cleaning more often?

 

[Manwithnofish]

So you all "enjoy" playing in your tank. What is it that you are doing that you enjoy so much? A lot of cleaning? Because my tank, filter, etc all need cleaning a lot. Like everything in the tank has to be cleaned and the filter removed and cleaned every 2 weeks. And every week, I'm scraping the glass, pruning plants, getting plant debris out of my HK-2. Is this the fun I'm suppose to be having?

I'm doing the high tek (high light, CO2, & ferts). Plants are definitely growing. They would fill the entire tank in 3 weeks if I let them go. But I still have an excessive amount of "dirt" or algae to clean.

 

[Manwithnofish]

Oh, great. I've been having fun all this time and didn't even know it! :hat: So, if this is normal, I can stop trying to solve a problem. This is the way it's suppose to be. Because I've had the impression from others that once I got the CO2/ferts/light all at that magical state of perfection, that the algae problems (ALL problems) would go away and my tank would look like ...like a "Magical state of perfection". But you're saying that the truth is that it only looks like that if I make a constant effort to make it look that way each day. And if I get slack, it can all go to pot real quick.

Is this it?

 

[Manwithnofish]

To me it is all fun. Water changes, planting, replanting, cleaning glass, adding ferts, new equipment, trimming, experimenting, etc. About the only thing I find not fun is fighting bba. Just when I think I win it rears its ugly tuft.

I'm not sure I can classify bba. I get small tufts which are very dark (almost black) that will grow on the ends of plants and other objects and also on the tank floor substrate. It is rarely invasive and fairly easy to control. What is enormously invasive are the tufts that grow like grass on the substrate. Green, fairly dense, filaments that will completely blanket the bottom if I let it. Don't know their names yet but I suppose I should get acquainted with it because I'm sure it's here to stay. :Cry:

 

[Manwithnofish]

I think it might be this one: Cladophora, Blanket Weed.

I'm also getting the powder green alage that grows on the glass walls and surface of everything in the tank. I clean it away and by the end of the week, it's right back.

This is so discouraging. Is it actually possible to have a tank without algae, or does everyone just clean it constantly?