Best lesson learned in 2010

[Troender]

There's always ways to spill water you haven't experienced before.

[geronimo69]

Strong +1 to LGP's comments.

Water changes and filtration are complementary techniques. For most tank handling, they cannot substitute for one another.

library/water-filtration/waterfiltration/

+++++++++1

Filtration = Nitrogen Cycle... Ammonia gets converted into Nitrites, which get converted into Nitrates.

Water Changes = Getting rid of the Nitrates caused by your biological filtration setup.

Lesson learned? I'd have to say for this year it was :

Dont' try to explain fishkeeping and the nitrogen cycle to someone who doesn't keep fish. They just don't get it.

Quote "water change once a week?" "why don't you just top up the water?".... GRRRRR.

Ugh, these comments are so frustrating.

[LilGreenPuffer]

There's always ways to spill water you haven't experienced before.

SO true.

[Lil' Swimz$]

Always buy extra dechlorinizer.

[~reefchik~]

I read that article and it's great!

[RTR]

Water changes are more for renewing water parameters than for just removing nitrates. In planted tanks - most of my tanks - I am more likely to have to add nitrate than remove it. But I still do the partials or will see the tank water slide away from the tap water profile. Nitrate buid-up in unplanted tanks is only one factor - excesses and losses of the other vital minerals (such as KH and GH) are as important for long-term, maybe more so Please remember that nitrate is only an indicator of general pollution. It is the one we can measure easily. Mineral losses and build-up are harder to track, and organic build-up is effectively impossible for hobbyists to measure. Just removing nitrate does not clear all pollution and parameter drift.

[J-P]

Strong +1 to LGP's comments.

Water changes and filtration are complementary techniques. For most tank handling, they cannot substitute for one another.

library/water-filtration/waterfiltration/

RTR this best lesson learned.. not taught You knew this all along.

I would agree... in 2010 I think I learned that high tech tanks we not for me. I tried and it is too much. Low tech and use the cards you're dealt with is the best solution. Trying to simulate mother nature in your tank is an exercise in futility. You can only do so much. Keep it simple, and keep it manageable.

And another couple on a personal note but can't be explained here

[RTR]

I ran quite high-tech labs for a living. Coming home to do somewhat lower-scale techie tanks as hobby was not in the cards. I wanted relief from the labs, not more of the same.

Besides, captive system may emulate some to many natural functions, but they are not and cannot be any reasonable emulation of Nature - the scales are too far apart. I learned quite young that captives systems and the wild were quite different. Don't kid yourself that we are copying nature. We are not. We are striving for survival in captivity, eventually with reproduction, and for me hopefully looking "natural" but I know better than to think that it really is. The aim for us is sustainability, not natural at all.

[geronimo69]

Water changes are more for renewing water parameters than for just removing nitrates. In planted tanks - most of my tanks - I am more likely to have to add nitrate than remove it. But I still do the partials or will see the tank water slide away from the tap water profile. Nitrate buid-up in unplanted tanks is only one factor - excesses and losses of the other vital minerals (such as KH and GH) are as important for long-term, maybe more so Please remember that nitrate is only an indicator of general pollution. It is the one we can measure easily. Mineral losses and build-up are harder to track, and organic build-up is effectively impossible for hobbyists to measure. Just removing nitrate does not clear all pollution and parameter drift.

You are correct, as usual. The thing is, that most people don't understand the basics of water changes for the simple removal of nitrates...

If my lesson learned was "to stop explaining the nitrogen cycle to non fish-keepers", why would I go into more detail as you did in this post?

Maybe my lesson learned should have read : Do water changes. Whether you can explain it or not, do them.

[RTR]

That I go along with as really solid and sound tank care.