GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

15-10-2004, 03:23 AM

In article ,
says...

I'd suggest you not add a cable system at all.
I've never found them after 10 or so years(I've had 7 over the years
by Dupla and others)to be of any use. Do they hurt? No, do they help?
No.

I'd work on the substrate by using Flourite or Onyx, add some mulm
from another tank, about 8-10 handfuls of ground peat and add 3-4"f
these syubstrates on top of the mulm and peat.

Then you are done.
Nothing else needed.

You can search the APD for my arguments on cables and find some back
and forth between George and myself over the years.

No one to date has even come close to answering my questions
concerning them nor shown any evidence that they work.

I think "faith" has more to do with it than actual help to the
plants.
It will work if you believe it works

You will find a significant difference with a good substrate like I
suggested though.

Tom, I had previously read your post when I was doing my research and I
agree that no one has proven beyond a doubt that cable heating is
critical for a planted tank, but going off the anecdotal reports of a
couple of other people that said they were going strong for 12 to 18
months and then growth tapered off mysteriously. After setting up a
similar set-up with the heating cables which resulted in a more stable
system in the long term made me lean toward trying them out.

I haven't done much research on Flourite, but I'll bone up on it prior
to making a final decision.

Thanks for your reply, though.

-- Allan