On Thu, 2 Jun 2005 23:25:47 -0400, "Paul A. Ergh"
wrote:

I have read in many places that good water movement is important in a
planted tank. Supposedly this helps to move waste products from the plants
off of the leaves as some of them are toxic to the plants.

I love the visual effect of the leaves swaying back and forth caused by the
movement. However, the fish (except for the danios) don't seem to like it
much. They hang out under the cover of the plants and only come out to eat.

So, I have two questions:
1 - How much water movement is really necessary for thriving plants?
2 - If the proper amount is anywhere near as high as I have how do you
provide it without upsetting the fish? Obviously I can pick fish that like
a lot of water movement but I have had a hard time find many pretty ones.

Here are the details of my Aquarium:
- 75g
- Heavily planted with various swords, java fern, java moss, anubia barteri,
crypt wendtii, jungle vals, crypt lucens, apongeton, red lilly, crypt
cilliata, anubia congensis
- 10 giant danios, 12 ottocinclus, 3 clown loaches, 1 spotted rafael, 4
three spot gourami, about 8 corydoras, 30 nerite snails, 2 Siamese Algae
Eaters
- 2 Fluval 304s (260 gph each) attached to 4 bio-wheel pros
- 2 powerheads rated at ~250gph each
- CO2 tank / pH controller
- 3.2 watts/gallon of Phillips Plant/Aquarium fluorescent bulbs
- flourish 2-3 times a week
- laterite/flourite/sand substrate
- 200W substrate heater
- pH 6.8
- approximately 80mg/L CaCO3
- approximately 20mg/L CO2
- temp. 80F

I have a 75 gallon tank with 2 Penguin 330 power filters and a 10 inch
bubbler. The tank "low light" plants can be seen to be in constant
motion. I like the notion of the moving water keeping uniform water
conditions especially water temperature. My 5 tanks all have bubblers
and power filters. My only problem is algae that forms on the glass
above the air stream. I need to clean the glass every month or so.

Actually, I didn't add the bubblers for scientific reasons, I just
like the looks of a bubble stream.

dick