Jürgen Beisser wrote:
Thank you for your comments, Tom. Unfortunately, there are many sources for
BS: armchair aquarists, LFS sales people, literature (even if not outdated),
aquaristic companies,...
So you you have to make your own experience, as I did, and now I have a
slightly different picture about promises, myths and truth than when I was a
beginner 2 years ago.

Most seem to have to learn and hard way.
I did, I'm still mad about it 15 years later:-)

One final remark concerning the smell of my GDA species: not stinky, not
campher-like as BGA, but a very fresh smell, similar to mown grass.

Yes, that is typical of freshly mowed algae

More and the first hobbyist reference:

http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plant.../msg00011.html

You will note I virtually never tell anyone to use an algcide, killer
or expensive name brand solution. They are not needed as much as people
complain, become desperate. calinm that their plants are doing so
poorly and they "Need" this miracle product to just get them over this
one hump so they can later focus on the nutrients/CO2 etc.

It does not work that way.
Algae are far more specific as to conditions in the water than plants.
So knowning a lot about algae tells me a lot about someone's tank.
I do not need test kits for that.
Good plant health/growth is the cure, not algicides.
That's what happens in natural systems and what happens in our tanks as
well.

Best regards
Juergen
_____________
Juergen Beisser
Lilienthal, Germany

Regards,
Tom Barr

www.BarrReport.com