Dustin's Blog — Aquarium Science
Aquarium Science Series 3: Plant Nutrients
Posted by Augusta Hosmer on
Read Time: 6 mins Welcome back to part three of our Aquarium Science Series! This is a big one for planted tank enthusiasts: what nutrients do aquarium plants need and why? There are a whopping 17 essential nutrients for plant growth, but we'll make it easy. Be on the lookout for a second half to this where we'll show you how and when to fertilize and supplement with these nutrients (and also the amazing way nutrients flow through plants). Some Clarified Definitions Nutrients- in botany, these are chemicals that helps a plant live, grow, and reproduce. Feel like this term...
- Tags: aquarium, Aquarium Botany, aquarium fish tip. Fishtank tips, aquarium plants biology, Aquarium Science, Aquarium Tip and Tricks, Carbon, co2, Fertilizers, Freshwater Planted Aquarium, Iron, Nitrates, Nitrogen, Nutrients, Oxygen, Plants
Fungus in Your Fish Tank? Could Be a Good Thing.
Posted by Augusta Hosmer on
Read Time: 4 minutes Okay, sure, the title sounds kinda clickbait-ish. Most people hear "fungus" and think either "athlete's foot" or "mushroom," but what if we told you fungi might help you grow aquarium plants? Mycorrhizae: Pretty Fly for Fungi Land plants have a well-documented symbiotic (mutually helpful) relationship between their roots and a huge range of fungal species naturally found in soil called mycorrhizae. Mycorrhizae actually translates from Greek to "fungal root." The fungi infects the plant's roots, obtains "food" (carbohydrates) from the plant and, in return, increase the plant's root absorption and nutrient uptake by increasing root surface...
- Tags: aquarium, aquarium fish tip. Fishtank tips, aquarium plants biology, Aquarium Science, Aquarium Substrate, Aquarium Tip and Tricks, Biotope, Dustinsfishtanks, fish tank, Mycorrhizae, planted Aquarium substrate, Planted tank, pond tips, pond tricks, Roots, Soil as substrate, The Planted Tank
Aquarium Science Series: Basic Aquarium Plant Botany
Posted by Augusta Hosmer on
Read Time: 9 minutes Freshwater aquatic plant anatomy and physiology, and how you can make easy botany work for your planted tank Welcome back to another installment of the Aquarium Science Series! Got some epic aquarium plants growing, but wondering how they work and why that matters? This post will give you an overview of some botany basics, with more specific posts on roots, plant genetics, leaf physiology and photosynthesis/respiration, etc. to follow later when we really dig into it. Aquarium Plant Classifications Scientific Names/Taxonomy Want to get to know someone? Start with a name. Aquarium plants are no different....
- Tags: aquarium, Aquarium Botany, aquarium fish tip. Fishtank tips, Aquarium Plant Species, aquarium plants biology, Aquarium Science, Aquarium Tip and Tricks, blog, Dustinsfishtanks, fish tank, Planted tank, Plants, pond tips, pond tricks, The Planted Tank
Aquarium Science Series: Water Chemistry without the Che-misery
Posted by Augusta Hosmer on
A Huge Guide to Freshwater Aquarium pH, Dissolved Oxygen, Nitrites/Nitrates/Ammonia, Water Hardness, and All the Molecules Bouncing Around Between Your Fish - without Feeling Lost or Like You Want to Fall Asleep in Class Read Time: 12 mins "This 8 oz bottle will prevent and cure all fish diseases, fix all your water, grow a tank-wide bacteria colony in 7.2 minutes, and bring your childhood goldfish back from the dead for $42.99! Ignore the other 600 8oz bottles that say the exact same thing!" is what it feels like walking down an aquarium aisle these days. Before you go into debt buying products...
- Tags: Alkalinity, Ammonia, aquarium, aquarium fish tip. Fishtank tips, Aquarium Maintenance, Aquarium Salt, Aquarium Science, Aquarium Tip and Tricks, Dustinsfishtanks, fish tank, KH vs GH, Nitrates, Nitrites, Nitrogen Cycle, Oxygen, pH, Salinity, Specific Gravity, Water Changes, Water Chemistry, Water Hardness, Water Parameters, Water Softness, Water Testing
Why Bigger is Better with Beginner Tanks
Posted by Augusta Hosmer on
Read Time: 4 minutes One of the funniest comment threads I've ever read came from a guy who said, "Everyone has a ratio of swimming water to urine they're comfortable with." The immediate reaction to his post was a unanimous "Absolutely not." Then he explained it further: if someone pees in your hot tub, you’re climbing out and pissed off (Or, pissed on, maybe). On the flip side, we all know people and marine life urinate in the ocean. But no one goes running for the shore even knowing that. So the guy made the claim again, this time to...
- Tags: aquarium, aquarium fish tip. Fishtank tips, Aquarium Maintenance, Aquarium Science, Aquarium Tip and Tricks, Beginner Tank, blog, Dustinsfishtanks, fish tank, Nitrites, Nitrogen Cycle, pH, Planted tank, pond tips, pond tricks, Water Changes, Water Chemistry, Water Hardness, Water Parameters, Water Softness, Water Testing