Ecosystem vs Egosystem

[Pepere]

Man that term has captivated my mind..

Thanks @JoeQ

I know, you clarified what an Egosystem is…. But likely it is a matter of degrees regardless.

 

I ran across this quote from an article on the 2hr Aquarist website.

“There is a tendency to compare our aquarium with 'nature' , forgetting that the minuscule world we have created is only a tiny selective slice of nature and far from 'self-balancing'. And while we seek to replicate nature, what we really want is a particular (and often un-natural) instance of nature. We want lush, thriving plants and a lively livestock population without algae in crystal clear water....contained in a tiny high-density space. Such environments do occur naturally in the wild, but often only in specific seasons and circumstances, while we want the same instance to be constant and never-changing in our planted tank!”

https://www.2hraquarist.com/blogs/fertilize-planted-tank/which-planted-tank-fertilizer-should-you-use

 

And taking a snippet out of that quote…

 

”We want lush, thriving plants and a lively livestock population “without algae in crystal clear water....contained in a tiny high-density space

And lets just add to it…

And we want it in a no waterchange, filterless, no ferts heaterless tank with abundant livestock that only needs maintenance every few months.

Reminds me of when I built boats and clients wanted a s 30 foot sailboat with standing headroom that they could tow with a Toyota Corolla  and store in their garage that would be fast, stable in the water and cost under $10,000.  I would tell then there was only one boat I knew of that would fulfill those criteria and it was only to be found in the waters surrounding Fantasy Island…

[JoeQ]

On 6/5/2023 at 5:39 AM, Pepere said:

Man that term has captivated my mind..

Thanks @JoeQ

I know, you clarified what an Egosystem is…. But likely it is a matter of degrees regardless.

 

I ran across this quote from an article on the 2hr Aquarist website.

“There is a tendency to compare our aquarium with 'nature' , forgetting that the minuscule world we have created is only a tiny selective slice of nature and far from 'self-balancing'. And while we seek to replicate nature, what we really want is a particular (and often un-natural) instance of nature. We want lush, thriving plants and a lively livestock population without algae in crystal clear water....contained in a tiny high-density space. Such environments do occur naturally in the wild, but often only in specific seasons and circumstances, while we want the same instance to be constant and never-changing in our planted tank!”

https://www.2hraquarist.com/blogs/fertilize-planted-tank/which-planted-tank-fertilizer-should-you-use

 

And taking a snippet out of that quote…

 

”We want lush, thriving plants and a lively livestock population “without algae in crystal clear water....contained in a tiny high-density space

And lets just add to it…

And we want it in a no waterchange, filterless, no ferts heaterless tank with abundant livestock that only needs maintenance every few months.

Reminds me of when I built boats and clients wanted a s 30 foot sailboat with standing headroom that they could tow with a Toyota Corolla  and store in their garage that would be fast, stable in the water and cost under $10,000.  I would tell then there was only one boat I knew of that would fulfill those criteria and it was only to be found in the waters surrounding Fantasy Island…

You're welcome, im sure ego system was a phrase I picked up somewhere, and saying a simulated eco system would be more accurate. But still, eco system vs ego system is a pretty darn good description. One method uses nature as a blueprint to creating the system, the other creates the system from ones own desires.

  As per the 2h aquarist quote I don't really see my aquarium as totally natural. I believe most aquariums do need help to make them thrive in the form of water changes (simulating rainfall/evaporation & absorption) and a mechanical filter. Not to mention a heater, skimmer, foods for the inhabitants, fertilizers for plants, along with countless other gadgets to make the system sustainable.

As far as algae free , that is far from what I want . For me seeing a dieing algae covered plant with new growth, thats natural beauty, thats what im after! . On the other hand looking at an algae free antiseptic water box with a crystal clear water and a perfectly manicured lawn is beautiful to me because of the work involved to get it to that point. Its just not something im intrested in watching long term.

Edited June 5 by JoeQ
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[nabokovfan87]

On 6/5/2023 at 2:39 AM, Pepere said:

”We want lush, thriving plants and a lively livestock population “without algae in crystal clear water....contained in a tiny high-density space

And lets just add to it…

And we want it in a no waterchange, filterless, no ferts heaterless tank with abundant livestock that only needs maintenance every few months.

For my own perspective, my goal is to have a tank which has clear water visibly, nice aesthetic views (entirely subjective), plants growing, livestock enjoying their environment. 

I really do not subscribe to the "no effort" aquarium side of things.  I enjoy the process of cleaning my tanks and enjoying that visual cleanliness too much to just sit there and watch it all fall apart day after day.  Algae free would be nice... just that BBA stuff, please go away!