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on plantgeeks.net they have different levels of care like easy , moderate, and hard. what makes them the different levels. like why is microsword moderate

Generally those sorts of ratings are based on requirements - for example, microsword requires very high light, careful planting, and a rich substrate - very few people have success with it. Plants that require CO2, careful handling, higher amounts of, say, iron, etc - those would be "harder." Personally it's not my favorite ratings system (I'm a bigger fan of rating by light levels with the assumption that high-light tanks generally ought to have CO2 and ferts to keep algae from going nuts), but it gets the point across.

-Molly
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Hi,
If PlantGeeks uses the same criteria that Tropica does
then here is the break down of the various categories:

Demands
This section indicates how easy/difficult it is for the ordinary aquarist to tend the plant.

"Easy" means that the plant does not have any special requirements and that it will thrive in virtually any aquarium.

"Average" means that the plant does not have many requirements and that it will thrive in most aquaria.

"Difficult" means that the plant has larger requirements for the aquarium. Most often the plant will require much light!

"Very difficult" means that the plant has special requirements for the aquarium! Most often it requires an extreme amount of light or soft water.

Hope this helps...
Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

I'm a bigger fan of rating by light levels with the assumption that high-light tanks generally ought to have CO2 and ferts to keep algae from going nuts

The problem with this is that even at higher light levels with good CO2 and ferts, some plants are still harder. Light level rating also change dependant on tank size and type of bulb you use. This is why we actually use both to rate plants.

Of course it is all very subjective based on one persons particular opinion or experience. People rarely agree across the board on something like that.

Very true. Which is why we also allow any user to add their own comments/experiences on each plant.