Tom has maintained planted aquariums as a business for more than 10 years and has kept planted aquariums as a focus since 1989. First encounter with aquatic plants in 1977. Tom started his college education till after he was already keeping fully planted tanks. He has spoken at many societies and meetings over the years on aquatic plants, both marine and freshwater on a wide range of topics and has designed numerous devices to help aquarists.
Tom has done substantial lake management during 5 years and continues to work on many projects for larger Koi ponds, fungi control, lakes, wetland creation and also environmental consulting as a business.
Tom presently is a graduate student at UC Davis, California: testing of herbicides on aquatic invasive weeds and using bottom barriers to control aquatic weeds where chemicals cannot be used. Tom taught Biology the same Community College Classroom he once sat as a student.
Education:
Water Treatment [13 course]: Sacramento State
BS in Aquatic Biology: University of California, Santa Barbara
MS in Botany, University of Florida, Gainesville
In Progress: Ph.D. UC Davis, Plant Sciences
Tom writes for this web site and is the author and proponent of the Estimative Index aquatic plant fertilizing method.
Tom seeks understanding on the basic questions surrounding plant growth and control. His research addresses both herbicidal and non herbicidal methods as alternatives and using new approaches to solve aquatic weed control issues. These include both microphytes (algae generally), macrophytes (Plants and seaweeds) and fresh- and saltwater environments.
He has discussed many topics over the years on the web and in person with many people interested in plants and is involved with a number of local societies and a member of SFBAAPS in San Francisco, CA, the oldest and perhaps largest aquatic plant hobbyist group in the USA.
Various of Tom’s articles have been published in numerous languages around the world and can also be found in Weed science journals, TFH, FAMA, TAG, AP and RA, AP and GGA.
