# Importance of TDS Meters



## Robert Fletcher (2 Mar 2018)

I am about to embark into shrimp keeping and starting with Neocaridina I have had a bad run with TDS meters that I have bought from Amazon and the two I bought came from different suppliers but seemed to be manufactured by the same manufacturer as the were identical in every way. One would not go at all and the other locked on and the battery would not come out.
How important is a TDS meter? I did not see any on the Pro Shrimp site. If the other water parameters are OK do I really need one. If I need one is there any reliable brands out there? I am reluctant to go to Amazon or eBay based on experience. The only other I could find is from the hydroponic outlets in a wand format for £60. There seems nothing in between.
If the TDS meter is so important then why do the LFS not stock them?


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## Angus (2 Mar 2018)

Interesting video on the subject.


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## Robert Fletcher (2 Mar 2018)

fozziebear said:


> Interesting video on the subject.


 Thanks for that I don't know why I had not seen this before because I watch all Cory's videos. The other one I follow is Rachel O'leary she uses the plop and drop method and I do too. I was wondering about shrimp and she uses that for them too. I think I will just order the shrimps as the tank has been running for 4 weeks.


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## Angus (2 Mar 2018)

Rachel O'Leary is great, she has great information on some rarer species and breeding processes, she has a video on TDS meters too.


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## tam (2 Mar 2018)

Watch the plop and drop it's not always a good idea - if you read the comments she mentions it's fine for the same water (she's going from soft to soft) or to go from soft to hard, but not to do it going from very hard to soft. My LFS have hard tap water varying from 400-800 TDS, I use soft RO water around 180 TDS. So check what they are coming from before plopping them in.

TDS depends what you use it for. I use it to mix my RO and remineraliser to the TDS each time. When drip acclimatising from the LFS hard to my soft, to keep a rough eye on the tank etc. You certainly don't need one, but I like them.

I just use the cheap ones though, first lasted years until the plastic over the button split and I've had the new one 18 months or so. It says 'D-D the aquarium solution' on it if that helps.


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## Robert Fletcher (2 Mar 2018)

Before the failure of my second TDS the tap water was 215 and the shrimp tank (sans shrimp) was 200. I think I will just stick to frequent small watch changes. My Community tank I don't test for anything except check the drop counter. It is on EI Dosing with 50% weekly WC. But never kept shrimp so a bit nervous.


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## tam (2 Mar 2018)

Sounds good to me, just double check your GH on your water companies report and make sure it's inline with the needs of whichever species you are getting. Cherries are fairly flexible as long as it's not super soft.


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## sciencefiction (2 Mar 2018)

Robert Fletcher said:


> I am reluctant to go to Amazon or eBay based on experience. The only other I could find is from the hydroponic outlets in a wand format for £60.



If you want to try out a cheap TDS meter, the below link sells similar model as the one on Cory's video above. Its a brand called HM.  I actually have the same one. I can't tell you how long it will last but I used the same brand, different model before that did good for 2-3 years. It is very cheap. 

Since you are looking into Neocaridina species, you don't really need TDS meter unless you have soft tap water that needs enriching.
I use the TDS meter to compare my tank water to my tap. I don't add almost anything besides dechlorinator so I don't get a great difference between tank and tank if I do enough water changes. That's what I find it useful for. I don't care what exactly lies behind the value...All I know is that the rise is from fish food/fish pollution. 

http://www.ro-man.com/shop/tds-meters/tds-tm3-tds-meter-with-built-in-thermometer.html


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## Robert Fletcher (2 Mar 2018)

tam said:


> Sounds good to me, just double check your GH on your water companies report and make sure it's inline with the needs of whichever species you are getting. Cherries are fairly flexible as long as it's not super soft.


The GH is between 8-10 the KH has sung a bit wide from 0 - 4 with the tap water at 6. I put this down to the substrate settling in. I will do a full analysis before I order.


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## sciencefiction (2 Mar 2018)

Robert Fletcher said:


> KH has sung a bit wide from 0 - 4 with the tap water at 6.



KH is used up in nitrification so it will always go downhill from tap water unless water changes are done often enough. If you get a TDS meter you'll find out the TDS at the same time has risen up significantly in comparison to tap. Hence I only use a TDS meter as I know other important parameters are affected too when the TDS difference between tap and tank gets too large.


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## Robert Fletcher (2 Mar 2018)

sciencefiction said:


> KH is used up in nitrification so it will always go downhill from tap water unless water changes are done often enough. If you get a TDS meter you'll find out the TDS at the same time has risen up significantly in comparison to tap. Hence I only use a TDS meter as I know other important parameters are affected too when the TDS difference between tap and tank gets too large.


Very interesting information. That explains the drop in KH and now the tank has settle in things seem more stable.


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## Nigel95 (2 Mar 2018)

Only thing I use a tds meter for is when transfering new fish/shrimp. I use the drip acclimation method and transfer the livestock when tds in container matches tank water. Works pretty good so far.


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