Search results for query: *

...you have to follow a multistep process to get a coloured compound that you can measure to indicate their level. Because of your tap water results* you may well have those levels of fixed nitrogen, via uncontrolled release from the controlled release fertiliser. You can see plant growth...

Hi all, I don't believe your test kit. That is the bit that matters. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is an advantage of a dry salt straight away, you aren't paying for any added water. I'm <"proud of it"> and it works. I want people to keep planted tanks, both because I like plants (I'm a botanist by training), but also because they make fish keeping a lot easier and more...

Hi all, It should have done, conductivity is a linear scale. I still use a conductivity datum, although I don't actually <"measure conductivity regularly"> any more. Exactly that. If you stabilise pH you no longer have soft, acid water. Yes, probably to 50 microS, you can carry on with the...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS and nice tank, nice fish. You will get some rise in conductivity, plants take up nutrients as ions, and it is those same ions that conduct electricity. A <"relatively small addition of salts"> causes quite a large increase in electrical conductivity. I'm going to say...

Hi all, This is an <"interesting phytoremediation paper">, partially because it uses Vallisneria spiralis, a plant many of us will have in our aquariums: Morini, L., Ferrari, C., Bartoli, M. et al. (2024) Vallisneria spiralis L. adaptive capacity improves pore water chemistry and increases...

Hi all, It looks the best method, it is the one aquarists have used traditionally and this was what <"Dr Newton said">: <"A rooted plant"> (with some substrate) would also do. cheers Darrel

Hi all, The root tabs are probably leaching ammonia <"I made a substrate from hell, i want to change it"> . I'd change some water (probably all of it) every couple of days, until <"ammonia levels reduce drastically">. It is <"definitely too much">. I'd actually go further and say that any...

Hi all, "Yes and no" is the answer, they are separate entities, but you can define both "1 dGH" and "1 dKH" as 17.86 mg / L of CaCO3. <"The calculations"> are all in Larry Frank's very useful post on the Krib <"Water Hardness">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You are right, they don't make your water any softer or less alkaline - <"Some handy facts about water">. <"It doesn't">, although <"it might in the future"> as part of the <"Brexit Bonus">. It was EU regulation that forced <"UK water companies"> to clean up their act. Could you...

Hi all, Because it doesn't list calcium (Ca) or magnesium (Mg) on the report, you don't know what their relative proportions are. Normally you could assume that nearly all the dGH was from calcium, but because of where you live we can't, for geological reasons. Because you have reasonable...

Hi all, That is a particularly non-informative water report. The only bits of any value to use are: and I'll add a bit more later this evening. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I've got to say I'm firmly in the DI water camp for this one, it just means you know you start from a known low datum. That is the really important bit for me, the <"plug and play"> nature of conductivity meters and the linear relationship of <"dissolved ions to conductivity">. You...

Hi all, There we are, that is definitely a "more nuanced view". cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'm not entirely sure, I'm going to guess it would be somewhere in that range. The 100 mMol value is far beyond the amount of CO2 people inject. The workings. that go back and forth from moles to ppm (mg / L) are in the <"Coca-cola thread">. I'm not sure that pH measurements are...

Hi all, I'd be really wary of chloramine in the water supply around <"new developments">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You can equate volume and wt. for dilute solutions. Personally <"I'd weigh out 10 g of NaCl">, make that up to 1000 mL (1 kg) with RO water ("stock solution"), take 100 mL of that stock solution make that up to 1000 mL and use <"that as my calibration solution">. Once I've used the...

Hi all, There doesn't seem to be much specific scientific research on ornamental fish. This was as good as I could find <"http://www.bioflux.com.ro/docs/2016.574-579.pdf"> "Mousavi, S.M., Rezaie, A., Ahmadmoradi, E. and Mohammadi, F., (2016). "Histopathology of nephrocalcinosis in some...

Hi all, I think the issue is <"nephrocalcinosis">. There are scientific papers on salmonids etc. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It does, but depending on the degree of planting, the amount of dissolved oxygen and the volume of the water change. This should be less of a problem in a heavily planted tank, mainly because the plants are going to mop <"up the TAN ammonia (NH3/NH4+)"> pretty quickly. It is only...

Hi all, I like <"inferential techniques">, they don't seem as "scientific" as water testing, but they are equally valid. Because you have datum values for sea water (and sea water is both uniform and really salty) it actually makes testing somewhat more straight forward. It is also a much more...

Hi all, It will be about pH 8 and 18 dGH and 18dKH for geographical reasons, there is a water hardness map in <"Some handy facts about water"> . Yes "it depends", just because it is "ion exchange" and that means there are a number of variables, but as @hypnogogia says hard alkaline water will...

Hi all, Use <"serial dilution">, it takes away the need to very accurately measure small weights or volumes. The calculation is here: <"A simple continuous and fail-safe water-change system">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is it, but conductivity, not PPM TDS. You can only measure the Total Dissolved Solids, by evaporating a known volume of water to dryness. I've done this and <"I really can't recommend it">. As you say the <"SI unit is the Siemen (S)">, and it is the reciprocal (1/Ohm) of...

Hi all, If you had aquifer water it would be hard (from the Torbay limestones), but because it is from a reservoir on Dartmoor, it has very few solutes of any kind. cheers Darrel

Hi all, There isn't an article as such, I was going to include it in the "Cycling" article, but I haven't written it yet. I'll link in some more threads at lunchtime when I have some time. This should cover it: <"water change routine (again)!">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, In terms of use they are pretty much <"Plug and Play"> & <"Tank Transformation! House Move! I’m scared but join me for the ride!"> There is a section in <"Some handy facts about water"> under "Electrical Conductivity" and in some of the subsequent posts in that thread. cheers Darrel

Hi all, About 5 ppm magnesium (Mg)? The exact amount <"isn't decisive">. <"Epsom Salts"> (MgSO4.7H2O) is the usual choice, you can use the <"Nutrient Dosing Calculator">, but it is pretty much 10% Mg <"so the maths>" is pretty straightforward. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Personally I always advice <"plant and wait">. It just works. If you have a look at <"Correspondence with Dr Ryan Newton - School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee"> it describes where the science is at the moment. Dr Newton says: cheers Darrel

Hi all, Easier in a lot of ways, because water changes aren't an issue and we have access <"to higher plants">, which are very effective at depleting levels of nutrients. <"Floating, or emergent, plants"> are particularly useful as nutrient reduction aids. As an example of the differences...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, What @John q says. It looks to be water from a reservoir on Dartmoor somewhere, that is why the nitrate (NO3-) value is so low (max. 4.5 ppm (mg / L)). The <"higher pH"> and phosphate (PO4---) values are from added compounds to <"control the solvency of heavy...

Hi all, You can pump a huge amount of CO2 into a liquid, it is a <"very soluble gas">. The only way of keeping it in solution would be to keep it contained, in the <"pop bottle"> scenario. The problem would be that as the concentration of dissolved CO2 became larger the rate at which it...

Hi all, Thank you. I thought that was the answer. Perfect, we have a bit of discussion of <"phosphate buffers">, but not the explanation of why (until today). This is a potassium phosphate buffer calculator <"Potassium Phosphate (pH 5.8 to 8.0) Preparation and Recipe | AAT Bioquest"> cheers...

Hi all, It does, it really is the <"most horrible mess">. @_Maq_ discusses units etc. in <"Some handy facts about water">. Yes, both dGH and dKH are actually defined by their (entirely theoretical) calcium oxide (CaO) content, so 17.86 ppm CaCO3 is both 1 dGH and 1 dKH <"Water Hardness">...

Hi all, I'm not sure how much effect they will have. The sulphate ion (SO4--) is a base, <"but a weak one">. I think that is saying that basically we can regard it as neutral? but we would need @Andy Pierce or @hax47 . I think the same would apply to (ortho)phosphate (PO4---), it is a...

Hi all, They are actually measuring alkalinity (via titrimetric methods), but normally it is a fair supposition that the alkalinity is from dissolved bicarbonates. It is a really strange derivation. The details are in <"CO2 gaseous equilibrium with atmosphere"> and refer back to Larry Frank's...

Hi all, I think you are right, you would need @Andy Pierce for confirmation, unfortunately inorganic chemistry <"isn't my strong point">. I'm pretty sure that is right as well <"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0964830517312933">. Leon Steuernagel, Erika Lizette de Leon...

Hi all, That is why I've tended to regard hardness (dGH) and alkalinity (dKH) as the two halves of the same whole. Unless you are in the Okavango Delta, or similar, all rivers lead the to the sea. In the UK freshwater both parameters are nearly always derived from the <"dissolution of...

Hi all, We do. This thread may be of interest: <"Potassium Carbonate (K2CO3) vs pH ?"> You could make your own <"phosphate buffers"> using the weak base dipotassium phosphate (K2HPO4.nH2O) and weak acid monopotassium phosphate (KH2PO4). There isn't any point, but it is possible. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think that it is it. Where ever TAN (NH3 / NH4+), or nitrite (NO2-), are present, in aerobic situations, <"there will be organisms"> that can, and will, utilise them. We have a thread that may be of interest: - <"Correspondence with Dr Ryan Newton - School of Freshwater Sciences...

Hi all, <"Oh yes">, but in terms of <"doing a job">? <"Any plant will do">. I use <"Ceratopteris thalictroides and Ceratophyllum demersum"> as sub-surface floaters. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Pretty standard for SE England. Your water is less hard and alkaline than a lot of people, but you have quite a lot of nitrate (NO3-). I'd guess that it is a "blended supply" with a mixture of aquifer and surface water (from the Weald?) Water hardness map in <"Cannot Grow Plants">...

Hi all, That is the one, but you are unlikely to get a phosphate (PO4---) value, purely because there isn't a maximum permitted value, so the water company can't be in breach of it. Water companies routinely add PO4--- to tap water to ensure that levels of heavy metals don't exceed regulatory...

Hi all, I think you are right, it is definitely <"go big, or go home">. This is my new tank, I think that this one really is fully stocked. Fishes and Scales M.C. Escher Date: 1959 <"Fishes and Scales, 1959 - M.C. Escher - WikiArt.org"> cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think you probably would get issues. I think both microbial ammonia oxidation and the conversion of nitrite (NO2-) to nitrate (NO3-) would be compromised. Have a look at <"Joe's tank">, that has a reasonable fish load, personally my version of "over-stocked" is if you can...

Hi all, I'm guessing that there will still be <"microbial nitrification occurring">, just at a lower rate than "normal". My guess would actually be that there aren't any naturally occurring aquatic environments where <"microbial nitrification doesn't occur">. I've found a paper. It isn't...

Hi all, I think that is the crux of the issue, it is the <"horses for courses"> argument. If you take a UK example you get Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) in nutrient & base poor water stained with peat, in chalk stream, in estuaries and in the sea. So neither conductivity or salinity is important...

Hi all, The rock looks OK, the gravel should be inert, it's water washed flint, but there could potentially be some chalk mixed in. Cheers Darrel

H all, That is actually <"where a lot of people's are"> in the S., S.E. and E. of England <"Some handy facts about water">. It is just as a result of atmospheric CO2 levels <"Global Monitoring Laboratory - Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gases"> and the <"preponderance of limestone aquifers">. A...

Hi all, That is quite a big difference. As you say we don't know what those "extra ions" are, they could have built up over time, or they might be from an "aquarium" salt addition etc. Have a look at <"Joe Gargas's article"> linked in <"White blob on ram dorsal fin">. If you had limestone...

Hi all, At work (just W. of Bath) it is <"Bristol Water">, which is more variable than the <"water at home"> (N. Wiltshire), but it should do the job. You aren't going to need very much. I think that the state of the <"snail shells"> is actually quite a sensitive metric. Once you find a level...

Hi all, I'm pretty sure that was how <"I lost mine">. Because I have really hard, alkaline tap water, which is <"consistent throughout the year">, I've been using that as my <"remineralising agent"> and the <"Ramshorn snail">, <"snail-shell index"> as my indication of when to add some tap...

Hi all, OK that makes sense and I'm in "apples and oranges" territory. This is a chemical process. "Catalytic" is meant to <"suggest something special">, but this <"is just activated charcoal"> - From: <"7.4.2. Activated Carbon">. For <"nitrification">, the process of "biological...

...imply that their media can perform <"simultaneous aerobic nitrification and anaerobic denitrification"> & <"7.5. Denitrifying Media, Biohome and De*Nitrate in the Aquarium">. Chlorine To remove the chlorine (Cl2) you need as large a gas exchange surface as possible, which is why some people...

Hi all, You can smell and taste chlorine (Cl2) at above 0.5 ppm. The problems nearly always come with <"emergency chloramine dosing">, usually where the integrity of the water main is threatened. <"Regular chloramine dosing"> traditionally <"only occurs in the UK"> when the water will have a...

Hi all, Damn, close but no cigar. That is because you are a <"good fish-keeper">, I'm just not <"very good at it">. I'm never going down the hard water route, but hypothetically if I did? I would probably drive to the Netherland and buy them from <"Utaka"> etc. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Moderately soft, very low alkalinity. I'm a <"fairly shoddy aquarist">, but @Roland uses <"Soft water tank"> and I'm going to say that he probably knows what he is doing. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Tropheus (T. moorii?), very nice and you obviously know what you are doing. Even if I could keep them alive, without bloating etc., I'd be terrified that <"I'd wake up one morning"> and they would have ripped each other to shreds. I was thinking more Shellies (Neolamprologus...

Hi all, I'd guess not. If you made the water a lot softer, and less alkaline, you might eventually run into problems with your livebearers. You'll need some-one with practical experience to comment. I've always used rainwater and kept fish <"that like soft water"> (probably the majority of...

Hi all, Yes, nearly all the parameter decline in direct proportion to the amount of RO added. When you mix 50 : 50 RO : tap, your dGH, dKH, Acid Neutralizing Capacity and conductivity are all halved. This doesn't work for pH, it will remain at ~pH 8, mainly because pH is very strange...

Hi all, <"https://www.stroodaquarist.co.uk/factsheets/">? Personally if I used our tap water? I'd keep <"Lake Tanganyika cichlids">. It is all about the same for people who get <"ground water from a limestone aquifer">, about 17 ~ 18 dGH and 17 ~ 18 dKH (so that is a lot of members in the...

Hi all, I don't know the answer, and "too acidic" may be that answer, but I'm not sure the <"pH is that relevant">. The reason is that the tap water only <"had 2 dKH carbonate hardness"> and that is <"less alkaline"> than the rainwater I use. I'm going to guess if you had started with <"our...

Hi all, I got fed-up with getting through a new electric shower every two years and got a kinetic <"ion exchange water softener">, which has solved the shower issue, but has meant we get through <"a lot of salt">. <"This is our tap water">, lovely <"to drink">, but not great for the plumbing...

Hi all, A floater? I've talked with <"Tom Christoffersen"> and he says you find <"Pistia stratiotes"> all over the Peruvian Amazon basin. This <"sort of thing">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It does if you have <"hard, alkaline tap water">. Unfortunately you can't, without <"adding pH buffers">. The following also applies to the sellers, or promoters, of pH buffers....... At 4 dKH your pH will raise to ~pH8, and it isn't a problem. There is a discussion here <"Potassium...

Hi all, You can't really lock in values for pH, dGH or dKH. Have a look at <"Some handy facts about water">. Electrical conductivity <"you can measure accurately">, but you would need to know the <"conversion factor from microS. to ppm TDS">. You don't actually need to remineralise the RO...

Hi all, Apologies, it is back to imprecise terminology <"Some handy facts about water">, I mean the reserve of buffering derived from CaCO3 and, in this case, you don't have any. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It Is a bit of a strange one. The sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is strong base and is disassociated into a Na+ and an OH- ion. You only need a very small addition of NaOH to raise the pH, and that means you only need a small addition of acid to "overwhelm" the bases and cause the pH value to...

Hi all, If you really want <"true blackwater"> you don't need to remineralise the water at all, just add some tannic and humic compounds. If you just want to add a bit of dGH (and dKH) your tap water <"is ideal for that">. You are going to add magnesium (Mg) with your fertiliser addition...

Hi all, Not really, I use the <"Daphnia bioassay">. Two water butts <"daisy chained together"> also helps. These are the back garden butts. I've still got two of the three butts, but the "daisy chained" green-blue butt (far left) sprung a leak and I had to replace it. This image was pre-2011...

Hi all, That is it. The DI resin will reduce the conductivity (ions in solution), but it is an incredibly marginal gain and of no real significance. As an example, if you leave DI water to stand, the conductivity will rise by 3 or 4 microS, purely from the 0.015% of the 400 ppm of atmospheric...

Hi all, The easy answer is just don't use <"Seachem Equilibrium"> - <"Seachem method of potassium dosing"> and you don't need to pay more for DI water (than for RO). For our purposes the <"ion exchange resin cartridge"> makes absolutely no difference. @Zeus. and @Hanuman have actually...

Hi all, There are quite a few variables, but as a general rule the harder the water is the more problems you have with membrane life and "scaling". It is a bit of a silly question, but do you have an ion exchange (one that contains salt NaCl) water softener? If you do, you will get a lot...

Hi all, Other members @X3NiTH, @Happi, @_Maq_ are much better at water chemistry (and much more conscientious) than I am. I'm a <"pretty lazy and shoddy aquarist"> (and scientist), but I've got a <"sceptical mind">, a <"veneer of science knowledge"> and a <"fairly good memory"> and I tend to...

Hi all, Subsequently posted in your other thread <"Estimative Index"> (including <"the links">). It depends on the fish, snails and shrimps you use. Most plants are happy at low alkalinity (dKH) values, partially because it makes nutrient availability less problematic. Have a look at @Roland...

Hi all, If you change a bit more water then that you should replenish the alkalinity (carbonate hardness). Nitrification will use up <"some of the carbonate hardness">. I use regular small volume water changes, because it <"suits my morning routine">. Plant health looks fine in <"your other...

Hi all, I'd just change a bit more water. Diana Walstad herself now advocates both some water changes and some water circulation. The links and details are in the thread is <"Walstad revises">. I have hard water and I am a rainwater user. If I didn't have access to rainwater I'd use tap. What...

Hi all, That sounds promising. Semi-titrimetric tests ("count the number of drops"), ideally <"with a standard"> included, are usually better than test strips etc. but I have <"some reservations"> about nearly all test kits available to us <"Testing kit recommendations">. I <"like a...

Hi all, I'd definitely change some water and stop adding the <"Seachem Stability">, you could try <"Tim Hovanec's product"> or <"Secret Ingredient Soup">. You are going to get some ammonia (NH3) release from the soil, and ideally you want to <"reduce that level"> and a dark start, with water...

Hi all, That looks to be the best advice. This is from <"Correspondence with Dr Ryan Newton - School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee"> Dr Newton says: We've also talked with Dr Tim Hovanec <"One & Only Live Nitrifying Bacteria">, whose comments may also be of...

Hi all, They aren't really "infected", you just have <"plants you don't want">, rather than the "plants you do", but <"they are all plants">. You need more plant mass, this means leaving the leaves on and <"getting some floating plants">, these have leaves that won't get algae growing on...

Hi all, You need to load it to Youtube etc. and then link the WWW address. <"How to! - Post a video"> cheers Darrel

Hi all, You would need to ask @keef321 for a proper answer, but I think the red plant (at the back) is a Ludwigia sp <"https://tropica.com/en/plants/plantdetails/Ludwigiarepens'Rubin'(033D)/4450"> and the Rotala sp. <"Rotala rotundifolia - Tropica Aquarium Plants"> is the smaller, paler...

Hi all, Cheap conductivity meters are fine. They are simple electronically and <"conductivity is a linear scale"> all the way from DI to seawater. Temperature does have an effect, so automatic temperature compensation is useful, but not essential. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, You don't need the potassium sorbate, you can just acidify the micro-nutrient solution with "white vinegar" or similar. In terms of the green water, the green water algae are plants, so it just says all the nutrients required for plant growth are available. My advice as well, just...

Hi all, Your tap water is moderately hard and nitrate (NO3) rich, this means that you can add less of @GHNelson 's fertiliser and you may have issues with iron availability, @keef321 is your best bet for information. He has <"seen it, done it"> and now has the tee-shirt. <"It doesn't matter">...

Hi all, Just don't listen to them <"GSA and Phosphate">. cheers Darrel

...helps a lot - <"Reliable testing methods?">. I tend to regard the values from <"peer reviewed papers">, <"Universities"> and Water Companies* as "likely to be accurate", after that I'm dubious. * Unfortunately I think you have to add a <"proviso now for water companies"> - <"How to...

Hi all, That is actually quite relevant to discussion about permanent hardness (dGH), because you live in one of the <"few areas of the UK"> where the permanent water hardness is made up from both calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). This is because you have <"evaporite minerals present"> in the...

Hi all, Personally I'd carry on adding all the nutrients. I'm not anti-testing <"Testing for EI">, I actually look after a lab. where <"we do some water testing">, but I don't make decisions based on test results, unless I'm happy with the methodology and equipment used used. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Interesting, unfortunately only time will tell. cheers Darrel

Hi all, There might be a greenish tinge. Is the <"green algae on the gravel"> new? I'll be honest, I would look on some green algae growth <"as a good sign">, one that indicates that plant available iron (Fe+++) is present. <"Alternanthera deficiency">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Even I'm amazed by that. It is <"Frogbit Envy"> all <"over again">. That noise you can hear (wherever you are) is me throwing <"my toys out of the pram again">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Thanks @keef321 . Yes, normally permanent harness (dGH) and alkalinity or carbonate (or temporary) hardness (dKH) increase together because they are both derived from limestone (CaCO3) and that supplies 1 dGH to 1 dKH. Have a look at <"Some handy facts about water">. You can use...

Hi all, I use rainwater, so FeEDTA is fine for me. If I had harder water? I'd use FeEDDHA <"How to mix FeEDDHA"> and the <"pink tint"> method, I actually see the pink tinged water colour as an advantage rather than <"aesthetically displeasing">. You could try <"Vitax (Chempak) Sequestered...

Hi all, I probably should have put in a little more about solubility and ions in the <"answer above">. Soluble salts When you add a soluble salt, like <"potassium nitrate"> (KNO3), to water it disassociates (dissolves) fully into a potassium cation (K+) and a nitrate anion (NO3-). It will only...

Hi all, It doesn't really matter what the brand is called, it just depends on <"which chelator they use for iron">. They need to use one <"which is suitable for harder water">. I'll add in @keef321 . It is back to the <"red house brick analogy">, you can call it iron rich (which is true, it...

Hi all, <"We purchased"> this meter in the end <"HI-9829 Multiparameter pH/ISE/EC/DO/Turbidity Waterproof Meter (GPS option available)">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, See what happens, but you may need to try <"another chelator">, one that isn't based on <"ferrous gluconate">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'm clueless as well. It will take a while for the plants to improve once iron (Fe) is plant available. If you don't add plant available iron? Then plant growth doesn't improve, whatever else you do. Cheers Darrel