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Hi all, What @John q says, <"sand is fine for plants">, they <"might grow more quickly"> in aquasoil, but that isn't necessarily an advantage. Have a look at <"Planted Betta Tank Considerations">. I'm a <"floating plant fanatic">, but they really are an essential for a tank housing a Betta...

Hi all, Yes, but I'm not going to mention it. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, Is that in the the plot of one of Ben Elton's books <"‘The Earth was dying. Killed by the pursuit of money’ — rereading Ben Elton’s Stark as prophecy"> .......... cheers Darrel

Hi all, Oh s*d, I was just going to mention that "Reform" is a private company, not a political party, and that one Nigel Farage is the majority shareholder, but now I can't ................. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Same for me. I've posted it a lot, but if you look at Hawkin's Stripes - <"Climate stripes - University of Reading">. and <"Global CO2 levels"> they make pretty shocking viewing. People are concerned by illegal migration etc., and I understand that, but a lot of those scared and...

Hi all, That is where I'm at. UKAPS has been (and hopefully will continue to be) more than just value for money. I don't donate a huge amount of money to the forum, and I've got that amount back a <"hundred times"> in knowledge <"and camaraderie">. I've met very few of our members in the...

Hi all, I think that is a good idea. If you want to add some dGH and dKH? I see <"Oyster Shell Chick Grit"> as the way forward, it is cheap and forms a self-regulatory <"negative feedback loop">. I've always been a <"rainwater user"> and, where it is a viable option, I wouldn't use anything...

Hi all, That just shows that <"you have lots of nutrients">. In a floating plant growth (and <"leaf colour">) are usually closely correlated to the nutrient supply. We may have a thread for you <"Removing Duckweed (Lemna minuta) - any natural solutions?">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I've been, loosely, part of the administration of an <"imploding forum">, and it isn't very nice. I've also talked a bit with Jools Dignall <"Your fish houses: Julian Dignall"> (owner of PlanetCatfish), and he might be worth approaching for a way forward and also to try and ensure that...

Hi all, I've got no insight into what has or hasn't happened, or the wrongs and rights of it, but all I'd say is that, for the good of the forum, could we just leave @Dan Crawford and @Tim Harrison, at the moment, to try and sort this out as amicably as possible? cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think it makes sense in evolutionary terms, if you aren't in imminent danger of being eaten then your best strategy is to try and maximise the amount of food you get and one way of doing that is by not "sharing". I was just admiring them <"PlanetCatfish.com - Gastrodermus...

Hi all, That one. I don't think prayers will be necessary. cheers Darrel

Hi all, All I've got to say is <"just ignore them">, you are the only one who counts. I would have thought that this is pretty good ammunition to use against the doubters. <"From This to This!!!">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is the bit that counts, keep an eye on their colour and health, and that will give you an idea of when you need to start adding nutrients (<"fertiliser">). Syphon like @simon_the_plant_nerd says. It <"should go away"> as the tank matures. cheers Darrel

Hi all, What does plant health look like? It is difficult to judge <"from the photo">. Have a look at @keef321's photos in the linked. thread cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think a lot of us probably <"end up there">. That is the rationale behind both <"Estimative and Duckweed indices">. They were developed <"entirely independently">, and have very different goals, but the underlying principle is the same "all nutrients/elements <"are needed"> in some...

Hi all, Reverse Osmosis (or rain <"If it's yellow, let it mellow and RO is the devil">) water would give you a softer water source and more of a <"blank slate to start with">. Your water supply is similar, in many ways, to what most of us get <"from the tap in the S. and E. of England">, it...

Hi all, It is because of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) injection. Sodium hydroxide is a <"strong base">, so it raises pH, but it doesn't add any buffering. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Possibly, they like it warm. Normally they wouldn't flower until now, or a bit later. This is the variegated one on our "warm" wall <"Get your garden out"> No, I think they look fine. If all the leaves go red? It is dry at the root. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, That looks fine, it will flower eventually. This is your <"post from 2023">, and you can see it has grown. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, It is only necessary when you add CO2 <"Co2 Measuring using a Drop Checker!">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It is <"when you don't change any water"> and nitrification (the conversion of NH3 to NO3) depletes the carbonate hardness. cheers Darrel

Hi all, The roots don't actually need to reach the substrate, they are fine entirely hydroponically in the water column. If they do reach the substrate it will increase growth rate, but they usually grow pretty well any way. I don't, but you could try one of <"our sponsors"> - <"Aquarium...

Hi all, I think if the growing point was underwater? It probably wouldn't be successful. If the rock was at surface level? I might be tempted to use thread, or an elastic band etc, (rather than superglue) purely because they don't really have a hard rhizome and I think the superglue will...

Hi all, Probably this one <"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ece3.8019"> Xu, W., Lin, S., & Liu, H. (2021). "Mitochondrial genomes of five Hyphessobrycon tetras and their phylogenetic implications." Ecology and Evolution, 11, 12754–12764. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8019...

Hi all, I'm pretty sure that someone is working on Tetra spp., but that will be a mammoth job and I'd guess there will be a lot of splitting of cryptic species. I'll see what I can find. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Can you have <"little clips"> on the tank rim? Ideally you want the plant caudex (the bit the leaves grow from) to <"be above the water level">. I just wedged / tucked this bit in, but I already had the <"Epipremnum"> (Pothos) growing. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'm pretty sure it is scientifically robust, as to whether people will use the new names? I'm guessing a lot won't. cheers Darrel

Hi all, 2315 <"old series">. cheers Darrel

...the questioner to <"Climate stripes - University of Reading"> and they said "well he obviously doesn't know what he is talking about, it is f*cking freezing", and I told them that you can both be right and that our cold weather doesn't preclude global warming, it is 40oC in Greece / the SW...

Hi all, It makes sense, you don't actually need to know the level of dissolved oxygen that you have, you just need to ensure <"you always have sufficient">. I think a few of my colleagues might put me in the <"don't trust"> category. Personally I really like <"serial dilution"> as a...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS. Have a look at <"Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust"> advice <"https://cdn.buglife.org.uk/2019/07/Ponds_1.pdf"> & <"https://cdn.buglife.org.uk/2019/07/Bug-friendly-ponds.pdf"> they are a pretty good charity for advice. We've <"probably all been there">...

Hi all, They are pretty common <"Cloeon dipterum | NBN Atlas">, and the adults <"are attracted to light">, so finding them in fish tanks (particularly open tops ones) is less unusual than you might imagine . I've found the larvae before in <"water butts"> etc. and I'm pretty sure that is...

Hi all, You can. Hydroponic fertilisers are comprised of soluble salts, and this also means that they will dissolve really quickly in the aquarium. OK, as you say 12 dGH (and probably ~12 dKH) and a reasonable amount of nitrate (NO3-). You can buy it <"really cheaply"> at Sainsbury's (or...

Hi all, Ideally you usually start with the least soluble salt first. You can get solubility values (at 20oC) from <"Wikipedia">. If you get a precipitate forming warming may help (but not if it is a carbonate compound) and the salt that <"precipitates out"> will be the least soluble salt...

Hi all, You don't actually need an ammonia (NH3) source to <"cycle"> your tank, you can just <"plant and wait">. Have a look at <"Correspondence with Dr Ryan Newton - School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee"> & <"Using stem plants as a filtering aid at Start Up!">...

Hi all, They are <"detrivores">. Fish really like eating them, but they need to be pretty speedy fish, or ambush hunters. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'm pretty sure they are <"Swimming Mayfly"> nymphs and specifically the "Pond Olive" (Cloeon dipterum). Damselfly larvae swim with a much slower, wiggly side to side action, where as these go at 90 mile an hour. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I don't think any of us will be arguing that we should be using peat, and I'm certainly not going to <Soil Substrate or Dirted Tank - A How to Guide">, but it does <"have certain advantages">. Personally I'd steer well away from anything with <"Domestic Green Waste"> compost in it...

...he didn't reply and it is still on the web-site today (12-06-2024) - <"Biohome Media">. In terms of that product, if you ignore the cost etc., it probably works quite well, but <"not for the reasons he says"> - <"7.5. Denitrifying Media, Biohome and De*Nitrate in the Aquarium">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You need to feed them <"some vegetables"> as well. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That would be my favoured option. Perfect, I'd probably keep the carbon sponge (it won't be "activated", but it is fine for mechanical/ biological filtration) and throw the floss away. You would need quite a big tank to hide that filter arrangement. Personally I had to turn him off as...

Hi all, Normally <"I would just do that">, but I can see it is a bit different with the design of the Superfish HOB filters <"Superfish Hang on Filter 50 - Hang-on Back Aquarium Filter">. I'd probably recommend putting a pre-filter sponge on the intake and then keeping the basket arrangement...

Hi all, You don't need to, it is actually the chelated elements in the trace element mix that provide the organic carbon (C) substrate for microbial growth. The potassium sorbate would supply a carbon source (the formula is (C6H7KO2)), but you would need enough "contamination" by macro-element...

Hi all, You can definitely add more volume acid, problems would only occur if you got to very low pH values. We know quite a lot about potassium sorbate (C6H7KO2), it is used as a preservative in foods - <"E202">. Have a look at @X3NiTH 's comments <"Trace Elements/CSM + B, UK or Import - What...

Hi all, I think we are in with a chance of bettering that, although our best chance may have gone: <"What exactly causes BBA?"> & <"What exactly causes BBA? Part 2 - Bacterial imbalance">. This (these) thread(s) were totally inconclusive, so that definitely gives a chance for them to be...

Hi all, <"Agreed">, but it does have one of my <"favourite pictures">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, <"Pound shop"> plastic tea strainer? I use them a lot and they are perfect for this. If you wash the collected blood worms (and "extra" clay) into a tray etc., the blood worms will rebuild their protective cocoons from the clay and then you can wash them out a lot more easily. Using...

Hi all, I don't think there is, they would offer more chitin than Blackworms (Lumbriculus variegatus), but should be pretty similar to other Mosquito larvae in nutritional composition. The "advantage" of them is that they occur in commercially collectible quantities at sites with <"gross...

Hi all, <"Schismatiglottis prietoi">? Most moss, Cryptocoryne x willisii. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I wish <"I'd thought of that one">, although they <"may be infringing"> on Seachem's copywrite. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think this is a <"fairly general finding with small blackwater Tetra spp">. They come from an environment where food is scarce and as soon as they feel secure they take up little territories, with the most dominant fish in the "best" territory. I've found this with both Tetras and...

Hi all, I'm a <"Ramshorn snail fan">. I think a lot of people underestimate the importance of <"tank janitors"> in tank maintenance, they are <"working for you 24 / 7">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Yes, that is it, a floating plant has access to <"atmospheric gases"> and will never be carbon limited. It is also nearest the light, so again lack of light shouldn't ever be an issue. The third thing is that they are <"plants adapted to very bright light">, so leaf scorch shouldn't be...

Hi all, If you put a twig or similar in they will congregate on that, I don't know why. You could also try mix some leaf mold in, they will tend to end up in the leaf mouldy layer on top. You can also try swirling the clay worm mix around, loose Blood worms will come to the top and often you...

Hi all, I wouldn't boil either (or any other botanicals), but they both look fine. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I've tried them, they are rot resistant, but didn't provide much tint. You want the dead, brown leaves from the old canes. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think it is sheep's wool, so not really suitable. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, If you don't use EI you can lessen the volume of water changed. I'm <"not personally an EI"> (or CO2) user. I want plants that will <"grow relatively slowly"> under <"lean dosing">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It depends on the pH of the water that you fill it with. If its tap water, it will be alkaline and you won't get any zinc (Zn) leaching from the galvanised coating. If it is going to be filled with rainwater? You definitely need to coat it. I don't know about the expense, but a butyl...

Hi all, Have a look at <"FE EDDHA"> and <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">. I suppose there are similarities. It won't mean much to younger readers, but I used to spend endless hours mucking about with the timing and mix ratio on cars with SU carburettors (and before anyone asks, alas...

Hi all, I'm firmly in the <"water changes"> camp as well. I don't change a large volume, I just change a <"small volume regularly">. We had a member @Ghosty who talked to Diana Walstad a while ago <"Talking with Diana walstad">, mainly about why she was <"now advocating some water changes">...

Hi all, PM me if you are still struggling. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think they are in clips (like these or DIY ones <"Poth-O-Carry® Original Aquarium Pothos Holder — The Poth-O-Carry® Store"> and have grown straight up towards the light, but they will eventually sprawl sideways. Pothos (<"Epipremnum aureum">). cheers Darrel

Hi all, Basically "yes", but to a small degree "no". I'd be a lot more concerned about a Cyperus, Nymphaea or Nelumbo etc., but I probably would have a small amount of concern that the plant would eventually place some strain on the glass, not so much from the root, but from the increasing...

Hi all, Wow, that is fantastic. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think you are fine, <"there are a lot of roots"> on an Echinodorus sp., but they are quite soft. In Marcel's (@zozo ) case the plant was a very large, established <"Cyperus sp.">, which produce very hard lateral rhizomes as they grow. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It is a <"natural feature"> on rocks, basically a <"green patina of periphyton"> will grow on any wet surface where <"light and nutrients are available">. You can only keep them "pristine" with cleaning, either manually or by <"snail grazing">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You are welcome, to be honest you only really need the map. Yes and no. I like to know <"how things work">, but it doesn't necessarily <"make you a better aquarist">. The rationale for the <"Duckweed Index"> was to <"de-skill fish keeping"> by concentrating on the <"important...

...and 7.143 mg/liter of Ca is also 1 dGH, so 110.4 / 7.14 = 15.5 dGH. If you use the mmol value, you need the RMM of CaCO3 (which is 40.1 + 12 + (16*3) = 100 g / mol) and divide that by a thousand, which is why the 0.1g or 100 mg = 1 mmol, you have 2.84 mmol and 2.84 x 100 = 284 mg / L or 284...

Hi all, In the lab., following the <"correct protocol"> it works fairly well. In the field, or <"with non-experienced operators">, DO meters are a game changer. You calibrate them in the field and they have automatic temperature compensation etc. <"Not everyone"> is a fan, so I'll add in...

Hi all, I'm really not sure, I would definitely try and place them somewhere <"with lesser light intensity">. <"Bolbitis heudelotii"> is naturally a really dark green and <"Microsorum pteropus"> a mid green. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Were all the leaves green when the plant went in the tank? If they were? It maybe an excess of light. cheers Darrel

Hi all, They should be that dark green, it is the white bits that are worrying. In the case of the Java Fern (Microsorum pteropus) the new growth is a <"dark translucent green"> - <"microsorum problems">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It isn't melting as such, more bleaching. Can we have a full plant shot? I assume it is Bolbitis heudelotii, but <"it does look a little strange">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, What did you test it with? <"Dissolved Oxygen meters work">, but are expensive bits of kit. The <"test kits they sell"> are just a mechanism for transferring your money to them. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Antibiotics (for both human and pet health) can't be bought over the counter in the UK, they are prescription only. I wholly agree with this, as there is an almost perfect correlation between <"antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance">. In the UK we still <"have the farming issue">...

Hi all, That is one of the (many) advantages of UKAPS. we have a number of in depth threads, on a <"wide range of subjects">. Rather than just being an <"echo-chamber">, where <"facts"> are endlessly recycled, <"we've talked to scientists"> and we've <"developed techniques"> that make...

Hi all, That sounds about right, the mark up on <"aquarium fertilisers"> is eye watering <"TNC Complete">. This is from the <"IFC calculator">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Boiling tap water will remove bicarbonate (HCO3-), also known as dKH or "temporary hardness", from the water, as long as it is strained into a fresh container while still very hot - <"Anyone have fert list to make 2hr aquarist APT Complete please.">. Depending on the calcium (Ca)...

Hi all, I think that is the only explanation, what I'm not sure about is why are conditions amenable to H2S formation? There doesn't seem to be the input of nutrients that might provide a substrate and then reduce oxygen levels low enough to produce ORP values at a level for sulphide formation...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, In terms of <"value for money"> you just need to stay away from anything pre-diluted and / or <"aimed specifically at the aquarium market">. I've always used a <"horticultural fertiliser">, but not very scientifically, @Happi has done all the hard work in <"Solufeed...

Hi all, It would probably depend on how <"physically stable it is">. I use silica sand and potentially that remains "good" eternally. I'm not a vacuum fan, but it would be difficult with fairly fine sand any way. This is what Dr Stephan Tanner says: <"Aquarium Biofiltration - SWISSTROPICALS">...

...any H2S. You need to add about 1 - 3 mg / L H2O2 per 1 mg / L H2S. <"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.2175/106143015X14362865225951">* * If the link stops working the reference is Chan & Farahbakhsh (2015) "Oxygen Demand of Fresh and Stored Sulfide Solutions and Sulfide-Rich...

Hi all, I may have an investment opportunity for you - <"pump in a bucket" by luddite">. I <"still use mine">, although I'm not sure the heater still works. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and I'm guessing that that is where your issue lies. Not in hydrogen sulphide directly, but in what it <"indicates about the dissolved oxygen level in the tank">. The links in the linked thread will cover this area in more detail. The two questions that...

Hi all, Looks like a "Greenhouse Slug" <"Greenhouse Slug | NatureSpot">, so probably came with one of the plants. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, It looks like <"biogenic calcification">. Basically "lime scale" deposits. It occurs in water with some CaCO3 content, when the plant extracts CO2 molecule, which reduces the amount of bicarbonate (HCO3-) that can remain in solution and the least soluble carbonate (CaCO3) comes out of...

Hi all, That is certainly plausible. I'm guessing that is the real difference, the only rooted plants I have tend to be Cryptocoryne spp. which are "perennials". If I had stems, that I continually trimmed and uprooted, there would be much more in the way of detached roots etc,. It would be...

Hi all, The green algae have the same photosystems and basic physiology as all the other plants, they are "plants". There are definitely algae that are "turned up to eleven" plants, but there are also algae that grow in oligotrophic conditions as well. You do, and I think it does. It is back...

Hi all, I don't think that wood is the sort of organic carbon source that would enhance algal growth. Heart wood is comprised of lignin, and lignin is very resistant to decay, and right on the edge of biodegradability in energy terms. You can release that energy by oxidation (wood burns), but...

Hi all, A tea towel out of the drawer, then put it on the hook to dry, hoping that my wife doesn't notice that I've spilled water everywhere. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, It honestly looks OK. Moss carpet? It looks like Bristlenose (Ancistrus) damage to Anubias & Bucephalandra. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is very different from the water that most of us in the UK would get. No nitrate (NO3-) and very variable conductivity. I'm guessing that it is mainly from desalination plants? Cheers Darrel

Those are the sorts of values a lot of people get. My "problem" is that it is all limestone where I live and dust from ploughing and quarrying ends up on all surfaces. Cheers Darrel

I don't precisely mix it, I used to use a conductivity datum range, but now I just use the size and colour of the Red Ramshorn snail shells. If they are all small and very pale I add a dash of tap. <"Our rainwater still has some carbonate buffering">, so the pH is still over pH 7, but the...

Hi all, I use the Daphnia bioassay, basically as long as the water butt has swimming Daphnia, the water is good. You are very unlikely to get any fish parasites, but you could potentially get Flatworms (Planaria). Cheers Darrel

Hi all, You are good. The problem isn't you, it is that most sellers of aquarium "products", just care about a sale. They don't really care about anything else. I'd try some green leafy veg and cuttle bone, eggshells or shell grit etc. and that will delay the inevitable. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I don't think there is anything you can do, other than move them into tank with harder, more alkaline water. Most (all?) "fancy" snails are from hard, alkaline water. You can't use baking soda (NaHCO3). It will add dKH, but it will also add sodium (Na) and you definitely don't want...

Hi all, The maximum in UK tap water is 0.5 ppm, that is the level that chlorine (Cl2) becomes detectable at by smell and taste. The water companies can exceed this in "exceptional circumstances" to protect public safety. Unfortunately our water companies and OFWAT (the Independent regulator)...