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Hi all, That is very relevant, along with it being a tall tank. The tank dimensions, with the 50 cm height, means that you have a relatively small surface area to volume ratio and the smaller gas exchange surface area, unsurprisingly, reduces gas exchange. If you increase the photoperiod it...

Hi all, Yes. Is it a deep tank in relation to its length and breadth? Cheers Darrel

Hi all, That looks <"about right">, but you can actually <"check for yourself"> using the Rotala Butterfly nutrient calculator <"Nutrient Dosing Calculator">. I'd probably aim for 5 mg / L (ppm) Mg. If we went with @John q quantities, you can just do some mental arithmetic, it is all just...

Hi all, That is what I meant. I think that is the real issue, I really want to know what the tank water pH is, but I'm very wary of the values given by <"any single pH meter">. A drop checker, or a conductivity meter, doesn't give you fine scale resolution, but it does give you a value that...

Hi all, That would concern me a bit especially combined with your CO2 drop checker <"not fully degassing overnight">. They do, but they are <"massively net oxygen producers">, so without the oxygen from photosynthesis things are actually likely to have been worse. It depends a little bit on...

Hi all, "Epsom Salts" are only 10% magnesium (Mg), because of the "<"water of crystallization"> the "7H2O" in MgSO4.7H2O. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, The "problem" is really the pH meter, you just don't know if any of those readings are correct or incorrect. Because of the log10 nature of the pH scale when you are around pH7 small differences in water chemistry make large differences in pH <"CO2 tuning - need help">. You need @Andy...

Hi all, Yes it is, the better meters have this <"two point calibration">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You need to <"recalibrate the pH meter every time you use it">. They are quite complicated bits of kit. Have a look at <"C02 injection with already low ph"> and subsequent posts. I'm not a CO2 user for a <"number of reasons">, but if I was I would use a drop checker <"and aim for ~15...

Hi all, You can basically ignore <"all the pH readings for the tap, tank water etc">. The drop checker has 4 dKH fluid and a narrow range pH indicator, bromothymol blue. Only gases can diffuse across the air gap and when the fluid in drop checker is yellow? You have at least 30 ppm CO2...

Hi all, I thought I'd just edited the post from 2021, but I seem to have reposted it........ but yes I'm still p*ssed off. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'm sure you <"you are right"> and <"presence of pearling"> is pretty <"conclusive evidence"> that you have comfortably exceeded LCP, but it also illustrates some of the problems <"with making recommendations"> about light brightness. If you aren't worshiping at Clive's <"Klingon...

Hi all, He seems healthy enough, other than the fins, so I wonder if they have been fighting and that accounts for the fin damage? cheers Darrel

<"Non-aquatic">, it is a variegated Dracaena. I must admit this really <"p*sses me off that these plants are still for sale">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You could. Personally I don't feed the plants on a regular basis, so whether I added nutrients, or not, would depend entirely on where <"they sit on the Duckweed Index">. <"If I was in doubt">? I would feed them. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Not in terms of "carpets lead to spike in ammonia" they don't and they can't. Not something I've ever really tried either. This is what Tropica say <"Hemianthus micranthemoides Pearlweed, pear weed - Tropica Aquarium Plants">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, They come with lots of <"different foam cartridges">, I just threw them away and filled it with sintered glass media, but <"any media would do">. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, You are right, it doesn't make sense. It all started with <"Dr Kevin Novak">, and <"he is not a reputable source"> of information. <"Ammonia Time Bomb Carpet">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, "Yes it is" and "no it won't". They are a hermaphrodite and capable of self-fertilization, so in this case one is a (potential) crowd. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Yes, that looks like the filamentous diatom <"Fragilaria (Synedra)">. The only problem is that you only have one. Ignore what any-one else tells you they are an <"unalloyed good thing">. They do. Actually advised to @worthyfella on 11th September <"My personal experience so...

Hi all, That would be my other argument. If the "algae filled soup" happens? You know you had enough light initially and that is a variable you can discount. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'm pretty sure it is. I always have, at least one, floating plant. My initial theory was that if there is "spare" PAR a plant will use it, and I'd rather that plant <"was a plant">, rather than a green algae. I got the idea from tropical forests, <"where multiple vegetation layers">...

Hi all, Almost certainly. I had initially (naively, I now realise) expected that everyone <"would use a pre-filter">, and was really surprised that most people <"used their canister filters"> to vacuum faeces, waste food, dead leaves etc. and often even saw this as their primary function...

Hi all, I've seen a bit more of them in the last couple of days, but in all cases it has been them chasing a Pygmy Corydoras (Gastrodermus (Corydoras) pygmaeus) around the tank. I have a spare tank at the moment, so one or other of the species will be relocated to it, although catching either...

Hi all, <"Yes and no">, but it doesn't matter what light I use, the <"bottom of my tanks are always"> (and always will be) a <"dark and gloomy place">. I think the fish I keep <"tend to like cover">, so it suits them and <"breaks up line of sight"> etc. The reason I can say "yes" is just...

Hi all, Try <"Tim Addis"> - <"TA-Aquaculture">, he will both sell you some Brine Shrimp Eggs that hatch and give you his "secret" culture method. He is a <"man who can">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Unfortunately this is probably as good as we've got at the moment. I'll follow the paper and see who cites it. Just conjecture but the section (immediately before the text you quoted) may offer a reason why pre-filter sponges work so efficiently. Which may be why the idea that <"a...

Hi all, I struggle a bit with <"that aspect">, but I know it is <"really important">. That is one reason why I dislike <"the advertising for filter media">, buffers etc, it seems the vendors aim is always to <"obscure what their product does">. If you had a <"good product">, and you had...

Hi all, I wouldn't, just because that runs the risk of falling below Light Compensation Point (LCP) - <"Light Compensation Point and optimal PAR levels">. Same for me, basically "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". I'm pretty sure any cure is likely to be worse than doing nothing. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Unfortunately we still don't have that, mainly because of the <"unknown unknowns">, but that was exactly the idea behind using respirometry. It measures the oxygen usage, rather than trying to measure how much of the TAN (NH3 / NH4+) addition is converted to nitrite (NO2-) & nitrate...

Hi all, I wondered about that, it does seems unlikely. You can find BOD values for carbohydrate rich pollutants, <"like silage effluent">, and they are huge numbers. Which would make sense. That also makes sense. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, The paper, linked in to <"Oase Biomaster Pro 2 - Comming Soon">, gives some figures for oxygen consumption by the varying types of microbe. Wanhe Qi, Peter Vilhelm Skov, Kim João de Jesus Gregersen, Lars-Flemming Pedersen, (2022) <"Estimation of nitrifying and heterotrophic bacterial...

Hi all, I've found a paper that quantifies dissolved oxygen usage, not actually in a canister filter, but very close. Wanhe Qi, Peter Vilhelm Skov, Kim João de Jesus Gregersen, Lars-Flemming Pedersen, (2022) "Estimation of nitrifying and heterotrophic bacterial activity in biofilm formed on...

Hi all, I would, I always run the light fixtures as bright as they will go. If I have more PAR? I just have a higher plant density. I actually like the tanks to get a little oblique sunlight but I've never had a "reef bright" light. Even at this time of year, with the sun at an oblique angle...

Hi all, <"We have a photo for you">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think the answer is that you don't have to worry about it, because the microbes <"that were though to occur in our filters">, which had been isolated from sewage sludge and need high ammonia and carbonate hardness. don't actually occur in our filters. This is a quote from Tim...

Hi all, I actually <"arrived at UKAPS"> via <"apistogramma.com">. I think I'm generally better with plants than fish, although I've killed plenty of both. No, <"not particularly">. Personally <"I don't like fine sponge">, but the pre-filter on the OASE filter should negate problems with...

Hi all, I'll keep an eye on them. cheers Darrel

Hi all, <"Asellus aquaticus">, just a <"less attractive shrimp"> really. I have them in <"all my tanks">. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, Definitely a <"real biotope">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You have <"soft water">, just under 3 dGH. The calculations are here <"Water Reports - the Basics, as I am not getting the math!">. I'm guessing that the Google search is confused by the different units, and the "18.8" refers to 18.8 dGH, rather than 18.8 mg / L (ppm) Ca. What @Zeus...

Hi all, I had a look and no spores on either. Possibly because they are growing fairly strongly vegetatively? I'll see if I can find what conditions are likely to make Nephrolepis ssp. produce spores. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS I think so as well, you can always add extra nutrients (either to the water column, or pushed into the substrate), but <"removing nutrients from the substrate"> is a lot more problematic. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, that is a good looking tank. A strange question but do you have snails? and an even stranger question what filter media do you have? We have a thread <"Algae after vacation ! Need to revive"> cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is it. You could have a liquid with a very high Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), like <"raw sewage">, where it would be impossible to get enough oxygen into it for <"full nitrification to occur in a sealed container">. Yes. The higher the BOD of the liquid is the <"more oxygen you...

Hi all, It should be OK. It may have had some calcium nitrate (CaNO3.4H2O) impurity in it, that would be a yellow salt. Pure KNO3 is white, but fertiliser grade is often yellowish. <"Dangers of Potassium Nitrate KNO3?"> and <"Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) Purchased from Internet">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Some chrome and tail-fins might be a new option? By that time the market will have been flooded by "pump in a bucket by luddite" <"Eheim classic thermofilter">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, OK, I've never known a meter like that, but it might depend on the nature of the sensor. I wouldn't have thought so, but you can always check with some aerated RO water. The 100% saturation value should be cheers Darrel

Hi all, That honestly <"looks OK">. Calibration is just in 100% moisture saturated air, so basically you take a sample of RO water, put it in a beaker (where the probe is a fit), give the water a good shake and then place the DO meter in the oxygen (and water vapour) saturated air above the...

Hi all, I think so, too. <"What type?"> The only reason I don't recommend dissolved oxygen meters is <"just the cost">. Not everyone is a fan however and I've never done any real experimentation with them. I used to have <"incredibly polluted water"> to work with, and now I mainly <"work with...

Hi all, I think a lot of us may <"have been there">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is what I would try as well. I like <"your thinking">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think it might be a better option, I know @Zeus. has regularly microdosed urea (CO(NH2)2) without any issue. I'm pretty sure <"some plants will do much better"> with more urea. I'd guess it is the <"Orchid / Tomato dichotomy"> and somewhere there maybe a happy medium <"where both...

Hi all, I made a mistake when I first used <"Tesco Moler Clay Cat Litter">, I attempted to <"wash out the perfume"> with tap water (~17dGH / 17 dKH) and filled all the cation exchange sites with calcium ions (Ca++) and presumably all the anion exchange sites with bicarbonate (2HCO3-) ions. Next...

Hi all, I guess that is true for a lot of us, but I also think it is dependent upon the stocking density <"Bio Media for Planted Tanks.">. I like a filter for <"belt and braces">. I like to syphon any organic waste, I really don't want it in the filter. I actually have some mulm in the tanks...

Hi all, Osmunda might be interesting. I'll have a look tomorrow. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Honestly surface area is a total red herring, realistically dissolved oxygen is the only parameter that counts. I've had the good / misfortune to visit a lot of sewage works and if you can treat raw sewage without any permanent filter media, but with a huge amount of churn, you can...

Hi all, They are, you need to wash them out of the tubes. The tubes are quite tough, and you may need to pull them apart, some people are allergic to them so best not to handle them. You don't need to. The adults are winged, so they find new "ponds" fairly efficiently. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, They are the tubes made by Chironomid midge larvae, usually called "bloodworms", so nothing to worry about. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I grow <"Nephrolepis exaltata and N. cordifolia">. I'll see if they have any spores on them. They both self propagate vegetatively really easily, so I've never looked. Now that looks interesting. Is this your post @louis_last <"Xaxim">? cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, That is a interesting question. As far as I know it's the only one. It isn't really exactly aquatic, <"it is a terrestrial fern"> that grows in zones which are often inundated. In the UK we have a filmy fern (Killarney Fern - (Trichomanes speciosum)) that usually...

Hi all, I think so, basically it takes a while for the <"diverse and flexible microbial assemblage"> to become established. I'm guessing (particularly if you add ammonia) that you will get activity by non-COMAMMOX Nitrospira that are converting ammonia (NH3) to nitrite (NO2-). There is some...

Hi all, Yes, there is. If you have a look at: <"Correspondence with Dr Ryan Newton - School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee">, it covers this subject fairly comprehensively, in a study that looked at aquarium filters. There is also <"Tim Hovanec's "Nitrification in...

Hi all, No other "fertilisers"? So would I. and a longer photoperiod, at least 8 hours? cheers Darrel

...microbial diversity. <"Some results"> are probably what <"you might have predicted">: - <"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.2c03299">*. But I'd also guess there will be some totally unexpected finds, where microbes are utilising novel substrates and new metabolic pathways. It...

Hi all, I sort of agree with @ElleDee, it would make much more sense to have a plant that is happy with low light, but not necessarily a stem. <"Bolbitis heudelotii"> or a Cryptocoryne sp. would do. How about <"Cryptocoryne beckettii 'Petchii'> - <"Best crypt for very low light?">. cheers...

Hi all, I think that is why <"Chempak Sequestered Iron"> includes manganese (Mn) and magnesium (Mg) as well as iron (Fe), it just covers all, chlorosis related, bases. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, There is just a little bit more: Josh's reply: and my reply: Josh's reply: and my reply: And that is where we've ended (at the moment). cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is no way to <"talk about her">. No, I think they are OK. They don't have the capacity to be <"very polluting"> have a look at <"All the leaves are brown… — Seriously Fish">. Yes, they need to be shed naturally, or the plant won't have withdrawn the protein (in chlorophyll) and...

Hi all, I think Ramshorn snails can, but I'll check. Edit: checked, they can. cheers Darrel

Hi all, He is a <"considerable loss to the forum">. He never officially said good-bye, but I assume he retired from Tropica and no longer felt the need to visit. I assume that <"he is still keeping fish"> in planted tanks. cheers Darrel

Hi all, No, I just got fed up with them in the end, and the seed became <"commercially unavailable in the UK">, meaning that it is no longer a practical (stomatal peel <"Stomatal Opening Is Induced in Epidermal Peels of Commelina communis L. by GTP Analogs or Pertussis Toxin.">) that schools...

Hi all, It does. You may be interested in <"Using stem plants as a filtering aid at Start Up!"> The "API Quick Start" <"https://www.apifishcare.com/product/quick-start"> may have added some useful microbes, we just don't know. Even if it has? You don't need to add any more of it. The fact that...

Hi all, There probably is somewhere (<"Guide to non-aquatic plants - INJAF">?), unfortunately it will be a long list and getting ever longer. The plants I have in mind aren't really the <"Fittonia, Dracaena spp. and Ophiopogon spp.,"> that can never be grown under water successfully, but more...

Hi all, I'll give it a go. Simple enough, <"that one">. I think iron (Fe) is a much misdiagnosed deficiency. In the past (during the <"laterite is essential">) time period all problems with plant growth were put down to lack of iron (when <"most of them weren't iron related">), but since...

Hi all, It could be <"iron (Fe) deficiency">. Have a look at <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?"> You can't as easily tell with <"Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes)"> (because of the leaf hairs), but are the new leaves on the submerged plants pale and yellow? cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'm not entirely sure it isn't (at least partially) <"a nutrient issue">. I've found, with Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) that often the <"first sign of nutrient deficiency"> is that the snails start eating the leaves, something they don't do when they are healthy. Do the Crypts...

Hi all, Yes, it is just <"horses for courses">. If I really like the look of a plant, and think it <"should be suitable for my tanks">, I usually work on the <"three strikes and your out"> principle. Some plants are really <"difficult to kill"> and they are going to survive in <"nearly all...

Hi all, That is what I do as well, find plants that <"like me and grow them">. It doesn't sound <"very exciting">, but you can always try new plants and some of them will "stick". The problem with a lot of the newer <"aquarium plants"> is that they aren't really plants that will live long...

Hi all, I really like Tadpole Snails, I don't think they have a downside. I think you can do that with all snails. If you use botanicals in your tank, or feed your shrimps with lots of green vegetables, you are going to get more snails but those populations are always to some degree...

Hi all, You have to leave pH where it naturally resides. Various <"unscrupulous vendors"> will try and sell you pH buffers etc., but <"they are pointless">. The carbonate buffering will naturally damp down <"pH variation">, but that damped pH value will always be well above pH 7. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, Technically only one, they are hermaphrodite, but five would definitely do Cheers Darrel

Hi all, That looks good, can I recommend a floating plant as well <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?"> and / or <"Using stem plants as a filtering aid at Start Up!">. Because <"you live in London"> you can only really lower pH and dKH levels with <"rain or RO water">. It is just an...

Hi all, I have <"those two"> and <"Tadpole Snails"> (Physella acuta). Tadpole Snails are small (and cute), but they aren't to every-ones taste <"Snails.">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I've picked a few, it looks like a poor year for them and a lot of the trees hadn't set seed. Plenty of last years seed pods were still present and I've picked some of those as well. The (small) Alder "cone" on the right is for scale. Yes, it is a great park tree, so one that...

Hi all, I'm still seeing (at least three) of them on a fairly (ir)regular basis, they look in good condition and are nice and red. I'll try and get a photo, but they usually only appear if there is some live food on offer and they never get too close to one another, as soon as the "minimum...

Hi all, I'll go and try to collect* some Sweet Gum (Liquidamber stryraciflua) seed pods later this week <"Sweet Gum Pods 3 Pack">. If anyone wants some? PM me, and I'll send you some for a "donation to the forum". * I haven't checked there are any yet (I have now checked "a few" is the answer)...

...evergreen Q. x hispanica (Lucombe Oak) and Q. ilex (Evergreen Oak) shed their leaves in the spring. Quercus rubra (Red Oak) shed their leaves now*, but these don't last long in the tank <"Botanicals that last longer?">. *Edit I had a look at our campus tree, the leaves are still very green...

Hi all, Yes, they can jump a <"long way when they are spawning">. I've lost them from tanks with a lid and lowered water. cheers Darrel

Hi all, If you still have some soil? I'd pour that on carefully and then mound it up over the Cryptocoryne roots. Same for the Lilaeopsis novae-zealandia, just pour soil over them. The leaves that have melted will carry on melting, if you have snails they should clean them up, if you don't...

Hi all, It would add some unnecessary uncertainty, you would need to measure the alkalinity of the tap water accurately, assume that all that alkalinity was from carbonates etc. Starting with DI water and adding NaHCO3 etc is just a lot more straightforward. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, They are just plants that are going to grow more quickly than the Anubias and Java Fern. The Frogbit colour would suggest there probably isn't any nutrient deficiency, but floating plants have access to atmospheric CO2 and first dibs on the light. Stems won't have those advantages...

Hi all, There wasn't even that much iron. That is the <"limit of detection">, so it just means that the maximum value was less than 0.52 ug / l or 5.2 x 10-9 g / L (Fe). @ElleDee is right. and again. Same for me. Have a look at @G H Nelson 's <"Using stem plants as a filtering aid at Start...

Hi all, Unfortunately you need a proper chemist to answer that one (@hax47 or @Andy Pierce). I don't know if alkalinity and carbonate hardness are the same thing in this case or not. I'm going to say not (but I don't know). cheers Darrel

Hi all, The "bromothymol blue" is just the <"narrow range pH indicator"> that <"changes colour"> dependent on the pH of the 4dKH solution. Have a read through <"How to check your drop checker...."> The 4dKH solution is usually sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), it is the HCO3- bit that is important...

Hi all, You don't <"need much">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That one looks like <"iron (Fe)">, or <"manganese (Mn)">. Iron is much more likely. Have a look at <"Frogbit taken a turn> cheers Darrel

Hi all, <"Lick your little finger">, put it in the "Epsom Salts", up to the first joint, wash off in the tank water. Then tip a small amount of calcium chloride into your palm, (think "salty chips") and throw it in the tank (but it has to be over your shoulder). That one, but it takes all the...

Hi all, <"Assuming it is limestone"> (CaCO3) it will actually increase <"both dGH & dKH">, at a ratio of 1 : 1. The calcium (Ca++) ion adds to the dGH and the bicarbonate (2HCO3-) ions to the dKH. Both cation and anions will increase the conductivity ("ppm TDS") <"Guide to TDS">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I can send you a <"basic spreadsheet"> that should work in Open Office. It just links to the periodic table (in the first sheet), The advantage is that you can use it for any chemical compound, the disadvantage is that there is a little more "legwork" involved. For most compounds of...