Search results for query: *

...probably makes it more unlikely that his full research findings will appear in a scientific journal. Hagen already supply a "microbial supplement"*, so it will be interesting to see if it has a "new formula" re-launch in the future <"A7595 - Nutrafin Cycle - Biological Aquarium Supplement -...

Hi all, Could be either. I've only kept "Standard" Cherry Shrimps, where even the females weren't particularly red. cheers Darrel

Hi all, They definitely do. One of @Roland's tanks - <"My thoughts so far">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, No, definitely not, Cherry Shrimps like hard water and actively growing plants are the best thing you can have to retain water quality. Males tend to be fairly active, they will be less intensely coloured than the females? Personally I wouldn't have any concerns about adding any of...

Hi all, I think probably 50 ppm NO3- is more likely. In hard water the pH is likely to be ~pH 8, purely for <"reasons of chemistry">. Take it out, basically all plants (including algae) <"need phosphate (PO4---)">. Seachem's advertising <"is often misleading">. I'm guessing that this is, at...

Hi all, I'm sorry to hear that. Because of the water change and speed of death, I would suspect it might be a trace of pesticide in the water change water? I say this because <"some pesticides"> combine a very low vertebrate toxicity with being deadly to crustaceans. When I lived in Bath...

Hi all, Same for me. I think he is very good on <"microbial (biological) filtration">. Because I'm a great believer in a picture being <"worth a thousand words"> ......... <"Stocking of an Aquarium">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Same for me. They are my <"filter of choice"> and always have been <"My venture into my new 760 ltr planted tank ."> - <"Ammonia test kit and Urea">. I think brown is good, mine is the same as @Aqua sobriquet 's "white", but I'm assuming that is just because I don't have a big enough...

Hi all, I'm guessing that is what most experienced aquarists do (I do). As a method it certainly has science on its side - <"Correspondence with Dr Ryan Newton - School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee">. So a pretty conclusive answer, from one of the leading...

Hi all, I think that is <"actually a good sign">, when they are happy and well fed they are mainly <"crepuscular / nocturnal">. When they swim around all day it just means that they aren't getting enough to eat and are desperately searching for food. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I mainly play with <"clean water now">. I miss the wastewater work (mainly <"landfill leachate">), although some of it <"was pretty horrible">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It is. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is it, wastewater treatments tend to rely heavily on using sodium hydroxide (or "caustic soda" - (NaOH)) for pH correction, mainly to counteract the drop in pH when using ferric (or aluminium) based coagulants. We have some bits on <"ferric compounds"> as precipitants for...

Hi all, They use <"limestone in the catchments"> sometimes, but it has gone a bit out of fashion recently. I'm pretty sure they aren't using it in water treatment, although sodium carbonate (Na(CO3)2) would be an option. Any carbonate compound would add dKH and CaCO3 isn't really soluble enough...

Hi all, What do you mean <"starting to believe ..........">. Honestly it is the truth, and the <"bigger the better">. Starting using the 12" x 4" x 4" Koi sponges was one of the best things I ever did. I only started because <"Rainbow Koi"> is 10 minutes down the road, you get <"a lot of...

Hi all, Scroll over on the "dw1305" user name on any of my messages and "send direct message" should come up as an option. cheers Darrel

Hi all, PM me your address, £5 (to cover p&p) for as much as I can stuff in a takeaway container. cheers Darrel

Hi all, If you want some of my <"moss mountain">? You are more than welcome. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Unfortunately it is paddling job normally (possibly train the dog, a bit like a truffle dog?). There are plenty of aquatic UK mosses that you can find <"Quick growing moss for low tech">, bizarrely ones that often sell for <"serious money"> or are <"commercially unobtainable">...

Hi all, I'll have a look out for it if I'm doing any stream surveys <"Fissidens fontanus - British Bryological Society">. It isn't actually that uncommon in the UK (but only in clean streams) and you can sometimes find it on rocks under bridges etc. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Thank-you for <"some details">, The Fritz 7 probably hasn't done any harm, I'm not personally keen on gravel or <"fake plants">. I'm also not a fan of making decisions <"based on test kit results">. <"Cycling is a divisive term">, unfortunately there is no way of knowing. I'd guess...

Hi all, Consider me enraged. That is really the important thing. As long as the filter media is: Being bathed in dissolved oxygen rich water, and the water flowing out of the filter is still oxygenated? That is all that matters, it doesn't really matter what the journey was. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I can't go, but it would be a good gig. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think we have a <"Mineralised Top Soil"> (MTS) thread that <"caused some confusion">. The there is also "Multiple Tank Syndrome" (MTS) <"help with translation 'MTS'">. I'm thinking of a new post something along the lines of....... As clear as mud (or non-mineralised top soil)...

Hi all, It is because of the water company using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) injection for <"control of plumbosolvency">. The reason the values are so strange is that NaOH is a "strong base", so only need a small volume addition to raise the pH. Because it is a "strong base" <"strong and weak...

Hi all, That is the problem with FB etc., if it is a "members only" group you may get informed discussion, but it is hidden away from most punters. If you have an open group? Then you better be pretty thick skinned <"Facebook Planted Tank Groups">. I've <"had to apologise a few times">, but...

Hi all, I think we would all be interested. I have a <"quarantine tank"> that doesn't have any permanent residents, and therefore no ammonia source, but it is mature and planted and I have absolutely no compunction in <"adding fish to it">. That is why I come back to probability all the time...

Hi all, That is why we recommend <"plant and wait">, it isn't <"very exciting"> but it has <"very little chance of failure">. Point taken again, you could have a tank that was years old, but still not <"mature or stable">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, The limestone (CaCO3) you've added will add both dGH calcium (Ca++) and dKH (bicarbonate ions 2HCO3-) <"at a 1 : 1 ratio">. You are going to add the other essential nutrients for plant growth via the food you feed the fish <"and plants">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I should have also said that we are<" just trying to help">. Personally I've been a <"truly terrible fish-keeper">, but I've <"found simple visual ways"> to mitigate for my lack of ability. If I'd been a better fish-keeper I might not have found it necessary. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, New tank management is a <"bit like triage"> in first aid, there is no point in bandaging a finger, if the patients is bleeding out from a severed artery. <"TAN Ammonia will be less of an issue">, as long as the pH remains low, but nitrite (NO2-) is your potential severed artery...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS. Honestly just ignore everything anybody else (away from this forum) tells you about ammonia, cycling and water testing. It is all wrong and we have actually <"talked to scientists"> involved in work on nitrification. The easiest option would be to get some filter...

Hi all, A thought, are we talking Chilean Myrtle (Amomyrtus luma)? The <"twisty tree with the lovely bark">? I think that should be fine, it is pretty close to Guava (Psidium). You would need the wood to be dead and "seasoned". Killarney Strawberry Tree <(Arbutus unedo)> might be another...

Hi all, Which one? "Sweet" (Castanea sativa) or "Horse" (Aesculus hippocastanum)? "Sweet" should be fine <"Ripe for Picking: a Guide to Collecting your own Bountiful Botanicals">, I'd be wary of "Horse". cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think that these are probably the "bacterial extracellular polysaccharides (EPS)", which have also "glued" the substrate together: - <"https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/clays/ccm/article-abstract/57/2/205/48559/BACTERIA-CLAY-INTERACTION-STRUCTURAL-CHANGES-IN">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Interesting, I'm not a <"filter floss fan">, but I wonder if it had a flame retardant coating or similar? I think it is 100% nylon? cheers Darrel

Hi all, We've talked about this as the <"Mbuna scenario"> - <"When to add fish!">. There is ample proof that you can maintain a <"large amount of fish"> purely with microbial biofiltration, but I'm not sure it is ever a tenable long term option, because you will always be <"teetering on the...

Hi all, OK, that (unfortunately) makes perfect sense. It is pretty shocking. Realistically it is back to a <"fish-keeper with a shop">, not a "shop-keeper with fish". It also tells you what the issue is in some ways, we aren't the people that are keeping LFS afloat, it is the people who...

...real issue with "plant and wait", nobody makes any money out of it. Yes, totally wrong for a planted tank. If you feel it would help you could take into the LFS any of the scientific papers from the Newton lab., but while you might get a hearing, they may just tell you to p*ss off. Cheers...

Hi all, You need to move the growing point to above the water's surface. They can't survive underwater in the long term. If you search for <"Dracaena> on UKAPS it will give you lots of threads. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS Does it have its leaves out of the water? cheers Darrel

Hi all, You will need to start adding a compete fertiliser, I don't know what is available to you? But you won't need to add a <"vast amount"> for your epiphytes. You don't need any remineraliser then, just add the magnesium addition with the fertiliser. The CO2 is a <"double whammy"> in that...

Hi all, They break down really quickly. I haven't tried it, but I'd be slightly wary just because they are very resinous. Are there any other trees you can access? cheers Darrel

Hi all, Just don't add anything like as <"much remineraliser">? You are going to add magnesium (Mg) with you fertiliser, so you only need to add a pinch of calcium (Ca) If you have added some carbonate hardness (alkalinity)? That would account for it. You rock looks like it might be limestone...

Hi all, It looks in generally good condition, so I'm going to say it probably isn't bacterial. Even though I have Corydoras pygmaeus I see them very infrequently and never know how many I have (but at least 10 at the moment, some I bought and some bred in the tank). This means some must have...

Hi all, I'm pleased you found it useful. I'm ridiculously proud of the "Duckweed Index". That may relate to the sand substrate, just purely <"because the processes"> that might make iron (Fe) plant available hadn't had time to develop. Do you know if you have hard alkaline tap water? I know...

Hi all, I'd guess it should be all right, they are compromised fish in ways that your other fish won't be. I'd follow the recommendations in <"Apistogramma and Dwarf Cichlid Aquarium Care"> they have served me well. Your tank looks lovely, and an ideal environment for them. They were the first...

Hi all, It is a real shame, but they are just <"horrible unhealthy things">, even the normal type ones, and as soon as you get into colour forms and short bodied fish it is even worse - <"What's wrong with my Ram? White lump on head..">. They are fish (along with <"Dwarf Gourami">) where it is...

Hi all, I don't <"normally comment"> on these sorts of threads, but that is some fantastic rock. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS. Would you like to tell us a bit about your planted tanks? The thread is from 2016, so I'm going to guess that the wait has been long enough. That just isn't true. I think we are quite good with our advice about tank maturity. In terms of scientific research on...

Hi all, I always <"work on the theory"> that every, tank related, thing I could ever need is on UKAPS, it is just a <"case of finding it">. First thing to say is that if you <"understand the scientific method">, are used to using serial dilution etc, you have a much better chance of getting...

Hi all, There is definitely more to that than just the sand substrate. I'm not personally a great fan of <"controlled release fertiliser root tabs">, or of <"most test kits"> for water quality. I'd really like to know what the water parameters are in my tanks, but <"I have a practical...

...This may also be useful for those who feel the need to add "nitrifying bacteria "<"Dr Timothy Hovanec's comments about Bacterial supplements">. *Urakawa, H. & Sipos, A. (2020)<"Application of the consortia of nitrifying archaea and bacteria for fish transportation may be beneficial for fish...

Hi all, We have a <"few threads"> where people have <"grown them accidently">. I think the common thread is probably hard water, but this suggests it isn't a pre-requisite <"Hildenbrandia rivularis">. This gorgeous, red plush, velvet cushion belongs to @EA James. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Electronics and aquaculture apparently. https://atlas-scientific.com/ Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I also have soft water and very little / no <"Green Spot Algae"> (GSA). cheers Darrel

...x 1000 = 10,000,000 litres (kg) of water in the pond. Then we have 350 mg O2 used per kg and a 1000 kg in a tonne, so the tonne of fish use 350 * 10000 mg O2 per hour = 350,000 mg O2 per hour. Then you just need to sort of the "figures of ten" (350,000 / 10,000,000) to 0.035 and 0.035 * 24...

Hi all, That is it really. @Happi posted how they got around the issue of replication in <"My thoughts so far">. I know that we all tend to have <"faith positions">, usually based on our experiences, but they aren't always optimal, or we might not understand why something <"new to us"> works...

...Produce Oxygen For Fish In Aquariums? | Atlas Scientific"> And they claim to be <"experts">. I'll try posting on their blog and see what happens*. I should say that I also like <"some water movement">. I see a <"large gas exchange surface to volume ratio"> as an unalloyed god thing. *This...

Hi all, Try it again at 40% intensity? That is the point I've always tried to put over to the unconvinced, that plants are <"massively net oxygen producers">. When I started on this journey I had expected that this would be the <"consensus amongst serious aquarists">, but I met a lot of...

Hi all, As long as the <"rhizome is still hard and green">? The plant should re-leaf. If the entire rhizome goes yellow, or is mushy, the plant is dead. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Good on you, open source is the true spirit of UKAPS <"GitHub: Let’s build from here">. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, They aren't really an algae eater, although they will scrape algae from hard surfaces at night. I often see them on the aquarium glass feeding, but I can't actually see what they are feeding on. You can just trap them, if you use a net the shrimps will swim off and you can remove the...

Hi all, Because UKAPS is the fount of all knowledge, <"Only Fools and Horses"> gets a <"few mentions">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, I think you need a German speaking Discus keeper to advise you (I am neither), but I don't think the low electrical conductivity is a problem. I've kept L129 (Hypancistrus debilittera <"https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=211">) and they are...

Hi all, Yes that is it, pH isn't a useful measurement in RO because of the lack of solutes. You can just ignore the pH of the RO, it is a blank slate. No need to be, the pH reduction due to CO2 addition doesn't reduce the alkalinity, you just have more Total Inorganic Carbon (TIC) <"dissolved...

Hi all, They are gorgeous little fish <"corydoras hastatus">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Possibly, if it really was Lemna minor? It might <"put off punters"> and you wouldn't get any repeat sales? But on the other hand "pump in a bucket" will be indestructible (and last for ever), so we wouldn't get any repeat sales any way. It is a difficult one. Free <"Secret...

Hi all, The problem is <"with the lack of solutes"> in the RO <"water">, it just means that pH is a moveable feast. It shouldn't be, you could only get a higher pH value if you weren't at equilibrium with atmospheric CO2 levels, e.g. CO2 levels were below the equilibrium point. That sounds...

Hi all, I think you are right, by the time you can <"detect ammonia">? It is already too late. That is just fantastic. I genuinely think it could be, the aquarium market wouldn't be huge, but there are applications in aquaculture and waste water management. Aquaponics might be an option...

Hi all, I understand where you are coming from, but they will be different in shade. The green colour comes from the mix of protonated (yellow) and unprotonated (blue) <"bromothymol blue"> molecules. You definitely can differentiate differing shades of green <"The scientific background to the...

Hi all, That is a good question and I'm not sure there is an exact definition. I've regarded "active soils" as substrates that reduce hardness and alkalinity via ion exchange - <"ShrimpKing Active Soil 8 l">, and "plant growth substrates" as substrates where those ion exchange sites have...

Hi all, It might be, it is certainly <"worth trying">. You tend to get a lot of black <"tea grout"> faeces with all crustaceans (including shrimps and Asellus), and I'm not sure the MTS (Melanoides tuberculata) will be interested in these, they don't have a <"lot of food value"> left. cheers...

Hi all, I'm a <"pest snail"> fan. I would never be without them. cheers Darrel

Hi all, <"Asellus aquaticus"> would be another "and/ or" option. They aren't to everyone's taste, but they are a very low maintenance tank addition and are <"detritus shredders">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I love mine <"Filter recommendations for 30l tank.">. Yes. <"Both">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It is <"this bit">: It isn't a route <"I would want to go down">, but it goes back to some of Diana Walstad's <"original ideas">. The fluid could be anything carbon rich with <"lots of oxidisable material"> in it. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, It is a similar question to <"are these rocks suitable for my aquarium?"> If you already have hard, alkaline water? Then any limestone rocks you add won't make it any harder. It is the same with your substrate, once the H+ ions have all been replaced with calcium ions (Ca++) ions etc...

Hi all, That is <"somewhere near"> what @Roland uses. This was his fertiliser list: I have no interest in <"optimal plant growth">, (or <"difficult plants">), but I'd say that this would be pretty near optimal. cheers Darrel

...they give values for some of the other basic anions. I'm not a CO2 user, but if I was? I'd be keener <"on using a drop-checker">. I know @LMuhlen isn't a <"drop checker fan">*, so they may be able to add some practical experience of using a pH meter. *Edit <"Scrub that"> cheers Darrel

Hi all, What Ollie says, just remove them. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, I'm sorry to hear of your troubles. As the other have said bacterial issues are difficult to treat and often a sign of some underlying problem, all you can really do is try and keep levels of ammonia etc as low as possible and dissolved oxygen levels high. I add...

Hi all, Probably wise. cheers Darrel

Hi all, We don't know where the "3 ppm CO2", (and <"30 ppm CO2"> extrapolated from it) came from. Do you know @hax47 ? All the references go back to <"George and Karla Booth"> <"Estimating CO2 injection rates in ml per minute"> The "three ppm" figure is widely used, even in the scientific...

Hi all, I would adjust the light intensity and duration until you get to ~8 mg / L dissolved oxygen (DO) towards the end of the photoperiod. If you don't add CO2 you may find that the pH will rise rapidly as photosynthesis depletes the available CO2. I don't supplement CO2, so I use <"water...

Hi all, Active substrates (substrates that exchange a H+ ion for a calcium ion (Ca++) from the water column) will be exhausted a lot more quickly in harder water, they will stop having a water softening effect, but it doesn't really matter. It would stay "active" for longer, have a look at...

Hi all, I've seen a lot worse. It is a robust system, and that is what is important, not the "lack of water changes" etc. <"No tech nano">. Yes, but you would need to add fertiliser eventually. I never break my tanks down, so the lab. tanks have been set-up for ~10 years. This tank had a very...

Hi all, That is very relevant, along <"with it being a tall tank"*> (I assume it is this 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...

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