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Hi all, You are right and he is wrong, and they definitely aren't tank bred and even if they were? It wouldn't make any difference. If you think it will make any difference you could point him at TomC 's Apistogramma site, it has water data - <"Welcome to Toms Homepage">. Strangely it might...

Hi all, It is likely to be a nutrient (fertiliser) issue. Have you changed anything? Fertiliser type, or dosing regime etc? cheers Darrel

Hi all, They are fantastic. I'm guessing that <"is a general finding">. We've had a bit if discussion about <"turned up to eleven "> plants, like Ludwigia sedioides <"Ludwigia Sedoides where to get it?">. Even <"RBG Kew struggle with them">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Horrible for you, but I've never seen a fish recover from there, so it was the right thing to do. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think you are right. That is the <"million dollar question">, and I would <"really like to know the answer">. I'm going to guess that once the plants have grown in that <"the oscillations in microbial stability"> are going to be damped to a level where the tank is "fish safe"...

Hi all, A video from <"Dave Goulson"> from the <"University of Sussex>. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You honestly don't need a video, all you need <"is a container">, some <"RO or DI water"> and the fertiliser. I use old milk cartons, but you can get better bottles. All the instructions are in @Happi 's thread <"Solufeed 2:1:4 and Solufeed Sodium Free TEC or Solufeed Coir TEC...

Hi all, That is definitely where I'm coming from. Yes, I'm always going to be aiming for a <"low ammonia microbial assemblage">. I think a lot of people have always done this if they can (I always did), but it does seem to have a basis in Science <"Correspondence with Dr Ryan Newton - School...

Hi all, I fully agree, it would make much more sense to quote everything as the elemental concentration, there is no ambiguity then. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think a lot of us <"may have been there">. Reducing ammonia (NH3) would be a reason for <"doing a dark start">, I know @Cor used this technique <"Amano Shrimp , co2 and Tropica soil">. I'd just try and ensure you have <"plenty of dissolved oxygen">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Definitely a Fissidens sp. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think they must have invented it. There is a "capstone course" one that allows students to demonstrate expertise in their subject area, so maybe it is meant to imply expertise in fertiliser formulation? This gets a mention in <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?"> - <"How to...

Hi all, Something to look forward to. @Wookii had it in 2022 (picture below) , but I know it is a "boom and bust" plant. @shangman had this, but the same may apply? I going to guess that is a more unlikely find, @greenbliss <"grew it">, but I don't think they visit the forum anymore...

Hi all, Possibly not, if you are sure it is White Spot (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis) you can medicate, @PARAGUAY's suggestion would be mine as well. Certainly is, I'm not sure there any fish that are really peaceful. Do you still have some structural (big) leaf litter? If you do pop it in...

Hi all, You are fine, sea water is already <"fully saturated"> with calcium (Ca++) and bicarbonate (HCO3-) ions. I'd assumed it was a baby one. I might a little concerned about those as well. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, What @castle says. Have a look at <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?"> it is a long thread, but it will repay reading. You don't actually need to worry about the cycle "crashing", in some ways it is an <"entirely artificial construct">. Where we differ...

Hi all, How big is the crab? cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'm not convinced the <"filter media has that much effect">. In Europe they use <"(Hydro)LECA">, it <"works really well">, but is a cheap product to buy and no-one is going to make much money out of it .......... <"https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/trickling_filter.pdf"> You need to...

...Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), trickle filters <"are an easy way of doing this">. The vendors of <"denitrifying media"> etc try to imply that you need "balance", but that is just b*llocks. It is possible to have too much oxygen, but only in some <"very specific circumstances">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, @Wookii is right, that is why older sewage works used trickle filters, they have huge bio filtration potential. That isn't right. Even if bio balls are suboptimal, they will still have enough wet surface area to work. It is the area of the gas exchange surface that matters, everything...

Hi all, That one. Have a look at <"http://www.aquaticdesign.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/aquatic-mosses.pdf"> cheers Darrel

Hi all, Yes, they just fall off. Moss naming is a real mine-field, unfortunately people just call them what they like and then apportion a fairly random "scientific name" to them. In some cases we know that a moss is sold <"under the wrong name">, but in most cases, when you buy a moss, it...

Hi all, Absolutely fine, as @ElleDee says. In fact it looks really healthy. It doesn't matter at all, in terms of it role in the tank , but that probably isn't Java Moss (<"Taxiphyllum barbieri">) and the reason is...... Java moss very rarely produces spores <"Vesicularia dubyana - Java...

Hi all, Yes. Yes, ideally really need one where the nitrogen source is mainly nitrate (NO3-), or urea (CO(NH2)2), rather <"than ammonia / ammonium (NH3 / NH4+)">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is an <"unknown unknown">, but I'm willing to bet (probably not appropriate at the moment) that some will. There is research from Marine Aquaculture looking at the effect of temperature on the microbial assemblage in biofilters <"Abundance and Diversity of Nitrifying...

Hi all, <"TNC complete"> or <"Tropica Specialised Nutrition">? There is <"nothing wrong with these">, but I'm not going to take part in the <"World's most Expensive water"> contest, so I use <"a hydroponic fertiliser">. I'm not sure what is available to you in Sweden. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think you've <"answered your own question">. Don't lower light intensity at the moment, just use the "TNC Complete". cheers Darrel

Hi all, I wonder if you could age "artificial" live rock in UK seawater? I know that UK <"rock-pools can get fairly warm">, but still have <"coralline algae etc">. in them. The scenario would be a bit like <"cultivation of Oysters"> in trays, or <"Nori on ropes">, but in this case the "crop"...

Hi all, The Maxi-jet 400 is still going, I've had it since ~2005 and it has run continually for at <"least the last ten years">. I bought the <"Eheim AquaBall powerhead"> (<"1212 / 650">) as its eventual replacement. I always have a few spare sponges lying about, it allows me to donate the...

Hi all, I'm guessing that is where your problems lie, you need a fertiliser that supplies all the nutrients required for plant growth. Have a look at <"Solufeed 2:1:4 and Solufeed Sodium Free TEC or Solufeed Coir TEC Combination">. I think you will struggle with Riccia fluitans, it really...

Hi all, Yes, that looks fine. I can see the caves, do you have L numbers? and are they the fish that died? You don't actually need CO2 with the plants you have. I can see your floaters and I'm a <"floating plant obsessive">, but one advantage of floating (or emergent) plants is that they...

Hi all, That is the issue for me <"with a lot of filters"> too much complexity and too many gaskets. I'd never realised <"this was an issue"> until relatively recently. Looking back it was obviously naive, but I hadn't imagined that any-one <"would use the scaffold intake">(as supplied)...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, and sorry for your losses. That is a real problem, there is "advice", often contradictory, coming in every direction. Hopefully we can give you better advice than Google. I'm not a CO2 user personally, but "yes" leave the air stone in and on. As you've found...

Hi all, We have a thread about where that assumption <"may have originated">. One issue is: So we don't really know that "30 ppm CO2" is actually 30 ppm CO2, as @Andy Pierce <"says"> above . Your limestone (CaCO3) rocks will <"dissolve more quickly"> when <"you add CO2">. You will have...

Hi all, We just don't know what <"causes BBA"> (Audouinella spp.) outbreaks, or why the algae <"sometimes detaches"> for no apparent reason, although it may be linked to <"alternation of generations">. There are some microscope images here: <"What exactly causes BBA?"> Anecdotally the <"best...

Hi all, If you use a black sponge you could hide it in a corner? Personally, for me, the powerhead & Koi sponge combination <"Shrimp safe filter for 35l tanks"> is always a winner - <"Flourish and Flourish Excel">. You get a lot of <"filtration and flow">, a <"sponge grazing surface"> and the...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS. Poppies probably aren't ideal, a lot of them are poisonous and they are fairly flimsy seed pods. Mostly people use woody seed pods, like Alder (Alnus spp.) "cones" etc.. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Looks like it may be magnesium (Mg) deficiency, which causes <"interveinal chlorosis"> on older leaves. Has anything changed recently, like a <"different water supply"> or fertiliser regime? If it has? I'd go back to what you were doing before. Because these are mobile nutrients (any...

Hi all, I think you are right, but it because of the log10 nature of the pH scale. This what @Jose said <"Question about pressurised CO2 and water disturbance"> and <"my reply"> cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'm never going to be a CO2 user. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Personally I wouldn't particularity try to match them, or worry too much about exact amounts. Agreed, it is <"if it ain't broke don't fix it"> argument for me. All the time you are happy with plant health and growth? I'd just carry on with APT1, at your normal dosing. If you aren't...

Hi all, You need @ian_m, @Jose, @hax47 or @Andy Pierce for a proper comment, but this should link in to a thread <"with an explanation"> - <"Quick question around co2">. If any-one really wants the inorganic chemistry? We have threads <"Gas-exchange experiments"> & <"CO2 concentration...

Hi all, It isn't the alkalinity of the water in the tank that's relevant. That one. It is only the carbonate hardness of the <"4 dKH solution in the drop checker"> that matters. The base in solution (sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) etc.) is the <"proton acceptor">. Because the drop checker has...

Hi all, <"Taiwan Bee not so nano"> cheers Darrel

Hi all, You honestly don't need to worry <"How much does light effect the growth of "beneficial" bacteria?"> & <"Diane Wahlstad and biofiltration making plants suffer and causing algae?">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Perfect, so kept in a bioreactor after "construction". This might offer some clues: <"Tim Hovanec's "Nitrification in marine aquarium" article">. Original article at <"https://www.drtimsaquatics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Nitrification-in-Marine-Aquaria-3-parts-CORAL.pdf">...

...for a reason, and that reason is to put you off the scent? In fact I'm going to say the farmed bit is actually <"made from farmed Oyster shells">* edit, it isn't, it is the time the products spends <"maturing in a bioreactor">. Ok, that just means it is made from calcium carbonate (CaCO3)...

Hi all, Hopefully, now you are in the right place. Have a look at our <"Articles / Tutorials"> for starters. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'd agree with that, I think that we have quite a few threads where things haven't started well and it hasn't been easy to resurrect those tanks: <"I made a substrate from hell, i want to change it">. @ElleDee's thread is a <"perfect example"> that neglect doesn't have to be terminal...

...at both activity and gill colour. <"https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264203937_Effects_of_Increased_CO2_on_Fish_Gill_and_Plasma_Proteome">* <"I'm not a CO2 user">, but we think that there are definitely sub-lethal effects to CO2 exposure <"Are CO2 and ferts bad for fish health long...

Hi all, That one. Stalk will do, technically it is <"a scape">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That one really, <"grow the plants that want to grow">, rather than struggling with the "plants you want to grow". The type form <"mainly survives with me">, other than that I think the only one I have left is "Narrow" (from @Wookii ?). I think with <"harder water"> and <"some more...

Hi all, It depends a little bit on the plant. Something like a floating plant shouldn't really, it hasn't changed in growing conditions. It is different for a plant that <"has been grown emersed"> and then submerged, it is likely to shed its leaves etc. @G H Nelson has written a tutorial for...

Hi all, Apologies, I'm not sure at all. None of them are plants I've grown. cheers Darrel

Hi all, What @castle says just snip off the brown bits for now. If it was drying damage? The rest of the leaf should stay green and carry on photosynthesising. If the whole leaf gets browner? Snip it off. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It looks like it might have <"dried out">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Will do. cheers Darrel

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, 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 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...