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Hi all, So a water conditioner that contained EDTA could potentially complex lead (Pb++), zinc (Zn++) and copper (Cu++) ions <"Sodium calcium edetate - Wikipedia">. Whether it actually does, or not, will depend on all <"sorts of factors"> &...

Hi all, Certainly it was the <"food element in my case">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You can use either, it honestly doesn't <"make a whole amount of difference"> - <"Is expensive bio media worth it?"> & <"HELX-13/K1 verse Foam in Canister Filters">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Perfect. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You still need to <"let it grow in">, personally I'd suggest at least another month, but that maybe too cautious*. I'm pretty sure it isn't right. This why I prefer plant growth as a <"measure of the nutrient content">, simply put the <"plants can't lie">. *"Too long" is never as...

Hi all, <"Flint water crisis - Wikipedia"> It is because they have <"no effective environmental legislation in USA">, meaning that it is more <"cost effective"> to supply water full of faecal coliforms and heavy metals, rather than <"wasting money"> by actually making the water safe to drink...

Hi all, I usually just leave bits of wood with bark outside until it falls off. This also ensures that <"any sap"> has <"also gone">. I think a lot of the <"spider wood"> etc. imported from SE Asia is fresh wood that has had its bark stripped and it is the sap that causes the bloom of fungi...

Hi all, Edit: What @Andy Pierce says in the <"previous post">. Other way around. If you are low tech the larger the gas exchange surface area is the more gas exchange you will have. More surface agitation means that more CO2 will diffuse into the tank water along the concentration gradient...

Hi all, Ideally you want it without bark, but yes you can just scrub the lichen off. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Elm is <"ring porous">, meaning it has an obvious ring of larger pores in each growth ring. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think it is hardwood, from the branching shape. I'd guess it may be Elm (Ulmus sp.). You may be able to tell from rings, they are quite distinctive in Elm. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, It is. Ideally you want dense hard woods, and they don't float very well. Soak it for a long time to get rid of any salt. Salt (NaCl) is highly soluble, but may have soaked into the wood. If you don't have a pond or similar, you can use rain water, but you'll need to change it fairly...

Hi all, Could we have a full-tank shot of the tank? It may help us. No ammonia (NH3) or nitrite (NO2-) is good, you will have some nitrate (NO3-) it isn't an issue, it is one of the major nutrients plants need. Often the easiest option are some <"tank janitors">, but I don't know how feasible...

Hi all, They are <"George visits Dennerle>. All the companies (Tropica, Dennerle etc) are looking at plants that fit in with <"their production techniques"> and marketing - <"Tropica & Pets at Home">. This is why it is so hard to buy <"obligate aquatic plants">, <"like Blyxa spp."> etc...

Hi all, I think it looks like a Cyprinid <"Cyprinidae - Wikipedia"> fry as well. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Iron (Fe) is definitely a <"two-edged sword">, and you just need to have a <"Goldilocks zone"> amount. One issue is that, if you have a large excess of iron ions in solution <"you can start to precipitate out"> phosphate (PO4---) etc. This is the<" mode of action"> of Phosban etc. The...

Hi all, No, not at the levels we use it at. Iron (Fe) availability is the difference between "some" and "none", but "some" can be a very small number (~ 0.2 ppm). It is iron (ferrous) gluconate, so it really depends on how <"hard and alkaline your water is">, but normally it is a lot less...

Hi all, Thanks @Zeus. I know you are "the man that can" in these situations - <"TNC Complete Aquarium Plant Food & Nutrients 500ml">. That is the real problem, sorting out <"the wheat from the chaff">, particularly when there are lots of <"magic bullet vendors">, who are just after your money...

Hi all, You can buy an "all in one" fertiliser and dose it as recommended. @Zeus. Will be able to advise you of which one is the best value for money. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, Yes, Stephan Tanner is Swiss and was already very much a Poret foam fan before he went to the USA. Words after my own heart. Personally I've got a lot of time for Dr Tanner <"Aquarium Biofiltration - SWISSTROPICALS">, he is a high powered research scientist by day, so <"Swiss...

Hi all, You can't effectively test for plant available iron (Fe). <"Unscrupulous vendors"> will sell you a kit, but they are just after your money, not your (or your plants) well being. The plants are a really sensitive indicator of whether you have plant available iron, this is because iron...

Hi all, Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, two "changing clocks" news items on the same day Close, but no cigar. "Churchill Time" apparently -<"Clocks go back but Bedfordshire MP urges longer daylight saving">. Unfortunately it looks like the "forces of darkness" are also spoiling for...

Hi all, You are likely to see issues with iron (Fe) availability first, as the <"cation exchange capacity"> of the substrate begins to become exhausted. This is because iron forms a <"lot of insoluble compounds"> in harder, more alkaline water. Have a look at <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all...

Hi all, It is <"actually German">, but you are right about it being a "trade name". The company that makes it is <"EMW filtertechnik GmbH">. @JMorgan you have a thread <"Polyether vs Polyester/polyethylene foam filters (minor rant)">. I've still got some of the <"Yamitsu sponge blocks"> I...

Hi all, That is a good point <"KH, GH and aquasoil">. I managed this, in reverse so to speak, by soaking Moler clay cat litter in hard tap water <"Can old tropica soil exposed to hard water raise the KH of soft water?">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Not being funny, but just throw it away, it definitely isn't working - <"Testing and What to Test">. If you want a better test kit? A <"semi-titrimetric kit"> (drop test kit) <"would be better">, but even then you are still talking "ball- park" figures at best. The problem is that...

Hi all, Buying a dry mix designed for horticulture is a <"no-brainer"> for people with a large volume of water. It takes fertilisers from being a major expense to a very minor one - as an example, still £14 a kilo - <"2:1:4 High K 1 kg">. As soon as you buy a ready diluted mix you are trading...

Hi all, Some mix of cheap everyday salts, and some inventive advertising. They are. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, Yes, you are fine. You may find you can reduce the nutrient addition over time. I'm not a CO2 user, but there will be plenty who can advise you. I'll add some links to my last post. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, That helps plenty. So basically it is <"hard, alkaline water"> with a <"fair amount of nitrate (NO3-)">. A lot of people in E. and SE England will have similar water out of the tap. This is how you can work out the dGH from the calcium (Ca) value - <"Water Hardness">. So we have 117...

Hi all, Old fashioned scientific <"spirit thermometers"> are the way forward. A cheap product with one moving part, no electronics and good for all of eternity. In fact it might be a product for my <"luddite range of aquarium tat">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, <"Wooden dowels"> work really well for locking bits of wood together. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Not really, you could try a new test kit? I just think that buffering and pH are <"quite problematic areas">. So something doesn't quite add up there. In carbonate buffered water the pH goes to ~pH8 once you get more than about 3 dKH. This is the pH equilibrium point of the CO2 ~...

Hi all, Any additional CO2 will benefit your plants, as long as none of your <"mineral nutrients are limiting plant growth">. Personally I'm not a CO2 user, partially because I could never forgive myself if I asphyxiated the pets <"I have a duty of care for">. If I was a CO2 user? That would be...

Hi all, You need to look at <"their urosomes">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Yes, I'm pretty sure I sent some to you. They are hyperactive, so if you had some left you would probably know. Cheers Darr

Hi all, Get away with you, Crangonyx are quite cute, although that maybe doesn't show in the picture. Asellus are possibly a bit more <"aesthetically challenged">. They are both definitely hairless. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, That looks OK. I'm not a fan of making decisions based on test kits, but they don't look unrealistic as numbers. You have plenty of alkalinity, just ignore what people tell you about <"pH stability">. Have a look at <"Soft water tank">. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, These are for <"Crangonyx floridanus">, but it is morphologically and ecologically pretty much identical to <"C. pseudogracilis">: <"Reproductive Biology and Adaptability of the Invasive Alien Freshwater Amphipod Crangonyx floridanus (Crustacea: Amphipoda, Crangonyctidae)">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Well done. The pH definitely won't bother the Otocinclus, I've never kept Amano Shrimps, so won't pass comment. I agree with @Andy Pierce about Otocinclus being sensitive fish. I'm not a fan of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), but potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) would perform the same...

Hi all It isn't the pH, it is the CO2. I think fish health is your primary objective at the moment. Just turn the CO2 down, it gives you time to think. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, Quicker than Asellus, but after that I don't really know. Because they are used for aquaculture and as a bioassay organism (as well as being an invasive) I should be able to find some figures. I think they do. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I put another Frogbit plant in, much less noticeably green in the root department, but this was about 10 minutes afterwards. Apologies for the quality of the photos. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think that Hyalella azteca and Gammarus spp. are a lot more omnivorous than Asellus or Crangonyx, which are detrivores. From - <"https://invasions.si.edu/nemesis/species_summary/95082"> Personally <"I've not tried Hyalella">, and Gammarus ssp. don't last at tropical temperatures...

Hi all, I'm going to say ~72 hours, I just meant to leave it in overnight, but my wife and I both have COVID at the moment (unfortunately it is still a "thing") and I just forgot about them. I thought of doing it because I had some Frogbit that has been <"sitting in a bowl and has algae">...

Hi all, I don't think I have any "Northern River Shrimp" Crangonyx - <"Live food culture - Crangonyx pseudogracilis"> left in the <"tanks with fish">, but I have a "spare tank", until it goes to @megwattscreative, with plenty present and I tried putting a Frogbit (Limnobium (Hydrocharis)...

Hi all, That is it, it cuts through all the <"unknown unknowns"> whlch @hax47 & @Zeus. have mentioned above. Only gases can cross the air gap and only dissolved CO2 effects the colour of the pH indicator in the drop checker. You only have three components, CO2, pH indicator and 4dKH solution...

Hi all, The best of luck, it should be interesting. Are you going to use the Dennerle system of fertiliser addition? cheers Darrel

Hi all, For me? You probably have. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It is a strange one, some companies sell good products alongside absolute tat, it is more the <"deliberately misleading"> advertising I don't like. Seachem are a prime example, their adverts are very carefully worded, so that they imply something without actually ever saying it. I'm...

Hi all, You can PM me your address. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'll assume you have some calcium (Ca) from your tap water? I don't add a calcium compound as such, I just use our tap water (about 17 dGH and 17 dKH) as a calcium source. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, It does, the colour is due to the mix of protonated, and deprotonated, bromothymol blue molecules. When all molecules are deprotonated the colour is blue and when they are all protonated yellow, if you have a mix of blue and yellow? You have green. Acids are proton (H+) donors, the...

Hi all, I think it is a good idea, I'd be surprised if there was much difference, but it would show for sure. Just "some magnesium (Mg)". I think the recommended ratio is 3 : 1 Ca : Mg. That is incredibly pure, you wouldn't necessarily get a value that low from a distillation unit. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is it. You often get a <"flush of algae"> appearing if a, formerly, non-available, nutrient becomes plant available. Because algae take nutrients directly through the cell membrane they can respond very quickly to changes in nutrient availability. Diatoms are the slightly strange...

Hi all, You shouldn't feel bad about it and<"it really isn't your fault">. In the past (in the days of books) there was a dearth of information, now there is information overload, but much of it either ill-informed or deliberately misleading. My opinion is that it is an industry built on the...

Hi all, It is underrated as a tourist venue, but you could also call in on industrial Deeside, "the north Cheshire Riviera" while you are there? <"Aqualife Leyland"> would be another possibility, allowing you to enjoy the scenic delights of Burnley, Accrington, Blackburn and Preston on the...

Hi all, Obviously not a CO2 user, but I've had a lot of experience with pH meters and I'd be <"happier to trust the drop checker">. This just means the water is saturated with dissolved oxygen and the "excess oxygen" is outgassing as "pearling" (O2 bubbles). It is a pretty good indication that...

Hi all, Unfortunately we are in <"unknown unknowns"> territory. I'm guessing it isn't the rainwater, but it is purely a guess. A <"lot of mineral nutrients"> are more available at lower pH and alkalinity values, iron (Fe) is the one <"we often encounter">. I've always <"been a rainwater...

Hi all, I'll be honest, I think you may have dodged a bullet there. I might try putting out feelers to <"Premier Aquatics">, Ste Chesters will know if they are likely to be available, and where you might get them from. A lot of less common fish pass around amongst specialist breeders and...

Hi all, A thought occurs that the softer, less alkaline water may have "unlocked" the availability of one of the other mineral nutrients that was limiting diatom growth? cheers Darrel

Hi all, It shouldn't. The quartz (SiO2) in gravel is inert <"Aquarium sand and diatoms...">. You only need the merest trace of orthosilicic acid (Si(OH)4) for diatoms to be able to extract it, diatoms are universal in fresh (and salt) water. In fact they occur everywhere there is liquid water...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS Could be, but I think they may be filamentous diatoms (Synedra (Fragilaria) sp.). If @kw1964 runs them <"between their fingers">, you should be able to tell, <"very slightly gritty = diatoms">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, They may do. Some people use <"floating rings"> etc. to keep them in position, I've not needed too try it, but I think it works. Try halving in it? And see what happens. I don't add a set amount of fertiliser, I just use the <"Duckweed Index">. The simple answer is "no" and "no"...

Hi all, Suggests that you have <"plenty of nutrients">. Try reducing the fertiliser addition and see what happens. You can lean dose, as long as you supply all of the nutrients plants need. Don't get too hung up on what the test kit says, <"use plant health as your test kit">. I use a...

Hi all, I have to ask ......... What is the issue? Cheers Darrel

...and photosystems"> the green algae is a "plant", just one you don't want. Basically what is <"sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander">* and you can't starve out the green algae, without starving out your plants. I'd try that. It will depend on what plant growth is like. If the plants...

Hi all, Point taken, I have both no sense of <"aesthetics and very weedy tanks">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Vice-versa if you don't mind equipment in the tank, a <"powerhead / big sponge combo"> gives you more filtration than you will ever need. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is the problem. I think all we can do is carry on trying to inform. cheers Darrel

Hi all, <"JBL Aquadur"> - <"so all right">, other than the sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) and all that <"for a mere"> £83 / kg ........... You just need to add a <"lot less remineraliser">, have a look at @Roland's <"Soft water tank">. Basically you are losing all the <"advantages of RO"> by...

Hi all, That was always going to be the potential issue <"with these sorts of plants">. They may have a long shelf life, but it isn't infinite. I'm going to say "not suitable", but <"who knows">? Cheers Darrel

Hi all, It should be fine. The layer below the bark might contain <"some sugar and protein"> (which is what the <"Plecs are after">), but just keep oxygen levels up and that should deal with the extra bioload. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I assume if it froze solid it would kill them off, but I have had the <"same bucket"> outside for at least eight years. I bring a few inside as an insurance (in <"Keeping Frogbit out of main tank">), but I haven't needed them. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, Useful to know, I would have bet on any Loaches being particularly efficient predators of them. I wonder if it is because they are both black-water fish, and these water conditions don't support any crustaceans in their native state? Cheers Darrel

Hi all, Mine have been in with a low stocking of <"Corydoras (Gastrodermus) pygmaeus"> and <"Axelrodia riesei"> and they've managed to remove them, so I'm guessing that nearly all fish will extirpate them. They have fairly low water quality requirements, so it is easy to retain a breeding...

Hi all, @Wookii says it will <"Tropica soil on top of sand">, so that is probably your nitrite (NO2-) source, via the oxidation of ammonia. The advice is still the same, keep changing some water, ensure plant growth is good and keep dissolved oxygen levels high and after six weeks you should...

Hi all, You can use <"sparkling water"> to remove any animals, it contains a huge amount of dissolved CO2. It won't remove any algae, but you can't exclude these from your tank in the longer term anyway. Personally <"I'm a snail fan">, and look on them as an unmitigated <"good thing">, but I...

Hi all, If it does? It is your ammonia source - <"Aquarium Soil - a perfect, complete bottom layer for aquariums - Tropica Aquarium Plants">. It isn't a product I've ever used. If it is an ammonia source? I would want to deplete those ammonia levels as rapidly as possible. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It is more likely to be an issue with the test kits, rather than a genuine reading. You don't have an ammonium (NH4) source, and during microbial nitrification your fixed nitrogen ion goes from <"NH3/4 > N02- > N03-">, or possibly directly from NH3/4 > N03- via <"COMAMMOX Nitrospira">...

Hi all, I think they should breed OK in softer water. At the moment I only have a population in one of the tanks without any fish, which also doesn't have any BBA, but it does have lots of snails etc The "problem" in the other tanks is that they are <"cat nip to most fish"> and are always...

Hi all, I didn't think you could <"send fish via Royal Mail">? Maybe it is different for businesses? Whenever I'm going to post some "tank janitors" to people, when the post-mistress / master asks me "what is in it" I always reply <"moss">, <"which is true, but not necessarily the whole answer...

Hi all, It isn't really me, I knew that <"scientists"> are primarily interested in <"dissolved oxygen">, either its <"effect on the biota"> (in relatively clean water) or just getting <"as much of it as possible"> into <"polluted water">. I'm a great believer in a picture being worth a...

Hi all, Not sure at all, I'd probably just harden the water up a little bit and make sure they have a good diet? I sometimes wonder about having a harder water tank for <"Theodoxus fluviatilis">, and if I did? I'd definitely keep them with Cherry Shrimps. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'm not a CO2 user, but I think people tend to get their CO2 levels dialled in while they don't have any fish etc. You can play with where to put the drop checker etc., before you have any plants. Once you have plants in they will use some CO2, but at that point you are only doing...

Hi all, Not while the light is off. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You are probably adding some magnesium (Mg) with your fertiliser? I'd aim to add about 5 ppm, it isn't really for the shrimps, it is much more the plants. Sorry to hear that. In my experience Cherry shrimps are absolutely fine in hard, alkaline water, it is soft water that kills them...

Hi all, Absolutely perfect. This is why I hate <"price gouging"> by the less than entirely honest vendors of remineralising salts etc. Surely <"a bit of honesty"> all around would serve everybody better in the long run? A business model where you buy a cheap commodity and then "add" a huge...

Hi all, You need <"Some handy facts about water"> & <"Confusion concerning 0dKH and nitrification">. All the derivations and descriptions are in <"Water Hardness">. One thing to note is that @_Maq_ referred to dGH as "hardness" and dKH as "alkalinity" to remove any confusion. It is a bit of a...

Hi all, Exactly that. I've sent them to quite a few people successfully like this, <"padded envelope, take-away container and damp moss">. Damp moss works for a lot of <"aquatic organisms">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Two molecules of nitrate (NO3-) for every atom of calcium (Ca) or magnesium (Mg). You have to be really wary with this, and make sure you have the pure tetrahydrate (Ca(NO3)2.4H2O), because <"fertilizer grades"> often have ammonium (NH4+) present as well. I should have also said that...

Hi all, It is your tank and you can do what like. Personally I'm a great believer in <"if it ain't broke don't fix it">. I honestly think they are a lot more fundamentally important than being "interesting reading", for me these aren't like the views of internet gurus (or UKAPS experts) etc...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, nice tank and fish choice. You can actually stop adding ammonia (NH3 / NH4). The traditional view of cycling, that it is performed by limited range of bacteria requiring high ammonia loading and carbonate hardness, isn't true. In a planted tank you are never entirely...

Hi all, That's it, you just need to take into account the <"water of crystallization"> when you <"work out the percentage of the nutrient"> that you are interested in. It is worth noting that CaSO4.H2O has very limited solubility (2.6 g in 1 litre of water at 20oC), which is why remineralising...

Hi all, @hamfist you should be able to get tap water hardness figures from your water company -<"Home - Southern Water">, but it will be about 17- 18 dGH & 17 - 18 dKH <"for geological reasons">. Our water (above) (just E. of Bath) is from a limestone aquifer <"and pretty consistent through the...

Hi all, I usually assume (the basis for these assumptions is in <"Guide to TDS">): That you get 1 : 1 dGH : dKH (from dissolved limestone (CaCO3)) in UK tap water, and that the dGH is overwhelmingly from calcium (Ca++) ions, and that conductivity and Ca++ and 2HCO3- ions are (approximately)...

Hi all, They do, their aim is to <"obscure the truth"> using conjecture and some very carefully worded blurb. I will bet that it will be some combination of cheap and <"easily available compounds">. Once you are past the design of the container you buy them in, there isn't any issue of...

Hi all, Hanna is a good brand for meters, but one of the advantages of conductivity measurement is that even cheap meters are relatively accurate and <"conductivity is a linear scale">- <"Guide to TDS">. You ideally want a low range meter (0 - 1990 microS) <"Pocket Pro Low Range Conductivity...

Hi all, That may be a nitrate, (NO3-), potassium (K), phosphate (PO4---), or magnesium (Mg) deficiency. Because they are <"all mobile nutrients"> within the plant you should get a pretty quick "greening" once you've added them. I'd add that now. I have the capability to test the tank water for...

Hi all, It does, either as a <"minimal addition"> or possibly even as <"an impurity"> in the main salts. It is entirely up to you, but there <"aren't any minerals unique"> to <"Salty Shrimp">, they are really <"relying on brand loyalty">. I understand why people buy proprietary salts, but...