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  1. B

    Oase Biomaster Users: Has anyone tried Concave upgrades?

    Hi i paid £224.95 how much is the upgraded model i can get the new type tube and cover plate for £23
  2. dw1305

    Wood

    Hi all, Perfect. cheers Darrel
  3. Aqua sobriquet

    Shrimp Information

    Is there a comprehensive online source of information on aquarium shrimp anyone would like to share?
  4. M

    Tap Water Temperature

    My concern isn't the mixed temperature, I usually use a jug for top up and pour it through a sponge so it doesn't disturb the substrate later. Initally pouring it in you can see the denser cold water sink to the bottom and hitting some fish and shrimp, was worried incase it could cause...
  5. B

    Wood

    I’m currently carving the bark off a piece of Prunus spinosa that is definitely dead wood (and it sinks) so I’m hoping it fits and looks good once in!
  6. Aqua sobriquet

    Oase Biomaster Users: Has anyone tried Concave upgrades?

    It depends how much you paid for it. If it’s priced to reflect it’s the old model then that’s fine. I saw the new model in my LFS the other day and it seemed expensive.
  7. B

    Oase Biomaster Users: Has anyone tried Concave upgrades?

    Hi all. We have just bought a Oase bioMaster Thermo 250 and have had a look and it’s the “old” type so should i take it back and get a new upgraded one? what do you think 🤔 many thanks 🙏
  8. hypnogogia

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    There was an article in The Times this morning about personality type and career. For example, they found estate agents to be more disagreeable. Problem was their sample size was only 268 per career. They also had massively overlapping distribution curves (not reported in The Times, but...
  9. tam

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    I do know that. Something can be both statistically true and a stereotype. Sometimes those are the worse stereotypes because people use science to justify themselves (good old lies, damned lies, and statistics). I would certainly encourage you to reference your sources, but they won't stop...
  10. dw1305

    Advice on newly setup Tank

    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...
  11. dw1305

    Tap Water Temperature

    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...
  12. ElleDee

    Can someone explain simply please. CO2, aeration, KH and low tech tanks.

    There are some conflicting schools of thought about this, so I'll just give my current thinking. If you have a substrate with organic material (aquasoil, soil), CO2 from bacterial respiration decomposing the organic matter can greatly surpass atmospheric CO2. This decomposition requires oxygen...
  13. dw1305

    Wood

    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...
  14. dw1305

    Can someone explain simply please. CO2, aeration, KH and low tech tanks.

    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...
  15. Andy Pierce

    Tap Water Temperature

    Combi boiler for the win. I do exactly the same thing - no issues. I suspect even with a hot water tank the fears are outdated/overblown.
  16. Andy Pierce

    Can someone explain simply please. CO2, aeration, KH and low tech tanks.

    In a low tech tank KH has no effect on dissolved CO2. Surface agitation and aeration do the same thing: they speed up how long it takes for CO2 levels (and oxygen levels as well) to stabilise with respect to atmosphere - aeration is much more effective at this than surface agitation. Unless...
  17. B

    Wood

    The piece is quite gnarled so it might be tricky to get all the bark off? Would boiling it help at all?
  18. PARAGUAY

    Tap Water Temperature

    Interesting . Don't think l have ever had an issue , one address had lead water pipes, think the advice was to run the cold water for 5 minutes. The other houses have and present one the blue "plastic" mains ones, l have always added warm tap water to get desired temperature. I think the...
  19. dw1305

    Wood

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

    New member here.

    Hello there!
  21. Bradders

    Advice on newly setup Tank

    Just to add my input, I have had two API Master Test kits and noticed that the Nitrate tests are the first to 'go off' and give very high readings - and this was in an established tank where the math did not make sense. Two seperate test kits (one was NTLabs and cannot remember another one)...
  22. Bradders

    Tap Water Temperature

    That is interesting. I found explanations like the one below, but I assume this is not true? Water conditioners chelate (bind) heavy metals, making them biologically inactive and non-toxic to fish. These bound metals remain in the water but in a form that's not harmful to aquatic life. The...
  23. hamfist

    Can someone explain simply please. CO2, aeration, KH and low tech tanks.

    Hi, I believe aeration and KH can both affect availability of CO2 to plants in low tech tanks and have read a number of threads and sources about it. However, I am still trying to fit it all together into a "coherant whole" in my head. Surely there must be a simple explanation. So, to maximise...
  24. B

    Wood

    I’m just going to play safe and use a wood I definitely know is hard and suitable! I’ve been out this morning and got some nice Cherry pieces so I’ll prob use these and maybe a piece of Ash I got. The Cherry has lichen on it, I’m assuming this will come off once it’s soaked and I give it a scrub?
  25. funkymonk1984

    Advice on newly setup Tank

    I’ll also test my Tap water as it’s a new house but same area so although hard water should be ok
  26. funkymonk1984

    Advice on newly setup Tank

    API Master Freshwatet Test Kit… I agree those levels seem off. I’m going to let things settle anyway and I want plants to root in and get some growth. I did the dark start method to avoid massive amounts of water changes but I’ll prob do 2x 50% over these 2 weeks to be sure.
  27. Superpuma1

    Advice on newly setup Tank

    Something isn’t right there, it’s a new setup, how can you have nitrate so high? Unless you have high nitrate in your tap water…… You surely have a dodgy test set or high nitrate in your tap water, which is to me unlikely.
  28. MichaelJ

    Tap Water Temperature

    In some very populous US States lead piping is still quite common in older houses - an estimated 9 million households rely on lead service lines. Its improving, but slowly. Cheers, Michael
  29. hypnogogia

    Tap Water Temperature

    Interesting that that link still refers to lead. Is lead still in common use for plumbing in the US, or are they referring to legacy/old houses lacking updated plumbing?
  30. MichaelJ

    Advice on newly setup Tank

    If I understand this correctly, you said you just changed 90% of the water and measure 100 ppm (!) of Nitrate (NO3) ? That sounds way off... What sort of level do you see straight out of the tap / water source ? and what test kit are you using? Yes, nice scape! Cheers, Michael
  31. MichaelJ

    55l medium tech

    @Matthias Great tank! Cheers, Michael
  32. MichaelJ

    Tap Water Temperature

    Agreed. The EPA clearly discourage people from using the water from the hot water tap for drinking or cooking as the hot water supply may contain unhealthy sediments such as heavy metals. A dechlorinator or water conditioner will not remove heavy metals - only an RO system or similar will be...
  33. MichaelJ

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    Um... short answer: Nope! Long answer: I have known aquarists of all walks of life for the past +40 years and never seen a correlation with said diagnosis. My guess is that they (we) are just as diverse as any other group of people dedicated to a somewhat challenging hobby that takes patience...
  34. G

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    This is all my personal experience in life and observations but also from reading the science I think its important to talk about these things as I felt the mainstream solutions didn't provide a full answer to these problems although it did help a bit You know scientists have literally...
  35. tam

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    You quite literally and repeatedly are. Stereotype: a generalized belief about a particular category of people. So far you've said that people with 'ADHD / Autism, learning disabilities and so on' have: less social skills a sense of creativity are less healthy are more sensitive to bad health...
  36. G

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    But is it much to do with nerdiness... People with ADHD are usually athletic
  37. M

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    You hear a lot of talk about the mental health benefits of gardening, yet it’s seen as something that benefits everyone, neurodivergent or not (that is assuming you actually enjoy it). Mental health is a work in progress, in the same way that an active lifestyle supports your physical health...
  38. PARAGUAY

    New member here.

    Welcome to UKAPS
  39. Maf 2500

    Songs from the Man Cave!

    The Band - Whispering Pines
  40. Maf 2500

    Wood

    Yeah, maybe the softer more decayed wood is in the large pore space parts of the ring. Might be a good candidate for a jetwasher to blast out the softy stuff and see what you are left with?
  41. G

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    Makes you wonder what will happen with the assassination attempts... Year isn't over yet..
  42. Maf 2500

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    Yes, I am sure a certain American politician whose name rhymes with dump considers himself to be sane.
  43. G

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    One thing comes to mind is that someone on another thread said we consider the wrong people disabled in our society. Some of the worst politicians and so on will never get help, or even think there is anything wrong with them... Yet they do more harm. But instead we focus on neurodiversity...
  44. dw1305

    Wood

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

    New member here.

    Welcome to the forum :) Fluctuating CO2 levels are one of the things often listed as a cause of BBA.
  46. G

    Advice on newly setup Tank

    Do you trust your test kit? the scape looks great 👍
  47. hypnogogia

    Advice on newly setup Tank

    Not sure I’d trust these measurements.
  48. Miniandy

    Planorbis rubrum low temps?

    I'm interested in this too
  49. B

    Wood

    Here’s the piece I cut off the bottom. I have just scraped off a bit of the outer with my nail and the inner wood also seems soft. Maybe the actual ring part maybe hard (the outer growth looks spongy?)? Elm is possible - it appears to have the historic larval feeding signs of the elm bark...
  50. Miniandy

    3 stone Iwagumi

    Stunning scape
  51. sparkyweasel

    New member here.

    Welcome! :)
  52. dw1305

    Wood

    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
  53. Maf 2500

    Wood

    Generally pines and conifers are the unsuitable species. I don't know how long it would have to be in the sea to leach out all of the undesirable resins, but I guess it would happen eventually. If you can see any traits of these species in the driftwood then perhaps best to give it a miss...
  54. FrozenShivers

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    At least we can discuss sensitive topics whilst remaining civil to each other with our differing views, which is more than can be said for most of the internet 😄
  55. G

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    Im not stereotyping anyone Interesting someone said we used to live different in the past. My family is all like this and even though maybe some were bad at school and others not those family members bad at school were good butchers or blacksmiths or farmers. But not stupid at all. The opposite...
  56. daejra

    3 stone Iwagumi

    The girls looking pretty. Hard to take a good picture of them, they're always on the move!
  57. hypnogogia

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    Certainly, but it’s also alright to challenge views based on anecdote that only serve to perpetuate stereotypes. 🙂
  58. B

    Wood

    Thanks. It’s still in the bucket so I’ll try tomorrow. The driftwood is quite close to home so I may pop back to see if I can find anything suitable.
  59. Maf 2500

    Wood

    Give the soft areas a good scrub with a wire brush or similar very stiff brush. Hopefully it may just be a soft surface layer and what is underneath is much harder. If it is soft all the way through then you are unfortunately out of luck with this piece.
  60. FrozenShivers

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    I think it's ok to share our views as just that, biased views from anecdotal experiences as an interesting point of discussion? I don't think (or at least hope) that anyone is trying to pull anything concrete from this thread 🙂
  61. FrozenShivers

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    I work with a couple of groups every week which mainly consist of neurodivergent young people - the purpose of the group is to help them with their social and communication skills, they have a special place in my heart for many reasons, one being that they sometimes will say things that are very...
  62. Maf 2500

    Any Foam Experts?! 🤣

    I took delivery of some foam today from Envobee shrimp who sell on ebay and I think were linked earlier in the thread. I can confirm that what they sell is (as advertised) genuine Poret polyether type foam. Looking on their website it seems a lot of sizes of foam are out of stock, other items...
  63. RichardM

    Planorbis rubrum low temps?

    Planorbis rubrum - anyone had these survive a UK pond over winter?
  64. funkymonk1984

    Advice on newly setup Tank

    Hi guys, So I’ve just set up a new tank. I added ADA power sand, Amazonia v2 and some powder soil along with hardscape. I connected up the filter and added stability every day for 7 days and it’s been running for 3 weeks with no light or CO2 running. Today I drained 90% of the water and...
  65. shangman

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    As a neurodivergent person here's my take - we're labeled as thus because we take to modern society less smoothly than neurotypical people. We need nature more vitally, and we find the severence and lack of connection to nature that modernity&capitalism has created very painful (whether we...
  66. Tim Harrison

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    It certainly fits with my observations too. All part of life's rich tapestry. https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/meek-geek-inherit-the-earth.29895/#post-313338
  67. B

    Wood

    As I can’t be sure on what type of wood the above is, I went and found myself some dead Ash instead - I read another post on here that Ash is suitable. It is a long time dead so I’m currently soaking it in a bucket. It’s a shame that piece of driftwood appears to be not suitable, I really like...
  68. ElleDee

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    I think neurodivergent folks may well be overrepresented in the hobby, though I think that the deeper you get into any hobby or field of study the more you find yourself surrounded by unusual people of all sorts. I don't mean that in a pejorative sense at all! I think it's great and it always...
  69. G

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    Doesn’t need to be all the time
  70. RichardM

    Oyster shell grit for rainwater?

    Thanks for a detailed reply. 👍 As for gravel/oyster grit, Axolotl & other aquatic amphibians (Inc frog tadpoles) naturally swallow small stones as gastroliths. Because people are trying so hard to make their tank as free as possible from small stones (lots of false info), their axolotls often...
  71. Ratvan

    New member here.

    Hello and welcome, this is a great forum with some really knowledgeable people
  72. JMorgan

    Any Foam Experts?! 🤣

    Some years ago now a bloke with the handle 'pond guru' did a whole series of videos on YouTube about the benefits of foams with an undulating surface and how you should get rid of the 'rubbish' that came with your cannister filter and 'upgrade' it by putting in this undulating foam because it...
  73. hypnogogia

    New member here.

    Hello :wave:, welcome to ukaps.
  74. hypnogogia

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    Sorry, but that is anecdotal and very unscientific.
  75. M

    55l medium tech

    Thank you. They've taken a while to colour up but it was worth the wait. They're probably not a million miles from the regular white clouds in terms of appearance and behaviour - maybe a bit more shy - but their size seemed to fit this mini tank a bit better.
  76. B

    New member here.

    Good afternoon all. Not new to fish keeping but fairly newish to the world of plant care. Allow me to elaborate on my reasons for joining this forum: Having got back into fishkeeping after a 15 year hiatus and falling down the rabbit hole of Youtube in my ever quest for knowledge on what has...
  77. G

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    Hmm. A lot of people saying no but to be honest from my observation this does seem to be sort of true? I mean the reason I made this thread is because I honestly noticed a lot of people here seem to sort of show these types of traits? Now I’m getting some confirmation at least. But obviously...
  78. Gill

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    Recently found i am indeed Neuro Divergent, Ism' 'Neuro Spicy' in friend group. It does make perfect sense. Im my most calm when scaping and fiddling with plants etc. And can spend hours planning all the minute details. At the same time sometimes inspiration hits and i tear it all apart and...
  79. B

    Wood

    Perfect - I’m off looking for some then! How long is fairly long? Not sure how I’ll be able to soak it though, I have a water butt full of rain but emptying that and hoping for rain seems OTT? Edit - just been and collected a couple of pieces via a saw, this is prob the nicest piece. Really...
  80. dw1305

    Wood

    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...
  81. K

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    As a neurodivergent person (does not mean I'm correct in my assumption though), I would agree this statement myself. I think the word 'conducive' sums it up nicely 🙂
  82. hypnogogia

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    This seems like a massive generalisation of both Aquarium/fish keepers as well as people with ADHD and ASD, and indeed personality types.
  83. tam

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    Just a head up, I can see you don't mean any malice but it's probably best not to group people into 'normal' and not normal... or to refer to neurodivergence as a 'problem'... ;) I imagine it's more stereotypes and confirmation bias than any direct link. According to the latest UK Pet Food...
  84. B

    Wood

    Hello, I live on the east coast (uk) and often come across plenty of driftwood and I’m wondering if it is safe to use in my tank? If so, would it need anything doing to it beforehand? Thanks.
  85. A

    my tub

    Looks good. Did you add what you wanted?
  86. M

    Tap Water Temperature

    great, thanks I should be okay in that case
  87. A

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    Long Covid: the comfort of a manageable indoor green garden, and entertainment, and the right to care for living things while doing no harm.
  88. Maf 2500

    Oase Biomaster Pro 2 - Comming Soon

    I thought there were some reports of the new internal parts being supplied as standard with recently produced original biomasters? As in they switched over the production line to the new components before they rebranded. Anyone with a recently purchased biomaster have any feedback on this?
  89. Courtneybst

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    That matches with my observations but I unable to verify whether it's because I just know a lot of fishkeepers/aquascapers or because there is actually some kind of link there. I will say though, of the people I know who are neurodivergent and are in this hobby, many are incredibly creative and...
  90. Spartacus

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    I think for me it’s about my mental health. I don’t have much to complain about my work can be a challenge but such is life. Nothing beats starting at a planted tank watching a shrimp or fish in its natural habitat. I forget all about the bad things and just enjoy the moment. Last night I saw...
  91. PARAGUAY

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    Good reason why many hospitals, dentists, doctors surgeries ,will have an aquarium. Interesting that well known aquascapers will tell you how the aquatic hobby helped them with lifes challenges.George Farmer, also Balaz owner Green Aqua, he had a high profile ,highly paid job in film and media...
  92. Barbara Turner

    Pendant lighting - live track

    Has anyone ever tried using a live rail to run pendant lights above there aquarium.. I'll only be running it at 36v rather than the 240v it's rated for.. I'll also need to modify the light so it's hanging off it's cable with some extra strain relief. Current wise some of the tracks are rated to...
  93. dw1305

    Strange new feathery tendrils on plants

    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...
  94. PARAGUAY

    Strange new feathery tendrils on plants

    Leaving dead leafs in won't help, remove any. Try to remove as algae much as you can ,winding on a toothbrush etc, careful not to overfeed your fish, it will possibly always look hungry, as this can be a recipe for algae, try reducing your lighting and watch .l would try adding some new fast...
  95. FrozenShivers

    Are a lot of fishkeepers wired differently?

    Interesting topic, I would hazard a guess that this hobby is conducive to neurodivergent people, as well as mental health related issues. I work with deprived young people (many of whom are neurodivergent), so I often have to deal with pretty high stress situations and serious disclosures etc...
  96. Spartacus

    Tranquility - My low tech 186L journey

    The No planaria is killing the hydra I have in my tank nicely which is good. 2nd dose due Friday so far so good. Still planning on collecting the fish on Saturday as from what I can tell No planaria treatment is safe for the fish. Shrimp are doing fine and it’s great to see the babies!
  97. FrozenShivers

    Oase Biomaster Pro 2 - Comming Soon

    I agree, Oase have a good supply chain in the UK for spare parts. Since canister filters are relatively simple devices, it's not hard to replace parts yourself. I think It took me under 10 minutes to do both the upgrades on a single Biomaster for example.
  98. Bradders

    Oase Biomaster Pro 2 - Comming Soon

    I agree - the fact that 90% of Oase Biomaster is user-serviceable or replaceable makes the second-hand thing much less of a worry.
  99. FrozenShivers

    Oase Biomaster Pro 2 - Comming Soon

    I think the new version goes in sale at some point in November. If you don't mind going second hand, buying a second hand one and then doing the concave & pre filter tube upgrade yourself will save you a small fortune, that's what I done for both of my filters, buy I appreciate some people want...
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