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Would be interesting to see some hobby test kit comparisons to see if that could be put to bed and sticky it. 😀

I have a legacy Siamese fighter in my tank so even if I was lucky enough he would probably hunt out the Fry. When he goes I'm just keeping Chilli's, RCS and the Sterbai which are also legacy fish from another setup. They are probably 6 or 7 Y.O

:clap: Love it, it's something special when fry just appear without any intervention from the keeper it's like the pinnacle of fishkeeping. Hasn't happened for me with egg layers for so long I've forgot what that feels like. Maybe one day, I have six Chillis in a 50 ltr which have been there...

Not really mate, UKAPS went through a phase a few years back where, as they always do, worked out the ingredients of Excel which was Glute based. From there it was just a case of buying the glute and watering it down until it was at the same ratio as was in the liquid carbon products. I bought...

Hiya Mate, E.I is designed to be non limiting but is worked out over 3x3 day splits, I believe that is so the PO4 doesn't react with the Iron in the traces. Either way the "non limiting" part of it is focused around for N and K (the main things plants consume) being Max 3ppm per day. So if...

Someone wants to tell them to get Tropica Specialised on stock. I often call into P@H branches when I'm out and about as an excuse to get away from the real shopping trip I'm meant to be on and I've never came across one that stocks Trop Spec.

Hiya mate. there shouldn't be an issue with too much ferts as such so I would look at why the fauna isn't happy which could be more likely the co2. If there is excess ammonia it should only become toxic when the PH rises above neutral. If you are concerned about too much ease back on the E.I...

No people that isn't a euphemism, the place really exists :D It's just up the road from me, give me a shout if you're round my way and I'll get you that pint if @Kezzab doesn't. It's the least I could do for the amount of plant knowledge I've gleaned off you over the years. I've already had a...

Should probably mention the Trace element as your tap water looks pretty nutritious on the macros. you could cover these with Tropica premium which is just traces and you would get a little more K from there. You are probably getting some off the root tabs at the moment but removing most of it...

Any mention of Potassium in that water report? If not you could maybe add a touch of potassium sulphate. Everything else is good so see how you go.

I think this is the most important change that people refer to, crypts seem to take any co2 changes worse than most I've came across. It's as if they don't get constant values they say sod it I'm off and reappear somewhere else in the tank. That's not to say that they need higher levels of co2...

As mad as this seems Balansae for me is one of them plants that it doesn't matter where you think the best place to plant it might be the plant itself will find where it wants to live. I've planted them in places best suited for the scape, generally the back corners as they tend to grow big and...

There was a similar situation going viral not so long ago regarding Children in Need. people wrongly assume that it is ran by the BBC but it is in fact a seperate company that uses the BBC as its platform. They were heavily criticised for spending millions on their HQ, the Director was getting...

In a similar vein I happened to stumble across a study by Lancaster University one day while searching for aquarium related po4 things. It would appear that the environment is getting the s**t end of the stick regardless whether the water is going in one end or coming out the other. Because so...

That's a tricky one mate, general rule of thumb is new leaves iron, old leaves magnesium and N and P affect both but tend to be old leaves first. My initial instinct there was magnesium which I'm assuming you are dosing in line with ei dosing? Growth looks good so considering EI nitrate probably...

came across this, seems you can calibrate it and reasonably priced. Anyone tried one?

I don't think so co2 is a very weak acid, your ph will be lower in softer water but still have the same amount of co2 as a higher ph tank with higher KH water. I don't think anyone would use pure RO water in a tank.

That's an interesting light with 0 to 100% increases. Didn't even know they existed 👍

Gouramis are labyrinth fish, the come to the surface for air.

Any more background information about the tank would help further. How long tanks been set up, the fish, filtration etc. Nothing you have mentioned so far would cause issues other than if the water change had been iffy by some work on the pipeline but if you have used something like Prime to...

It wouldn't be as bad if the wood burner was hooked up to a hot water cylinder and running the central heating system but that is very rarely the case. My issue is more to do with air pollution than anything especially knowing what we know now. Just no need for folk to be burning stuff.

I think @dw1305 has a map in here showing the geology in the UK. There aren't many places where Mg is coming out the tap. It has only started coming out of my tap lately according to the latest water report since they started blending the local reservoir water with an underground aquifer.

Interesting stuff!

Do you use it at its recommended dose? It does say for high plant mass you can up the dose but considering there isn't much of a carbon effect there seems little point.

I was just thinking about the anti fungal properties, my traces tend to do that now and again. I've started mixing up batches that are less concentrated so I use them quicker. Apparently the anti fungal properties are good for shrimp molting to prevent infections.

Would there be any benefit from making up our Trace bottles up from water that's been made out of soaking leaves and cones etc in lieu of pot sorbate and citric acid?

It's Friday so bit of mirth. My sentiments exactly.

You'll be surprised where you find stuff, I've did the out in the woods bit foraging for a while then one night, Christmas eve if I remember I'd been to my brothers for some ale and walked home, came across Alder cones on the pavement. Turns out I had one at the end of my road all along. :D Same...

Perfect mate, you don't need much mg anyway and you have some nitrate. Now it's time to get on with the bad head of sorting your co2. Turning down your light as given you a bit more room for error.

No worries mate no offence taken. I think the crux of the thread is doesn't matter which way we get these beneficial substances @Tim Harrison mentions in our tank. Obviously picking leaves is the best option because it's free and you get a nice walk out into the bargain. I just bought some...

I've always been of the impression that peat extracts etc and all these type of products have a mild sterilizing effect to help with fish health although that could be the snake oil people working their charm. Walsted has quite an extensive bit about it in her book. I guess what's in the bottle...

A breakthrough in carbon source technology that provides cutting edge developments in micro-biology and biophysics! Contains high quality peat extract Contains humic and fulvic acids Contains a blend of naturally occurring vegetative and spore-forming microorganisms Helps make iron, nitrogen...

They appear to be quite a large company over in the US with labs dealing with numerous products. There's a bit more info on their site but not a great deal more. Maybe worth emailing them and asking what exactly is in the bottle? Bio-Carbon | Microbe-Lift

he's good at his job mate if he's blagged his way into MA

It doesn't mate, just looking at it now. Mainly says what I've already posted other than "contains microbial carbon, friendly bacteria" as well the the fulvic and humic stuff, 100% natural in big letters and the usual one size fits all "prevents algae"

Yeah I think that was the issue, it takes a while to saturate the water with co2 so with the controller knocking on and off and the delay at getting co2 back up to where you wanted to be it created a yoyo effect. Most people get co2 up to where they want to be by lights on then hold it there...

I would say if you sniffed about under an Alder or Oak tree you would still be able to get some of last years drop albeit a bit damp, maybe you could just dry it out? I've been using Micro-lift Bio Co2 for about 3months now, I'm getting reasonable results although that could be pure coincidence...

I think green water, cyan bacteria (green slime) and diatoms (a coating of brown stuff) usually appear when a tank is immature and not biologically stable yet so things should improve with age. Going forward with fertilisers people often worry that they cause algae but this more relates to fish...

Hiya mate, you tend to find that the "all in one fert" solutions are quite week in nutrients and are generally speaking used in lower lighting scenarios. Going by your comments and plants you seem to be aiming for a high tech setup. In general when doing this people tend to aim for a...

They tend to get more aggressive when they have a bubble nest, mine usually builds his at the same end of the tank where I put the food in where there is less flow, I put the food in there so it sinks for the corys and doesn't get sucked in the filter so quick and had chance to sink to the...

If I notice a drastic reduction in shrimp numbers or catch him with one in his mouth again I think I'll set up a dedicated shrimp tank for my better specimens and leave BOD in the 50ltr. As much as he's probably a PITA to the cory Sterbai it keeps them on their toes and active rather than just...

I think it may stem from in nature Betta tend to make their way from from small streams in to rice paddy fields where they end up residing and breeding in small land locked puddles which they are adapted perfectly for being labyrinth breathers so can survive in very low oxygenated waters and the...

Another thing that's just dawned on me is those Cory Sterbai are probably six years old. They came from my high tech set up from home before I stripped it down and were in that from day one. Not sure how long that is in fish years but they are probably eligible for a Covid Vaccine.

Wow! Just realised that this tank has been running for nearly three and a half years. Where does the time go? I think I learned more from this tank than any previous set up. It's been from low tech, to high tech and back to low. I think the biggest thing I've took from it was not learning how to...

The £30 tank has giving me the most satisfaction though so far and not as heavy on the head as my previous exploits. If I may say so myself for a non co2 setup....

I know the feeling, the other day I was looking for my chihiros doctor device realised there was a 300 optiwhite cube with light in there that hadn't been out the box I'd forgot I bought it. The mad thing about it is I've been intending to set up a soiled cube for about two years now and have a...

The worry is though I'd probably still buy it then put it in my fishkeeping cupboard at work with all the rest of the fad stuff I've bought. A high tecker would be like a kid in a sweet shop in my lockup although my current set up is using a £20 light with a £10 filter and a tank that someone...

It's already been invented by mother nature, it's called atmospheric equilibrium. You don't get anywhere near the co2 as an injection kit but it's free. Don't tell Ada though or they'll sell a stainless version of it for a grand. It'll just be a glass or stainless bucket that hangs over your...

Could be the answer mate. I look at it from the pov that if they've never had it then they'll never miss it. Like I said earlier once the co2 is in a plant might find itself in quite a nice little co2 rich spot, as plant mass increases unless you up the flow that same plant can find itself not...

I think that's why we need forums like these to clarify the many conflicting theories out there, there should certainly be some caveats to many of the articles we come across. I think a lot of it comes down to each persons individual goals. There's a broad range of options but the problem is...

Yeah that's how I always understood it, 30 was the point fish became uncomfortable.

A method I have used is to get some hardboard I think it's only about 4mm thick, ideally the stuff with one side shiney surface. If the cabinet has feet lift on to the sheet then slide along the board until you reach its final destination then lift up and get someone to pull the board from under...

The reason I ended up in this post was because I'm in a similar position as @Courtneybst I've been running lowtech very easy plants for a while without issue but I've got adventurous and tried a few stems coupled with higher plant mass and a couple of medium plants which are starting to show co2...

My understanding of this from somewhere I read was that doc from tannin and humid acids binds heavy metals and makes nutrients available to plants and creates co2 as it is broken down. In the case of waste and by products other waste would enter the column which causes algae. My guess would be...

Get it whacked in a journal once all your stuff has turned up mate. Be good to watch it develop, I'll keep an eye out for it.

And your complaint is what exactly again :D:thumbup: That's a nice setup. Only thing I would say is that's quite a large tank so LC may not be cost effective depending on the depth of your pockets. However...... If you were going down the route of co2 you really need to get your flow and...

Which would be very difficult to achieve without something "extra" IMO

and before I get jumped on by the LC police, for clarity LC is one chemical with the two properties, adds a little carbon as well as an algaecide so it's the one chemical people worry about because it is toxic to humans which not may be how I explained that clearly :D

Stability is key, I would use it if you saw good results, LC products add a touch extra carbon as well as a powerful algaecide and you have a lot of control with the dosing whereas co2 is like rubbing your belly while patting your head. The stuff I use doesn't contain the powerful algaecide...

Your only worry is that plants get addicted to co2 in so far as plants will adapt to the amount they have around them, if you take it away from them after they've adapted to the new higher levels they suffer. That's why it important to keep stable levels at all times. It can be something as...

Best analogy for plant growth is building a wall, you need a brick/macros and mortar sand/micros and cement/co2 as the plant grows it needs all three at the pace you build driven by light. As light increases you build the wall faster, the secret is to never run out of any of the three, adding a...

Hi, yeah just a little bit of co2 is definitely better than nothing, what the plants need is carbon and they can get it from dissolved organic carbon in the water or from co2 that is absorbed in to the water from the atmosphere/fish respiration/bacteria. Both are very limited though and in short...

Yes mate I put osmocote pellets in the substrate every month and liquid dose in between.

It is comforting to know that the far more experienced people in here see this as something you have to put up with having a low tech set up. I guess I'll just see if arranging the plants could mask it better. I recently watched a video (by a biologist I believe" said the two options were either...

And like most government legislation it won't be worth the paper it's written on. I can't honestly see how they could police it Tim there's so many about unless they're going to put people on your roof to see what's coming out the chimney. The fuel most of these wood burners are using based on...

Just to say maximising co2 in a low tech is up there with getting good co2 in a high tech. And I thought I was simplifying things but cutting out co2 :D

You're assuming that these wood burners are in the hands of responsible people mate which is a bit optimistic IMO. I would imagine anything that will burn is going in half of them. Your partner has hit the nail on the head, we've moved on. Times are changing as the price of electricity is...

Flow may be something I have over looked Iain as I didn't think it would be that important. Maybe I should take another look at this. The mantra I set this tank up with was low energy in all senses of the word in so far as I only run a small hob filter that use 3watts for a bit of water...

....and while I'm here and having a good whinge on this depressing horizontal rain day. Here's something that is going to be controversial as most of you probably have one. Wood burners, there I've said it. Being old enough to remember the coal fire days and black facades of houses coming from a...

Yeah that's what I meant. I go into Hibernation mode in winter. It's just pure existence for me :( I get up early when it's dark, go to work, get home when it's dark, have my tea, watch some TV, go to bed and rinse and repeat for months. All the little jobs i was going to do at the weekend get...

Wondering how people deal with "easy" stem plants when they start ditching lower leaves? My understanding of this is it's a combination of lighting and co2, maybe to a certain extent flow as well. Do people just cut the healthy tops of and re-plant accepting this will happen and just keep the...

Can't come quick enough for me. I'm one of those people where the Winter Equinox is more important than Christmas. No signs of spring up here yet in fact we've got a storm going on right now which has been non stop since last night. Looking forward to the flood warnings on the news tonight. But...

£5 Donated for Red Root Floaters from this post https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/red-root-floater.64109/ Also paid for postage as the @Raws69 also threw in some more cuttings of their other plants at my request. Got waaaaayyyyyy more than I bargained for of very healthy plants. My only worry...

Just to clarify mate the river I was collecting from is nowhere near that area, it's a lot further inland. What you said first is probably right, the river banks upstream are sandy so it probably washed down from there and settled on the bend forming a beach areas. i wouldn't like to dig in the...

There's a pub at the bottom of my hill called the Distressed Sailor which seems like an odd name for a boozer so far inland, don't know how true it is but apparently it was called this because ships used to be able to sail from Whitehaven Harbour to St Bees along that route. The water was...

No mate that's fine, it's hard enough to dissolve co2 at the best of times so that will just prolong the contact time with the water in much the same way as a reactor. You may find that you use less co2 getting to where you want to be. Just keep an eye on the drop check and critters and adjust...

Nice one mate, made my day to hear of a victory in the plant world. Don't expect any miracles with the S.Repens, I have some in my tank that are getting along fine, no visible growth to talk about in a non co2 tank but they are all healthy. I would expect it to take many months to see any...

It's in Whitehaven mate which is on the west coast, the river is maybe five or more miles inland as the crow flies. There's mainly just usual rounded basalt cobbles in the river but every now and again you come across a sand bank. Birds nest in these, I'll get a picture next time I'm up there...

If I'm honest it may not be comprising of sandstone, I think it's just because further up stream there's a sand stone bridge and I'm putting 2 and 2 and getting five. I find it a really odd place, it's on a freshwater beck but if you cut out the background you would swear you are at the beach...

Slightly off Topic but I've some future plans for a soiled cube, going to wait until the temperature gets warmer as I'm probably going to try with no equipment except lighting. Near me there's a stream and under the bridge where it meanders there's a small beach with very fine sand on it. It's...

Yeah I get that mate and it's not something I take lightly. I just think weather forecasts these days look for a sensational story instead of just giving the weather. Take real feel I mentioned for instance, not very scientific is it telling you how it might feel. It said -6 on the map where I...

Reminds me of the joke about the weather forecast where there were storms down south and the presenter said "people in the South avoid all unnecessary journeys unless essemtial, stay at jome if possible and make sure you are well stocked up with food and water. People in the North you are going...

Is that actual -16 or real feel -16 mate. If it's reel feel it's probably akin to a UK Northern Spring :D All we seem to get now is too hot stay in the house and protect yourself from UV. When it rains there's risk of flooding and when it's cold there's risk to traffic disruption.

Surely living in the sticks just means where there's lots of trees? That's what I've always assumed it meant anyway. I know it's a great British Tradition talking weather but does anyone else get sick of it being hyped so much? I'm sure global warming does have a part to play but there doesn't...

Also helps for other members to be able to look back through how the tank got to where it is if you run into problems.

Hiya @Trakkajack just go to the Journals section of the forum and post everything you do with the tank in your own titled post that way it keeps everything neatly in one thread. Plenty of pictures (speaks volumes) your plans, equipment you're using and any thoughts or questions you have. Saves...

Just to say although this may be possible with the Hidom it would be a pain I reckon. Unlike some of the cheap chinese HOB models I was looking at which appeared to have the main body and motor as two separate components the Hidom is moulded as one piece which means that to clean the impeller...

Hi mate, I've been running a Hidom 200 HOB on my 50 ltr low tech scape without any issues so would recommend. It's probably a little small for my tank but I'm just looking for some water movement, it would be perfect in a 20L. They cost about a tenner and run pretty quiet, they do come with a...

It's a biggy in the aquarium game mate. I've been keeping fish for probably about 30 years, I've read so much about keeping nitrates down for the sake of fish health and about some species being more sensitive than others yet I have yet to see anything that conclusively shows that nitrate at any...

My first instinct when I saw your duck weed if that's what it is was they were quite small. That might be a sign of low nitrates, I know @dw1305 likes to run his tanks lean so his are probably quite small as well. Mine not so but I think I run my tank at the higher end of low tech nutrient...

I'd have to agree with that, they look in decent condition. I would still take a look at some form of substrate fertilisation. Although I maintain around a quarter EI style dosing in my water column and all other plants inc the Duck Weed were in good condition my Sword and Crypts never really...

Would 60% of those post be, "I don't use co2 but if I did..." and the other 40% is, "Looks like Iron deficiency" :D Well done mate.

Give me a shout when they've done their job mate, I could do with some S53B that's already adapted to underwater life. The ones I've tried from Tropica for P@H don't seem to want to adapt for me.

BTW my only comment on it is I would love to have seen something red on the right hand side. Other than that sweet as though.

Very nice mate, I've been itching to get over to Horizon myself since seeing the review on Youtube. Don't know about that red colander though. I would check you aren't infringing any patents. I think George has pat pending on it. ADA will probably be selling glass ones for £100 next. :D

I'm guessing I use the 5 from here and here. Just not sure what the 16.84 grams bit means?

You'll have to excuse my ignorance here, I have been trying to get to grips with the IFC calculator as I'm sure there isn't any question it can't answer regarding chemicals and dosing. I think it may be user error more than anything and the fact that I tend to revive old hardware with Linux OS...

In my eyes they're the gift that keeps on giving... You've probably highlighted one downside to all the other pros mate but that's not necessarily a downside. In my tank it negates the need for a dimmer switch, if I think they're blocking too much light I can remove some so effectively they are...

One of my biggest regrets mate. To be fair life's been pretty good to me. My teenage angst didn't decide the rest of my life, I've spent the last 25 years running my own business after doing a few jobs I wasn't too happy with. Given the chance I would probably have done that but running the...

Pull the yellow leaves off the duck weed and watch what happens with new growth. If the new growth is damaged (possibly through lack of iron) they probably won't repair anyway, my understanding is iron can't move to these new leaves. Magnesium should only green up the old leaves as it can move...