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  1. George Farmer

    PH, PH lowering substrates, Tap PH, CO2... Help!

    Hi Rob From personal experience I would not be concerned with pH or KH readings. Exceptions are if you're keeping or breeding sensitive livestock. I've not tested for either for years, and have used a variety of substrates (soils, gravels etc) and water chemistries (tap, RO, mix). Most test...
  2. George Farmer

    Is Lincolnshire more challenging?

    Indeed, many of have grown lots of healthy plants in very hard water. :)
  3. George Farmer

    16GH & 8KH , Should I be concerned? & Shrimp Help Needed!

    Cherry shrimp do just fine in very hard water. :)
  4. George Farmer

    Decreasing pH and hardness

    What fish are you wanting to keep? Most captive bred species are ok in harder water.
  5. George Farmer

    Decreasing pH and hardness

    The soil would likely soon break down and cause excessive clouding.
  6. George Farmer

    Decreasing pH and hardness

    RO + soil substrate (Aqua Soil, NutraSoil etc.) is probably the most effective way to achieve soft and acidic water with a stable pH. There's a reason keepers and breeders of delicate softwater fish and shrimp swear by it. Using any products in an attempt to soften/acidify mineral-rich water is...
  7. George Farmer

    Are my TDS readings on the high side?

    Hi Darrel, So TDS and conductivity are the same, just different units. In that case I apologise for my incorrect assumption that they were different. This was based on how much my conductivity would rise when adding an iron-based fertiliser when compared with a rich macro mix. :oops: :oops:
  8. George Farmer

    Are my TDS readings on the high side?

    Here's a basic description of conductivity - viewtopic.php?f=38&t=19495&start=60#p203451 TDS is similar, but a measurement of physical stuff dissolved in the water. Conductivity measures how much stuff in reference to how much electricity it will conduct. A basic example of how they differ...
  9. George Farmer

    Accuracy of test kits?

    When discussing test kits I think it’s important to differentiate between ‘general’ fishkeepers and planted aquarium owners. In a non-planted tank there’s little or no nutrient export except via water changes and/or chemical adsorption. Perhaps there’s de-nitrification in some circumstances...
  10. George Farmer

    Setting Up Water Parameters

    By RCS do you mean red cherry shrimp? Or do you mean CRS - crystal red shrimp? The former thrive in all sorts of water parameters, as long as it's clean. They will breed for most folk without even trying. The latter do prefer softer water and not too warm i.e. under 80F. If you're using a...
  11. George Farmer

    Why do i need to change the water?

    Hi there The water changes in a high-energy system like yours are to dilute waste organic matter produced by both fish and plants. These waste products tend to trigger algae, so by diluting them via large water changes minimises the risk of algae. As you know, dosing inorganic N and P via...
  12. George Farmer

    High Nitrates

    Indeed. I've not used a NO3 test kit in over 7 years. Try not to worry about it, but worry more about providing appropriate lighting, CO2, circulation etc.
  13. George Farmer

    How do I reduce KH?

    RO is the most effective way of reliably reducing and controlling the mineral content of water.
  14. George Farmer

    Where can I get my tap water tested?

    Reef owners frequently test for PO4 and Mg. I understand there's some accurate kits available. Might be worth posting on a reef forum to see the best kits. Ultimate Reef is the UK's biggest forum I think. A shop specialising in reef may be able to do a one-off test for you for a small fee...
  15. George Farmer

    Sodium water softeners...

    Well, I don't think it will be doing any good. I'm no scientist but water softeners work by replacing calcium and magnesium with sodium ions. Calcium and magnesium are essential macronutrients, so more is required. Sodium is a micronutrient, so much less is necessary. I suspect you'll see a...
  16. George Farmer

    Sodium water softeners...

    Personally I'd use tap water from outside. If you want it softer, dilute with rainwater.
  17. George Farmer

    Sodium water softeners...

    Can't you use regular tap water?
  18. George Farmer

    Do Nitrates decrease pH

    Out of interest do plants produce NH3/4 when they respire i.e. at night? We know they produce CO2 and uptake O2 at night, so I was wondering what other processes are involved.
  19. George Farmer

    Do Nitrates decrease pH

    http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/w ... acid.shtml ;)
  20. George Farmer

    what test kit for a beginner?

    Regular EI dosing is designed for a CO2 injected tank. However, you can modify it for non-CO2. Non-CO2 methods are completely different, in that water changes are limited. Otherwise the fluctuating CO2 levels caused by the water changes induce algae issues. Check these out -...
  21. George Farmer

    Were can i by Ada Subtrate

    Welcome to UKAPS! http://www.adgshop.com/Aqua_Soil_Amazonia_p/104-021.htm
  22. George Farmer

    High test results

    No idea, Andy. Depends on so many factors. Firstly confirm it definitely does contain lime, then go from there. What pH and hardness is your tap water?
  23. George Farmer

    High test results

    Some composts have a lot of lime. This can raise your pH considerably. What brand are you using? Do you have any left over that you can test?
  24. George Farmer

    Zero nitrite? 2 weeks in - seems an odd result

    Bear in mind test kits can be very unreliable too, especially nitrate.
  25. George Farmer

    Anybody Else Given up on Dechlorinating?

    I still use it most of the time, as a precautionary measure, but realise many may be fine without it... UKAPS accepts no responsibility for any harm caused to fish for not dechlorinating.
  26. George Farmer

    Po4 levels

    Hi Paul There is no difference in ppm and mg/l. High PO4 is said to trigger algae in poorly planted tank with poor biomass, filtration, CO2 etc. but I'm not sure if it's the high PO4 that really causes the algae. In non-planted tanks minimising PO4 can limit algae. If you have a well set-up...
  27. George Farmer

    Po4 levels

    Nothing to report IME. I have over 5ppm straight from the tap with no issues.
  28. George Farmer

    Evaporation?

    By topping up with tap water the mineral content of the aquarium water will gradually increase, like you suggest. Large (50%+ every 2 weeks or more frequent) water changes should prevent excess an excess build-up. If large water changes aren't an option then topping with RO may be necessary...
  29. George Farmer

    Test Kits

    Hi You may find this link useful http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/water ... t-kit.html
  30. George Farmer

    KH

    Yep, the likely 'culrpit' is your gravel. KH 7 is fine - around what mine is in my planted tanks. It well go up, rather than down, especially if you inject CO2 and the pH drops below 7. This may dissolve the gravel and result in more CaCO3, so a higher KH.
  31. George Farmer

    Whats a good GH Target?

    Don't listen to him (George), Arana. He knows nothing about plants... :)
  32. George Farmer

    High phosphate in tap water

    That's very interesting. My PO4 is 5+ppm yet I'm getting good growth and pearling with just 1wpg T8 in my 125 l. My NO3 is 20ppm from the tap too. So I wonder if the ratio is important. 4:1 NO3:PO4 is what EI doses I think, so I may be lucky. BTW I still add more NP via Tropica+ liquid...
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