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  1. ian_m

    Chlorine or Chloramine Level + Testing Inline Dechlorinators

    Some of the "marine boys" batch dechlorinate their water. Something like this (taken from my PLC project). It can actually be a bit simpler. Fill water container with HMA filtered water. Use a peristaltic pump to dose the water with Seachem Prime. Dose sufficient Prime assuming chloramine...
  2. ian_m

    BUYING FIRST RO FILTER HELP.

    Other thing to consider is a booster pump, as most RO systems are rated at 8 bar inlet pressure and 25'C water. If your mains water pressure is considerably lower than 8bar then your RO flow rate will be considerably less than the quoted flow rate. Also some water boards/authorities require...
  3. ian_m

    BUYING FIRST RO FILTER HELP.

    The ammonia in the water is from breakdown of chloramine into ammonia and chlorine and these not being absorbed by the carbon filter due to filter media exhaustion or water flow rate too high.
  4. ian_m

    BUYING FIRST RO FILTER HELP.

    Remember test kits to test your RO water before use !!! This is one case where test kits are useful, as you shouldn't have test kit interfering ions present. This is necessary to check that the pre-filter/membrane hasn't failed. You need to check for free ammonia and free chlorine in you RO...
  5. ian_m

    No chelator in soft water ?

    Yes PO4 will react with Fe and precipitate out as plant inaccessible iron phosphate. This is why when using EI dosing, the macro and micro are dosed alternate days to keep the PO4 away from the Fe. In practice many people dose macro and micro together by using chelated Fe and keeping the pH...
  6. ian_m

    organic/ inorganic nitrate?

    Not ammonia, but urea was the first "organic" compound synthesised from inorganic starting points, thus ruining the prevalent theory of organic compounds were from living things and inorganic compounds from non living things.
  7. ian_m

    Advice on buying a RO-filter

    Couple of things: RO units require decent pressure input. They are typically rated for 8 bar input pressure @ 20'C. What is your water pressure ? You can get booster pumps that will dramatically improve the flow. pH is a ratio and as such a pH reading is irrelevant/inaccurate for RO water. Use...
  8. ian_m

    RO or Just DI Resin

    The DI resin will be exhausted and destroyed extremely quickly if exposed to tap water rather then RO water. The tap water will contain large amounts of ions that the resin will remove and be quickly exhausted. Also the resin will be damaged by chlorine in the water. So DI resin should only...
  9. ian_m

    When to add dechlorinator

    Over Xmas we had no water to 3-4 days, starting 21st December. We were in Andorra skiing, so missed all the fun and games. Many peeps had no water or low pressure water Xmas day, which would make Xmas meal interesting. Many pubs cancelled their Xmas do's and meals as well, great news (NOT) if...
  10. ian_m

    When to add dechlorinator

    Some one on another fish keepers forum lost nearly £700 of fish due to chloramine being added to his tap water due to "emergency dechlorination" from a burst mains water pipe. Normally he just carbon filtered the water into large water butts and aerated & warmed for 24 hours before performing...
  11. ian_m

    Spotless Water

    This is because failure/wear out of their RO equipment can leave fish fatal levels of chlorine and or ammonia in the water. No effect for cleaning windows, but deadly for fish. So I think they are saying test their water for chlorine and ammonia before use.
  12. ian_m

    My cities water report

    Ignore the water report. This is for the water companies sampling point on a particular day, not your tap water on the day you use your water for your fish. Just dose your chosen fertliser dosing scheme, think very carefully before doing anything other than dosing EI (Estimative Index) and get...
  13. ian_m

    Sodium thiosulfate

    No experience. Just know that people use "dechlor" cartridges to remove chlorine and chloramine. I think you can actually used "plain olde activated carbon" to remove chlorine and chloramine, but flow rate has to be quite slow, to allow chloramine to be broken down and/or be absorbed...
  14. ian_m

    Sodium thiosulfate

    Sorry, you are correct, chloride comes out, which in a RO system is removed by the RO membrane. Exhaustion is a problem, as it will allow chlorine and chloramine through when exhausted. When I had an evening tour of a local fish shop (closed down in pandemic and never recovered) they had a flow...
  15. ian_m

    Sodium thiosulfate

    A "dechlor" filter (activated carbon) will remove both chlorine and chloramine. However the flow rate has to be sufficiently slow to allow full absorption, as the chloramine is broken down to chlorine and ammonia and have to be absorbed by the filter. Many people use these type filters before...
  16. ian_m

    Oily film on water surface.

    When I got an oily film when I started my planted tank I absorbed it up by floating a piece of kitchen towel on the water when necessary or even better was put an air stone (bubble wall) after CO2 had been turned off.
  17. ian_m

    Water conditioners

    Of course the cheapest dechlorinator by far, and as used by fish keepers for years before modern concentrated convenient things like Prime came along, is/was sodium thiosulphate. You can get this from Ebay £6 for 1Kg !!! or you used to, years ago, get it from "ye olde" photographic shops where...
  18. ian_m

    Rain water questions

    I assume you mean silicon. Silicon is an element, usually around us in the form silicon dioxide ie quartz and is practically insoluble in water at normal temperature and pressures. Silicone is an compound of silicon and organic molecules, used to seal sinks/baths and make rubber based...
  19. ian_m

    Testing kit recommendations

    No need to test at all. Just whop some garden dirt, dirt from old tank, a spare tank sponge from a mate AND loads of plants (could be sacrificial plants to be replaced by nicer plants when happy), leave 8-12 weeks. Job done, not a test in sight. Some people have managed in 4 weeks, but play...
  20. ian_m

    Testing kit recommendations

    What about Test Kits ? Please read this and use your money to buy something worthwhile like fish, plants or equipment.
  21. ian_m

    Ph down buffer.

    Also be very careful about chasing mythical cure all numbers. Many people expend great effort achieving some value or other (ie pH of 6.3465) for a reason they can no longer remember and fail to notice their plants are extremely unhealthy, algae is having a whale of a time and live stock...
  22. ian_m

    Ph down buffer.

    A good experiment I remember seeing was, place pH probe in low pH calibration solution (4 ?) and then in RO water and you get one pH reading, below 7 generally, then in high pH calibration solution (11 ?) and back in RO water and you get a different reading, above 7 generally. This is because RO...
  23. ian_m

    Ph down buffer.

    You cannot measure the pH of RO water, its value will likely be all over the place as not really an excess of H+ ions (pH) in RO water. Google for more technical reason or wait for @dw1305 to give a more concise answer.
  24. ian_m

    Soft Water

    As pointed out some people are using potassium chloride instead of normal salt (sodium chloride) to produce whole house soft water that CAN be used in a fish tank. In fact the potassium is highly beneficial in planted tank. BUT I get 8kg of salt for £4 and cheapest I found potassium chloride...
  25. ian_m

    JBL ProScan Strips and Chlorine

    Prime is known to interfere with tests, thus you can't rely on any results for 24-48hours after dosing with Prime. If you are getting chlorine readings in your RO then I would assume this is true, as testing RO is the one case you can use test kits as there are no interfering other ions/salts...
  26. ian_m

    Nitrate Tests?

    Why you shouldn't really bother with test kits, as you have found out. What about Test Kits ?
  27. ian_m

    What to test for?

    The most common RO failures are chlorine from chlorinated water and ammonia from chloramine getting through. These can be tested with "hobby grade" test kits as hopefully they will be the only ions present in the water. Chlorine comes from poor/worn/too higher flow rate out dechlorinating...
  28. ian_m

    What do I get when I add Ammonium Chloride to water?

    Might be better to get some household ammonia and use that ? Just check ingredients to confirm only ammonia and its strength. I have some from Homebase ammonia, put dirty oven shelves in a poly bag, add ammonia, shake, leave overnight outside and by the morning the grease and burnt on gunk...
  29. ian_m

    Softened Water

    Remember changing the water is only a small part of regular weekly (?) maintenance. Much much more important is removal of dead plant matter (and fish :() and all the detritus that collects on the substrate. No amount of automatic water changing is going to replace a good substrate vacuum and...
  30. ian_m

    Softened Water

    Unfortunately sodium softened water has no place in fish keeping as there is no biological process "consuming" the sodium, thus will accumulate in your tank, much as sodium does in the sea. Solutions are: Use considerably more expensive potassium chloride in your softener. Fit a un-softened...
  31. ian_m

    RO Water Nano Tank Mix Quantities

    High nitrate does no produce algae. You need to look else where. Many of us dose Estimative Index with what many assume is "high nitrate" and we don't suffer algae.
  32. ian_m

    Dechlorinator with RO water

    Yes you should always add something like Prime to your RO water...or test for free ammonia and free chlorine before. These test kits will normally be quite accurate as there will be little other interfering ions, to mess up the results. The reason for these two is due to the "failure modes" of...
  33. ian_m

    Household water softener water usability

    So where do you get your drinking/cooking water from ? In UK there must be an unsoftened water supply (by law), normally in kitchen, for drinking/cooking, as salt softened water is generally not recommended for human consumption. Cold taps in kitchen and all bathrooms are unsoftened water in my...
  34. ian_m

    Household water softener water usability

    Nope. Just do what most people do try and work with the water coming out of your tap. If doing continuous changes, use tap water with a pre-filter and Dechlor (or equivalent) de-chlorination cartridge. A lot of discus keepers just use tap water with a HMA filter. Nope as well. Switching to...
  35. ian_m

    Household water softener water usability

    Yes softened water with sodium chloride softening has no place in fish keeping (as stated by the long since dead site SkepticalAquarist) due to the presence of sodium ions in the softened water. Some people use the considerably more expensive potassium chloride to recharge their water...
  36. ian_m

    Water change temperature

    This is what I use. Makes plant fiddling, bit of cleaning, emptying water onto front lawn and refilling tank about an hour to do. Water change heater project. I and many other people have often run cold tap water straight into the tank, remembering to dose dechlorinator into tank first, yes...
  37. ian_m

    Test kit for dummies

    Please read. What about test kits. Generally I find the best value test kits I have found, are the ones left in the fish shop. They don't cost me anything and have never caused me to change water, add fertiliser or other chemicals or keep fish anyway different than I do now.
  38. ian_m

    PH rise in water cup

    How are you measuring pH ? If using a pH probe, you may be suffering electrical interference in the tank and none in a cup leading to different pH probe readings ?
  39. ian_m

    How to handle chlorine in my DIY auto water change?

    As pointed out you can get "DeChlor" water filter cartridges that specifically will remove chlorine and chloramine. I think the trade name is "ChlorPlus". Used in conjunction with a pre-filter. Biggest issue with these is they fail to work if flow rate is too high and must be replaced promptly...
  40. ian_m

    Water change processes

    I use this to speed up water changes... Water change heater project.
  41. ian_m

    Any advice on how to soften water ?

    Why is hard water such an issue ? Much better to work with the water you have. An HMA filter setup would help clean the water, some even dechlorinate as well, if correct pre-filter is used. Obviously RO gives you 100% pure water, at great cost of course, for each litre of RO water you will...
  42. ian_m

    RO, Hardness and Stages

    Note the above one is with 5 bar pressure, to get those figures. Without a booster pump, with UK water pressure and temperature, you will get nowhere near those figures. It quotes 4:1 waste:RO, so with 2.5bar typical you will be looking at 8:1, and water at 15'C about 1.5 times worse, so about...
  43. ian_m

    Magic cleaning pads WARNING.

    I just use squares of filter floss to clean my tanks glass. Works fine and is very cheap.
  44. ian_m

    Water Softener Help

    Looks like You paid more than the cheapy £500 I paid... It has 10 year warranty. (Just deleted a bit as yours ia a volume measuring one.) + Point
  45. ian_m

    Water Softener Help

    Hmmm my last two softeners before Twintec were digital. Nice as can see on display how much water to go before regeneration etc etc, First failed as water & electronics don't go together and no spares available after only 4 years (Canterbury brand, 1999-2003), but was only £300. 2nd one (Water...
  46. ian_m

    Water Softener Help

    Now plumbing porn. Yes the brochures show nice all piping perpendicular, nice and clean stainless steel piping, all impossibly small under your sink. Below is the connections in real world.... The two white pipes, with hydraulically sealed crimps, are the incoming and out going connections to...
  47. ian_m

    Water Softener Help

    Yes, this is fine. Having s GH above 4 is generally useful as it means things like test kits will work(ish) more reliably and provides some element of pH buffering to prevent accidental pH swings. Just add dehlorinator and use in your tank, job done.
  48. ian_m

    Water Softener Help

    As far as I know it is not. https://www.twintec.com/ Nice cutaway picture here, just shows resin in the cylinder. https://www.twintec.com/water-softeners/ Never measured the pH, never had reason to. It does make red cabbage water go from red blue when washing up though. I know my incoming...
  49. ian_m

    Water Softener Help

    Water softener porn. My TwinTec S3 naked. Incoming cold water comes in at top (red cap) and exits at bottom (red cap). Waste water outlet is on other side, along with salt/brine inlet. Uses the incoming water to power it. It is a very clever design so that most valves & mechanics are in soft...
  50. ian_m

    Water Softener Help

    Yes it is perfectly possible to recharge your water softener with potassium chloride, in fact in quite a few US states with "inadequate" sewerage disposal, you are not allowed by law to use sodium chloride to regenerate softeners, due to the sodium load it adds to the waster waste water causing...
  51. ian_m

    Water Softener Help

    No the salt is used to regenerate the ion exchange resin. The resin removes calcium & magnesium ions from the incoming hard water and swaps them for sodium. Thus your softened water now contains sodium carbonate instead for scale/scum producing calcium/magnesium carbonate. The sodium carbonate...
  52. ian_m

    Tetra AquaSafe vs Seachem Prime

    And that's a big a big no from me....:D Sodium thiosulphate reaction with free chlorine. Most common reaction is number 2 below. The residual hydrochloric acid also reacts with the thoisulphate to sodium chloride, water, sulphur and sulphur dioxide. Sodium thiosulphate reaction with...
  53. ian_m

    Tetra AquaSafe vs Seachem Prime

    Wow. If performing such large changes have you considered sodium thioisulphate as it is even cheaper than Prime, but you do have to mix/prepare the solution your self. From a "popular auction" site 1Kg of sodium thiosulphate costs £6 (or even 25Kg for £100). Popular mixes are 0.1gr per...
  54. ian_m

    Water Softener Help

    My outside tap, cold tap in main kitchen sink (for fish tank filling :)), filtered water in main kitchen sink, cold tap in 2nd sink in kitchen as well cold taps in the bathroom(s) are all un-softened water straight from the mains. I very very much doubt your outside tap will be softened water...
  55. ian_m

    Test kit kh testing

    https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/what-about-test-kits.52487/ As expected with hobby grade test kits...
  56. ian_m

    Concerned about water parameters

    https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/what-about-test-kits.52487/
  57. ian_m

    100+ppm calcium and nutrient uptake

    The micro, especially the iron, once in the water tends to get depleted quite quickly due to: - Absorption by plants. - Unchelating due to high pH. Last longer in a CO2 injected, low pH tank. - Chelate breaking down due to light. Most chelates are light sensitive. - Bacterial action scoffing it...
  58. ian_m

    100+ppm calcium and nutrient uptake

    No, as the iron dose in micro is quite small you will be unlikely to see cloudiness. People have mixed macro and micro, spun in centrifuge and verified using lab grade test equipment that the remaining liquid no longer contained any significant iron in solution. I tried repeating this, mixing my...
  59. ian_m

    100+ppm calcium and nutrient uptake

    You shouldn't dose macros and micros on the same day as the iron in micro reacts with phosphate in macro and precipitates out and becomes unavailable to plants. A sure fire way, seen many times here, to get iron deficiency. This is why EI method is dosing macro and micro on alternate days to...
  60. ian_m

    Water softeners and aquariums..?

    In my house dishwasher, water softener, washing machine are all behind a 5 bar pressure reducer as most appliances are rated only to 5 bar (some rated to 8 bar) and I have had issues with leaking valves. You will need an RO unit with booster pump if your water is only one bar, I bet you will...
  61. ian_m

    Water softeners and aquariums..?

    These systems from RO-Man are the way forward, especially if you are on a water meter. They use 3 RO membrane units, so they feed the waste water from the first RO membrane through another RO membrane and the waste water from that through a further membrane. For most RO membranes you will only...
  62. ian_m

    Which filter can reduce KH?

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002DW0GQQ/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_W3M1Db5H89EEA
  63. ian_m

    Which filter can reduce KH?

    You can use ion exchange resins to swap out the calcium and magnesium for potassium. Just use a standard ion exchange water softener or you can get ion exchange resin in "pillows" for aquatic use and recharge using potassium chloride rather than standard salt/sodium chloride. The potassium...
  64. ian_m

    100+ppm calcium and nutrient uptake

    I have even harder water than you, straight from the chalk bore holes in Hampshire. Never had any issues with plant deficiency and EI dosing. Plants just grow monster, requiring weekly trimming. Summary of link below..."If your plants fail in high dKH water then YOU are to blame. Do not blame...
  65. ian_m

    How do you remineralize your RO water?

    Ideally your LFS RO water should have been tested for chlorine and ammonia, which are the two chemicals that appear in RO water when the RO unit is not optimal and/or failing. A lot of people just add small amounts to Prime to their RO water, just in case, as it saves relying on possibly...
  66. ian_m

    So what is organic wastes?

    Read this about dwell time. Most hobby grade UV units have insufficient dwell time to work thoroughly. http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumUVSterilization.html
  67. ian_m

    Test kits

    Please read before wasting money on test kits. https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/what-about-test-kits.52487/
  68. ian_m

    How do you remineralize your RO water?

    Plants don't care about water hardness, though some fish don't spawn if water is hard, but generally water hardness makes no difference, especially in planted tank. https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/high-cec-with-hard-water-pointless.38582/#post-418921
  69. ian_m

    How do you remineralize your RO water?

    Why do you want/need to complicate life by using RO ? Much much better, much much easier, much much quicker, much much less environmentally damaging to use your tap water. Generally plants and fish do not care about your water parameters, just add dechlorinator to tap water (warm it first ?)...
  70. ian_m

    How do you remineralize your RO water?

    A lot of people just remineralise their water by cutting with tap water, say 50:50 or whatever to get their desired TDs. Nice and simple.
  71. ian_m

    Softened RO water

    That would be a good option, usually other than chlorine/chloramine, there is nothing wrong with tap water in fish tanks, certainly a lot easier to work with than messing around mixing RO and its associated costs. As your tank is so small, remineralised RO water would also be another option...
  72. ian_m

    Softened RO water

    Is it an ion exchange water softener that uses salt to periodically recharge ? Or some other form of "softener", phosphate injections, electromagnetic ? With these (in UK) it is mandatory to have a "hard water" tap before the softener for drinking and cooking, as the softened water contains...
  73. ian_m

    AC Waste Water

    Main issue is waste AC water often contains bacteria & maould, as well as dust and other particulates, so not really suitable for use in an aquarium. Best use is for garden watering, though my mate tried this, storing the waste water in a water butt, but the water continually went mouldy and...
  74. ian_m

    Water report check

    This is not your tap, your tap water will/may be different so ignore the report. I use Southern water and other than being hard, plants and fish flourish as they don't care about water hardness. Just add dechlorinator and you are good to go.
  75. ian_m

    Domestic hot water cylinder - is it harmful?

    Unless chloramine has been added which does not gas off upon standing. So as always dechlorinator MUST be used where water comes from the tap. People have lost £100's of fish due to assuming letting water stand for 24hours (without testing as well !!!!) is good enough and water board have...
  76. ian_m

    Domestic hot water cylinder - is it harmful?

    I found very few affordable TMV's that would go as low as say 24'C. Most reasonably cost ones are for mixing warm water for hand washing and too hot for fish. However most quality thermostatic mixer shower valves do go low enough but a decent one will cost £150-£200.
  77. ian_m

    Domestic hot water cylinder - is it harmful?

    If copper pipes did dissolve in water, we would have had flooded houses as the pipes dissolve. Obvious really... The green stains, often seen under old taps that have a drip, is dezincifacation of non water approved (WRAS) brass. The amount of copper, again, is very very small, but easily...
  78. ian_m

    First Water and RO questions

    Don't believe all you read on Goggle !!. My HC grows absolutely fine, and is currently taking over the tank, pushing other plants out the way, with 22' Clark (26dGH) hard water. Plants don't really care about water hardness and can generally thrive better in hard water. I don't have plant...
  79. ian_m

    First Water and RO questions

    You will need to remineralize RO water before use, of which you can buy commercial remineraliser salts of make your own. Of course you can just cut your RO water with tap water to add back minerals, which is what a lot of people do. Why are you using RO water ?
  80. ian_m

    Measurement of Nitrate with a Spectrophotometer

    You need to ask why you need to measure nitrate ? What will you do with any results? Nitrate, in inorganic form is only an issue in 1000's ppm, a factor of 10-20 times the value seen in a planted tank. So my nitrate is below 1000ppm, brilliant that is ok, no need to measure anything.
  81. ian_m

    Remineralsing RO Water

    Be very careful with ion exchange softened water as it has absolutely no place in fish keeping, due to the presence of sodium in the softened water. This is assuming it is a proper "big boy" ion exchange softener as opposed to the "snake oil" electric softeners that do b*gger all (ok may flash...
  82. ian_m

    Spotless Water

    Things about RO water and RO water generation..... 1. An RO unit IS NOT guaranteed to produce 100% RO water, even if all membranes, pre-filters and DI resins are 100% tip-top, which is why you should always test RO before use. Testing using a TDS pen is fine, better is ammonia and/or free...
  83. ian_m

    Spotless Water

    1. Don't really need RO water with planted tanks, though might if you have specialist livestock requirements. 2. They don't test the RO water (see their FAQ) so recommend you test it before aquatic use.
  84. ian_m

    Reconstituters....

    No sure what I can add, but due to a timer failure I ran at 350ppm NO3 (as KNO3), 40ppm PO4 and 50ppm Mg for a while, with absolutely no observable effect on plants and fish. Only noticed when a week later heard whirring of dosing pump as timer had jammed on. Basically emptied a 1 litre...
  85. ian_m

    Water changes and new tank set up

    I add dechlorinator (Prime) to my water butt (90 litres) of tap water, before warming and pumping into the tank. You can add dechlorinator directly to the tank, but.... - Add dechlorinator BEFORE you add tap water. - Dose for full tank volume (not water added volume). - Turn off filters and...
  86. ian_m

    Water report, do I have enough calcium and magnesium?

    Yup you are wrong, magnesium should be added. Nowhere does the water report state Mg content explicitly. There are only a few areas in the UK that have Mg in their water. Darrel is the expert on maps of Mg in water for UK. So ignore water report, as one should always do, as this is for the...
  87. ian_m

    Using Scale Guard with aquarium

    Then a ion exchange softener is the way to go, unfortunately. I bought cheap for my first softener, only £500, and it only lasted 5 years. Looked nice on paper, LED display showing litres remaining before recharge, dual cylinder, supposedly "quality valves" but after 4-5 years the seals wore on...
  88. ian_m

    Using Scale Guard with aquarium

    These are absolutely brilliant and removing money from your wallet whilst having b*gger all effect on scale. So absolutely fantastic for the sellers and fitters as easy money for b*gger all work. There is absolutely no scientific evidence that magnetic/electric scale reducer have any effect to...
  89. ian_m

    Drop checkers

    https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/how-to-check-your-drop-checker.43373/
  90. ian_m

    Reconstituters....

    You clearly read the wrong articles and don't think about what falsity you have just read. :confused:. Why do you think the sea is salty ? Because there are virtually no biological processes that use sodium in any decent quantity, this why all the sodium (in form of chloride) washed out of...
  91. ian_m

    KH <= GH

    Can't see any deleted/closed post by you. All posts & threads by you are still open and active (or not).o_O
  92. ian_m

    weird water parameters (apparently)

    :stop: https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/what-about-test-kits.52487/
  93. ian_m

    High nitrate tapwater but RO is Bad?

    How do you know, I doubt a hobby test kit would read any meaningful values for nitrate especially that high. Please read about hobby test kits. https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/what-about-test-kits.52487/ The EU limit is 50ppm and rarely anywhere near that except in exceptional...
  94. ian_m

    Tried to adjust KH but didn't budge

    Clearly you have some source of error, my bet is test kit misreading below a certain KH value or some other interfering ion cause a false reading. If you insist on going to all the effort of RO, despite soft tap water, I would just mix RO:tap 50:50, everything will be fine. Fish happy, shrimp...
  95. ian_m

    Tried to adjust KH but didn't budge

    Most hobby test kits will not reliably read below 8KH, (though some are 4KH) so resulting water may probably be 4KH but is untestable with hobby grade test kit. https://uk.hach.com/total-hardness-test-kit-model-5-b/product-details?id=25114234042&callback=pf Here is a test kit that will work...
  96. ian_m

    King British ammonia test (6 in 1 test)

    As stated before, ammonia test is influenced by presence of chlorine, so tap water testing is a waste of time and also if you have used any dechlorinator recently testing tank water is a waste of time.
  97. ian_m

    What water testing equipment do you recommend?

    The fish waste (and dead fish) releases ammonia into the water. This is toxic to fish, but can be used by plants (and more worryingly by algae) as well as converted to nitrite by bacteria in filter/substrate. Nitrite is toxic to fish. The nitrite gets converted to nitrate by bacteria. Nitrate...
  98. ian_m

    King British ammonia test (6 in 1 test)

    Got it in one. Ammonia test is influenced by presence of chlorine, so tap water testing is a waste of time and also if you have used any dechlorinator recently testing tank water is a waste of time. Please read this. https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/what-about-test-kits.52487/ If you really...
  99. ian_m

    What water testing equipment do you recommend?

    Summarising hobby grade test kits in pictures...:D If you insist on having test kits, then ones linked below will give far more dependable, reliable and repeatable readings...Some people have bought these because they hate having unknown knowns. Ammonia...
  100. ian_m

    Practicalities of RO

    No it is much more concentrated, it has all the minerals and salts & waste from the RO water in it, not really suitable for fish tank water. The word "waste" gives it away. Some people store the it in a water butt and use it to water the garden, wash the car etc which is fine. Most people put it...
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