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  1. Luis M

    Tank Tales: A 100cm x 100cm x 50cm Aquatic Adventure

    Many thanks Tim. It means a lot especially coming from you. Looking forward to getting feedback from members around what lighting they would choose, hardscape etc as with this unusual tank format it can be challenging but hopefully it will turn out well
  2. D

    Newbie here - hello!

    Hello! Welcome to UKAPS!
  3. mlgt

    Newbie here - hello!

    Hello and welcome :)
  4. N

    EI Half Dose

    Hi All! So since dosing EI i have crazy growth, I need to trim my plants almost every week and it is becomming a big annoying. So I was thinking to switch to half ei dosing , will it help to reduce growth speed and could it somehow affect the plants in a bad way? Thank you in advance.
  5. F

    Anyone had problems introducing otocinclus

    I introduced half a dozen oto's at the weekend and I've already lost 2 and fear the remainder may soon follow.as their activity seems to be diminishing. I've tested params this morning and all well within acceptable margins. I do keep koi so am familiar with water testing but I know that does...
  6. F

    What could I do to improve this?

    Thanks I appreciate that. I tried some red root floaters but they kept ending up getting battered under the return from the filter and I thought it was stressing the fish so I removed them. Maybe I should get floating ring :)
  7. Tim Harrison

    Tank Tales: A 100cm x 100cm x 50cm Aquatic Adventure

    Awesome looking build 👍
  8. G

    Hagen Fluval Flex Aquarium 34 Litre, hood light quick hack!

    Just seen that this light is not recommended for planted tanks:confused:
  9. G

    Hagen Fluval Flex Aquarium 34 Litre, hood light quick hack!

    So pleased to spot this thread, as I was about to post and ask about options for upgrading flex 34 light. Did you find this light to be a good choice for plant growth and fish colours etc?
  10. Fiske

    AS600 - Jade

    Well, thanks😊 You'd be amazed how little I process my images. Of course, some of the above have been brightened a bit, and some cropping. But generally, I do very little post processing; mainly because I'm utterly clueless as to what works and how🤣 I use the Canon software Digital Photo...
  11. G

    Critique my hardscape What do you think?

    Like it, once the plants go in it will look even better.:)
  12. S

    Any ideas how I've killed my fish?

    Could investigate via a local to you Aquarium Store, just to see if others have had similar experiences?
  13. Luis M

    Embarking on an Aquascaping Adventure:

    Many thanks!
  14. Bradders

    PAR meter apps, android and iOS

    That also sounds like a great tip to try out!
  15. Bradders

    Any ideas how I've killed my fish?

    I think the best approach, although temporarily painful, is to do some chlorine and chloramine tests on the tap water for a while - especially before adding new water to the tank with livestock. Mass and fast fish deaths like that usually only occur with a) poisoning and b) oxygen starvation...
  16. G

    Embarking on an Aquascaping Adventure:

    Looking forward to seeing this project develop. Good luck with it.
  17. G

    Members Backgrounds

    I wouldn’t want to attempt to make a living building them from scratch, admire anyone who can build them though.. Did you build acoustics?
  18. dw1305

    Any ideas how I've killed my fish?

    Hi all, I'll be honest, that was my <"initial thought as well"> and the Planaria treatment was just a coincidence cheers Darrel
  19. dw1305

    PAR meter apps, android and iOS

    Hi all, That makes a lot of sense. cheers Darrel
  20. Luis M

    Embarking on an Aquascaping Adventure:

    Many thanks Mike. I will add all the info in the build thread (link on my signature) In the sunp I will have the return pump, a CO2 reactor as I don't really appreciate microbubbles in the tank and with this tank size reactors are more efficient. Also lots of media. I will add all the details...
  21. Luis M

    Embarking on an Aquascaping Adventure:

    Thanks Imran. I've started a journal for the 100x100 build. Substrate will be the easy part I think... Lighting will indeed be a challenge, not sure yet which route I will choose, if three RGB Led strips or Pendants. As for Plants I am going for a mixture of nature aquarium (Anubias, ferns etc)...
  22. Mike Singh

    Embarking on an Aquascaping Adventure:

    Welcome and nice room and tank. Please tell us more about your tank and its sump. What will go in the sump?
  23. Aquahorti

    PAR meter apps, android and iOS

    I though that was obvious. Most of the plants used are not true freshwater plants. On top of that if you look at where many of the plants grow you will find that they grow well into the temperate zone. Some are pure temperate zone plants. No, but it should be a principle we use when looking for...
  24. I

    Embarking on an Aquascaping Adventure:

    Looking forward to your new venture. Will be intrigued to your choice of substrates, lighting and selection of plants
  25. Luis M

    Tank Tales: A 100cm x 100cm x 50cm Aquatic Adventure

    Greetings fellow aquascaping enthusiasts! My name is Luis, and like many others, I've had my fair share of experiences in the aquarium hobby, sometimes stepping in and out of it. My journey began with receiving my first tank as a gift from my parents when I was around 12 years old. Reflecting...
  26. Luis M

    Newbie here - hello!

    Welcome! and nice natural looking tank.
  27. Luis M

    Finally joined up

    Welcome !
  28. Luis M

    Embarking on an Aquascaping Adventure:

    Greetings fellow aquascaping enthusiasts! My name is Luis, and like many others, I've had my fair share of experiences in the aquarium hobby, sometimes stepping in and out of it. My journey began with receiving my first tank as a gift from my parents when I was around 12 years old. Reflecting...
  29. I

    Eheim Vivaline 240 Journal - Medium Tech

    Good Evening, MaterialCrab, Firstly, congrats on your tank! It looks nice! I have the same model of tank - I set it up in the beginning of 2023. I have now reached a point that I want to upgrade my lights. I have using the out-of-the-box one till now. I can see you are using the Hygger. Hw has...
  30. MichaelJ

    What could I do to improve this?

    Except for doing something to cover up the filter and heater as Tim mentioned, I really like it as it is.... perhaps a bit more low foreground plants... I am not an aqua scaper btw... so don't take my word for it :) Either way, let the tank mature and find its natural balance... some plants...
  31. MichaelJ

    AS600 - Jade

    Geez! Amazing Macros :woot: ... You're incredibly talented at this. Thomas, I can't remember if I asked what software you're using for post processing? Cheers, Michael
  32. S

    Water Reports - the Basics, as I am not getting the math!

    Thanks @MichaelJ. You’ve been really helpful. This has given me some reading for tomorrow too! 😄
  33. S

    Members Backgrounds

    I'm a Fine Art Screenprinter. Back in the day I was a young graphic designer (before computers) on a YTS scheme for £29.50 a week. I was very lucky, as I started at 16 after leaving school in Cornwall with pretty much nothing to show. After working 3 years I went to Art School, just to be lazy...
  34. J

    Any ideas how I've killed my fish?

    Sorry to hear of this @mrhoyo Only thing I can think of would be the water company adding extra chlorine into the water system obviously its a long shot. A typical dose of Prime deals with 1ppm chlorine, if they had to emergency dose these levels could be anywhere north of 2 ~3 ppm, so lots...
  35. MichaelJ

    Water Reports - the Basics, as I am not getting the math!

    That is correct. General Water Hardness (dGH) is defined by the contents of Calcium, Magnesium and technically certain trace metals like Iron and Manganese (we usually wont concern ourselves with those because their impact are minuscule) nothing else. The original concept really came out of a...
  36. mrhoyo

    Any ideas how I've killed my fish?

    It's bizarre. I've emptied the tank and refilled it, I'll leave without livestock for a while but keep changing water anyway. Hopefully that way anything on the plants gets cleaned off because they're looking really good and it would be a shame not to use them again.
  37. F

    What could I do to improve this?

    Not a problem, there must be so many tanks on here! The light I have is built into the tank so not so easy to just change. If I could do it again I wouldn't buy this type of tank again it's too restricted and not easy to change without some major hacking!
  38. dw1305

    Post Your Pics & Videos of the Great Outdoors

    Hi all, St. Michaels Church, next to Saracens Head (mentioned in Pickwick Papers)? I was in Bath in passing today, but I never stop in town. Cheers Darrel
  39. foxfish

    Members Backgrounds

    G mac, I have made and sold around 40 guitars, I am not sure if I ever made more that a few quid out of any of them! It is certainly not an easy way to get rich!.
  40. Bradders

    Water advice

    Yep, sponge (predominantly 20PPI) and just1 litre of plastic K1 media. But it’s pretty mature, it’s not cleaned and I have calculated my bio-load is not going to stress the filter capacity.
  41. S

    Water Reports - the Basics, as I am not getting the math!

    I understood the rest of your message but can I just clarify this bit for my tired brain: The Ca in the CaCO3 contributes 7mg/l (approx) and the CO3 contributes 10mg/l approx. Approx 7mg/l of calcium is 1dGH Approx 10mg/l of CO3 is 1dKH The 17.8mg/l comes from the combined mg/l of dissolved...
  42. D

    How strong should i have my light?

    I see about the Valois with liquid carbon point. I have had similar problems. Still will use it for stubborn algae though!
  43. S

    Water advice

    That's amazingly clear! And with sponge only?
  44. S

    Water Reports - the Basics, as I am not getting the math!

    I’m glad one of us is! 🤪
  45. Fiske

    Adventures in macro photography (pic heavy)

    Bit late, but there's a few macros in this post, if you haven't seen them. https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/as600-jade.60400/post-736749 Anyway, I have a few shots from the last year, and I'll post some up soon-ish. Season has started, just saw this years first bumblebee😛
  46. J

    Fluval 07 users

    Never really seen putting bends in the hose to be an issue tbh, then again I use the much hated ribbed hose which is incredibly flexible and doesn't pinch the hose when bent. You can see here on the picture below extremes of hose manipulation, this is coming off a 407, so height wise I don't...
  47. Bradders

    Water advice

    I have done anecdotal experiments using 10/30/45 and 60 PPI pre-filter foams. Honestly, as my filters are pretty mature, they don't seem to have made much of a difference! And I think that is important - if you have mature bio-filtration and your bio-load is within the filter capacity, then it...
  48. hypnogogia

    Fluval Gravel Vac not working!

    I do similar, or just waft the hoover above the gravel to suck up detritus. I have one corner where, owing to water circulation, all the muck collects and it’s easy to suck up there.
  49. hypnogogia

    Post Your Pics & Videos of the Great Outdoors

    In Chatel… For some reason it won’t display the photo…
  50. A

    Fluval 07 users

    My problem is more at the tank end. I stupidly had a tailored tank made with braces along each side, and 2 small square holes in each back corner, which means I can't use any of the Fluval attachment through which the pipes are supposed to go. I have to just bend the pipe over and through the...
  51. A

    Water advice

    What PPI sponges are you using on the prefilter in the Oase? I currently use the 30ppi prefilter followed by nothing but (3) 20ppi sponges in a biomaster thermo 250 but have wondered if the 45ppi would do a slightly better job. not sure that the 40's wouldn't clog quicker though?
  52. MichaelJ

    Fluval Gravel Vac not working!

    Yes, we generally recommend to leave the substrate undisturbed. But if you use a vac just be super gentle. If you have a massive build up of detritus that would call for vacuuming it's usually due to inadequate maintenance, over feeding etc. However, there are always spots around in a...
  53. Bradders

    Fluval 07 users

    I looked at the Fluval 07 series and could not make it work in my cabinet due to the upright pipe outlet/inlet. Shame it messed up a good experiment and a review! I know some others here have posted images of the Fluval with sharp pipe turns made it work without any performance issues to note...
  54. Aqua sobriquet

    Fluval 07 users

    When I bought my first canister filter, an Eheim 250, in the 1980’s I took the design for granted. It was housed in a home made cabinet that had a suitable hole in the back for the hoses. The angled outlet pipe and ability to angle the inlet on the Eheim made it easy to position the filter to...
  55. Bradders

    Fluval Gravel Vac not working!

    I have, quite literally, promised myself never to clean the gravel!
  56. G

    Fluval Gravel Vac not working!

    I've got one of the little fluval gravel vacs that is supposed to work by giving the body a few gentle shakes in the aquarium. They lie:confused:
  57. G

    How strong should i have my light?

    I've used a small dose of Liquid carbon every other day and it sorted a couple of algae problems for me. I am very aware that it can be a dangerous product if overdosed though
  58. hypnogogia

    Keeping guppies in 0KH water

    Considerably!
  59. hypnogogia

    The Living Aquarium

    Yes.
  60. G

    Slow 60 (ADA 60p low tech)

    I tried and failed with Staurogen as well.
  61. foxfish

    Post Your Pics & Videos of the Great Outdoors

    Hi Darrel, I did look for you but you were not around!
  62. C

    Keeping guppies in 0KH water

    good shout. Will start off with the potassium and explore doing half and half later when I feel more confident about it. Cost wise, it should beat using salty shrimp
  63. Bradders

    Water Reports - the Basics, as I am not getting the math!

    Right, thank you MJ and all. I think I am beginning to understand!
  64. MichaelJ

    Water Reports - the Basics, as I am not getting the math!

    In short: 1 dGH = 7.1ppm of Calcium 1 dGH = 4.3ppm of Magnesium Yes, or: 4.34 ppm of Mg => 1 dGH. 7.14 ppm of Ca => 1 dGH. 10.68 ppm of Co3 => 1 dKH. Cheers, Michael
  65. MichaelJ

    Water Reports - the Basics, as I am not getting the math!

    Yes, that is often the culprit when discussing this. Cheers, Michael
  66. Bradders

    Water Reports - the Basics, as I am not getting the math!

    So, in short, are we saying the above comments match up with the below (from the internet)?
  67. AquaBonsai99

    The Living Aquarium

    what is the plant in the bottom right? s. repens?
  68. L

    Water Reports - the Basics, as I am not getting the math!

    Just to try to explain this confusion and hopefully not confuse people even more, many tests use the unit "ppm of CaCO3 equivalent" for calcium concentration. The test measures the concentration of calcium ions and then they do this malabar where they say how much would the calcium weight it it...
  69. dw1305

    To filter or not to filter?

    Hi all, Agreed fish will survive in ponds without water movement etc. It is possible that the sellers of pond pumps etc might not be entirely dispassionate commentators? Natural selection is a wonderful thing, it it the same where I work, the Herons really like "glittery things". Perfect...
  70. MichaelJ

    Water Reports - the Basics, as I am not getting the math!

    Yes, sometimes it does... If we have say 30 ppm of Ca from CaCO3 you get 45 ppm of CO3. This translates into 4.2 dGH and 4.2 dKH. Notice that CaCO3 contributes equally to dGH and dKH (which seems to be confusing for many at first). Often in the hobby we have dGH and dKH decoupled, but we can...
  71. dw1305

    Slow 60 (ADA 60p low tech)

    Hi all, I think it probably is. You can definitely reduce the nutrients to a levels where Bolbitis heudelotii will survive, but Lemna minor, Salvinia auriculata group, Pistia stratiotes and eventually Limnobium laevigatum will slowly dwindle away and die (usually in that order in my tanks)...
  72. dw1305

    Water Reports - the Basics, as I am not getting the math!

    Hi all, "Yes and no" is the answer, they are separate entities, but you can define both "1 dGH" and "1 dKH" as 17.86 mg / L of CaCO3. <"The calculations"> are all in Larry Frank's very useful post on the Krib <"Water Hardness">. cheers Darrel
  73. J

    Water Reports - the Basics, as I am not getting the math!

    You have around 13 dGh from 80ppm Calcium and 8.5ppm Magnesium. dkh is also sitting around 13 dkh from 234ppm CaC03. So fairly hard water. Edit: as above, darrel will explain it far better than I can.
  74. hypnogogia

    Water Reports - the Basics, as I am not getting the math!

    I think the person that can help here is @dw1305 ...
  75. Bradders

    Water Reports - the Basics, as I am not getting the math!

    Indeed. This is what I read. Does this help - and is it even right? Math: 1 dGH = 7.1ppm of Calcium 1 dGH = 4.3ppm of Magnesium Add both Calcium and Magnesium together to get GH/dGH.
  76. S

    Water Reports - the Basics, as I am not getting the math!

    Yes, you did mislead me. But now I’m doubting what I thought I knew as I’ve just discovered that dGH is 10mg/l CaO of 17.8mg/l of CaCO3 so does that mean dGH takes into account KH too? I will wait for someone smarter to come along and explain. 😄
  77. Bradders

    Water Reports - the Basics, as I am not getting the math!

    Hi @simon_the_plant_nerd - thanks, but I may have misled you!! (Sorry!) The above attachment is my work based on what I got from the Water Report I attached to the original post. The actual water report says my water is Moderately Hard to Hard. (See screenshot below from the report). I was...
  78. Ibz10

    Odd and unusual fish you find in your local fish store

    How are you getting on with these @PremierFantasy88 ? I also couldnt resist and got some Parotocinclus Eppleyi
  79. S

    Water Reports - the Basics, as I am not getting the math!

    This link posted by @dw1305 below explained it best for me: https://www.thekrib.com/Plants/CO2/hardness-larryfrank.html
  80. ElleDee

    Slow 60 (ADA 60p low tech)

    Fwiw, I've had issues keeping floating plants around long term. They provide excellent utility for the first year or so, requiring me to toss out handfuls weekly, and then they just stop growing quickly and get ratty and/or eaten by the shrimp. I suspect my water column gets too lean for them...
  81. ElleDee

    What could I do to improve this?

    I think you've got something very nice cooking, and you've gotten some good advice already. I wanted to throw out that you might look at getting a light with better color rendering - I've found that that magically improves the vibe of any tank. I'm not a technical expert on this, but every time...
  82. martin-green

    To filter or not to filter?

    I figured by the volume that it is not small, and there is NO CHANCE of it ever drying up. With a pond that size, I think the only thing you have to worry about is anything falling in and not being able to get again, to that amends I suggest you add some steady rocks or bricks to a shelf, so...
  83. hypnogogia

    The Living Aquarium

    I did my usual maintenance routine this weekend, trimming were necessary, algae removal and 60% water change using rain water which I DIY remineralise to 0.5dKH and 4.5 dGH. My ferts are as in post The Living Aquarium. As you might be able to see from the photos in that post, there is some...
  84. Andy Pierce

    How strong should i have my light?

    'Liquid Carbon' is marketing hype - there is no meaningful contribution to soluble CO2 in the water column from glutaraldehyde in any of its various commercialised forms at any level that can be practically dosed without it simply killing everything. For me, unless you are injecting CO2 gas...
  85. RPackman

    To filter or not to filter?

    The pond is a sort of kidney bean shaped, surface dimensions 8x15ft, with 3 different “shelves” and a max depth of 2.5ft. The top shelf is full of marginal plants in baskets, and more than 2/3 of the surface is covered with lilies in the summer months. There was a fair amount of crud at the...
  86. The Miniaturist

    What could I do to improve this?

    Apologies for confusing your tank with another one, must pay more attention. That's the trouble with this hobby, one tank is never enough! I had trouble planting when I tried Tropica aqua soil, once, never again, went back to lovely sand! I've only ever had one large tank, many years ago, then...
  87. Bradders

    Water Reports - the Basics, as I am not getting the math!

    Hi All, I have read on the internet and read some threads here, but I am finding it hard to settle on an understanding of how to use a water report to understand (roughly) the out-of-the-tap GH and KH. I am going around in circles! Would someone very kindly look at this water report (attached)...
  88. martin-green

    To filter or not to filter?

    Yes, it does say that. ...............And it was done like that as they knew no different. (Before the Internet became popular) and was it a problem? no. Additional filtration should be used if there is high stock level, and or no "natural filtration" or if you want crystal clear water all...
  89. F

    What could I do to improve this?

    Thanks everyone for the advice and input. Yeah, patience , not one of my strong points :p but completely understand. I really want a bigger better tank so this is just a learning tank for me but obviously want it to look the best. This hobby is consuming with so much variety and options for...
  90. N

    To filter or not to filter?

    My 2 cents - it is quite a small pond, so will freeze in cold weather and potentially dry up (or at least dry back) during hot summer weather. If it has no fish it will survive and work very well as a wildlife pond and given the various amphibians and plants you mention, it seems to be doing so...
  91. RPackman

    To filter or not to filter?

    Because all information available on the internet says fish ponds should be filtered! However I don’t know what is the right thing to do. The bioload from the 9 fish is unlikely to be huge in a pond that size. When the pond was first put in 30 years ago there were more fish, and they would breed...
  92. martin-green

    To filter or not to filter?

    Why?
  93. RPackman

    To filter or not to filter?

    My parents have a pond that had been established for about 30yrs, but I had to re-line it this winter. It is about 8000L, and has 9 fish in it which are the offspring of fish which have been there from the beginning. The pond never had a filter, and I’ve been saying for years that it should...
  94. aec34

    Slow 60 (ADA 60p low tech)

    Thanks @G mac . Epsom salts is to add Magnesium, which I don’t have a lot of in my tap water. My approach to water additives is very much of the pinch of/spoon of variety, inspired by @dw1305. I enjoy watching my plants grow, but don’t have the urge to get into chasing very precise numbers, or...
  95. G

    Slow 60 (ADA 60p low tech)

    I've enjoyed reading through your thread and seeing the development of the aquarium. Hopefully not a dim question but what is the benefit of adding Epsom salt? :)
  96. Wookii

    CO2 not off gassing overnight?

    I still see no point in attempting to off-gas CO2 at the end of the photo period. All CO2 injected tanks should have decent surface agitation anyway, and that alone will off-gas more CO2 from photo period levels, than plants might release during the night. You'll rarely be able to off-gas all...
  97. bizovski

    Members Backgrounds

    MEng in structural engineering ... designing industrial buildings, shopping malls and such ...
  98. D

    How strong should i have my light?

    Tjqmks very much for the insight
  99. PARAGUAY

    What could I do to improve this?

    Not just new begineers😁
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