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Hi all, It should have a little pink "Tradescantia" flower <"marsh dewflower (Murdannia keisak)">. It is described as an annual, so I assume flowering initiates plant death (looks likely from the plant below), that is definitely what happens in Commelina communis, which is similar <"Stomatal...

Hi all, If it gets above the surface it will be fine (but probably lose all of its submerged leaves) <"marsh dewflower (Murdannia keisak)">, you could try floating it? <"Using stem plants as a filtering aid at Start Up!">. I think the problem is that the companies that produce "aquarium...

Hi all, I think a lot of the issue is just because it is <"Murdannia keisak"> and <"doesn't really like being underwater"> - <"Murdannia Keisak Struggling">. This belongs to the category of plant that <"will survive underwater">, but isn't really suitable for long term aquarium cultivation...

Hi all, I use these type (bought as <"lab supplies">). A long <"burette cleaning brush"> is really useful, "16mm" is about right for 13 mm hoses, but they come in other sizes as well. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That one. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, I have that problem in reverse, I've written more posts than I've read emails from my boss...... Cheers Darrel

Hi all, The problem is that they don't have stomata and they take nutrients (and oxidising agents) directly through the "skin" (cuticle). This makes them much more prone to damage from <"oxidising agents"> (like glutaraldehyde). cheers Darrel

Hi all, They are really nice, elegant fish <"Splash tetra - Copella arnoldi"> . <"I kept them for a while"> (in the lab. at work). It all started well, but there were some issues with both keeping them in the tank and <"with aggression">. I've kept a <"few different Copella sp."> now and...

Hi all, Would the Eheim one work? <"EHEIM Vorfilter"> These would help to some degree, but I'd really want to stop the external filter picking up the saw-dust etc. I definitely don't want that inside the filter. It doesn't matter that the saw-dust etc. doesn't have a high <"Biochemical...

Hi all, That may well be where the problem lies. The build up of organic debris is likely to be <"inside the filter">. I'm a <"great pre-filter fan">. It <"was some issues"> with Panaque spp. keeping that originally led me down thinking more about <"the oxygen and nitrification">. I've gone...

Hi all, I honestly don't know, he starts by saying that they (as a product class) are something that he is sceptical about, and then that he had a disagreement with the man he interviewed, who failed to give him any technical details, but dependent upon the way he thinks they are produced they...

Hi all, Possibly a little bit nitrogen (N) deficient? cheers Darrel

Hi all, I've just found the review: <"Evolution Aqua Pure Aquarium review">. I'll stick with <"interesting">, although I have to be honest and say that that wasn't the first term that came to mind**. The author (Nathan Hill) writes: *I'm not entirely sure how he came to this conclusion, as...

Hi all, Moler clay is diatomite based, but has clay minerals as well, details are at <"Moler">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You can use a horticultural fertiliser, <"it is a lot cheaper"> and a bit more <"plug and play"> than making your own complete mix from the base chemicals. This is a nutrient calculator: <"Nutrient Dosing Calculator">, we also have super-duper UKAPS one <"IFC Aquarium Fertilizer...

Hi all, Do you have a pre-filter on the intake? cheers Darrel

Hi all, That would be the general finding on this forum <"Is expensive bio media worth it?">. As planted tank keepers we have the advantages of: <"plant / microbe nitrification"> and <"a substrate">. This means we aren't interested in the denitrification of nitrate (NO3-) <"in the filter">...

Hi all, Just an unknown really, that's why I recommend a visual method like the <"Pink Tint"> and / or <"Duckweed Index">. It doesn't tell you how much plant available iron (Fe) you have, but it tells you <"you have some">, and that is actually all you need to know. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, It is fine, but it is <"really difficult to get rid of the smell">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I know for PFK "LFS retailers" it is a readers poll, is it the same for "products of the year"? If it was? It would be a little more understandable. If it isn't a reader's poll? It is disappointing. I know times are tough, but I can only really see two options, which are: They think it...

Hi all, You might be interested in: <"What's wrong with my chili rasboras?">. Personally I'm a great <"Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) fan">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Mainly by visual and inferential methods <"What’s everyone’s thoughts on aquarium testing kits (Newbie)">- <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">. A lot of the parameters, <"that we are interested in">, are difficult to <"measure accurately">, but where <"they aren't">? I try and...

Hi all, FritzZyme Monster 360 Freshwater: <"FritzZyme Monster 360 Freshwater - Shirley Aquatics"> It wants you to think it is an algaecide, but it doesn't actually say that, and it will have absolutely no effect on plants, <"wanted or unwanted">. <"Similar idea"> to <"Pure Aquarium |...

Hi all, Yes, like a cross between a health supplement business and an <"unborn child sex prediction service"> - "you get your money back if we predict the wrong sex for your baby". The commercial issue with solutions like <"live food">, <"rain water">, using your <"tap water as a...

Hi all, It doesn't make the product <"any more useful">, it just reduces any remaining respect you may have had for <"Practical Fishkeeping"> as an unbiased source of information . The best thing you can say is that they probably aren't going to do any harm. I've got a very jaundiced view...

Hi all, It isn't the plant itself, it is just that it might bring in hitchhikers, Snails, Planaria or Hydra. If you are concerned some time in <"sparkling water"> will safely cleanse them. The plant itself is fine, I often take <"bits from outdoors"> and put them indoors. cheers Darrel

Hi all, The flocculant (from the aluminium sulphate addition) is aluminium hydroxide (Al(OH)3) <"High flux water purification using aluminium hydroxide hydrate gels">, which forms the wall paper paste like gel (coagulant), in harder water. I'll be honest I can't imagine any use for it...

Hi all, I really don't know, but it has to be one or the other. "Death by luxury uptake" is quite common in higher plants. As well as PO4--- <"in Protea spp."> etc, it is one of the problems of ferrous iron in water logged soils...

Hi all, Too much good living on all the sweet corn and boilies that the carp fisherpeople have thrown in? cheers Darrel

Hi all, Don't let that stop you, I've only really made four different posts, but <"re-posted each of them thousands of times">. I've always enjoyed your posting, and <"I've learned new things">. The search is pretty good, it maybe to do with the <"search terms you use">? You can always...

Hi all, I think that is right to some degree, the oceans are a very stable environment, in terms of water chemistry, and freshwater is much more <"shades of grey">. I'll accept that <"I'm a pretty lazy and shoddy aquarist">, tight with my money and that I have <"no interest in aesthetics">...

Hi all, Fantastic. <"I really need"> to have another go with RRF (<"Phyllanthus fluitans">). I got <"fed up of rescuing it">, but they may just suggest that it wasn't very happy with <"the growing conditions">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It is likely. Scientists use the <"encephalization quotient"> (the ratio of predicted to actual brain size against log^10 body weight) to differentiate between species "intelligence". I have no idea how well it works for fish (scientists aren't keen on "Fish" as a classification...

Hi all, That is one advantage of the <"Duckweed Index">, you just need a floating plant that grows happily in your tank <"Giant duckweed - Spirodella polyrhyza"> & <"Id on floating plant">. The actual plant isn't that important, just that it has floating leaves and grows happily under your...

Hi all, We think it probably does (via <"resource partition">). My plants tend to have relatively small leaf rosette, but long and bountiful roots, which I think is a response to fairly lean rations. It is really the ratio of rosette to root that is important, <"if you have a very large plant...

Hi all, To answer your question, "yes leave them". Personally I would let them grow for a lot longer before I pruned them*. There are some mosses, but plants like Cryptocoryne & Bucephalandra spp. are exclusively from the Old World. Echinodorus (and the plants split from it) are all New...

Hi all, It <"does get a mention">, I've tried it a couple of times, but it needs harder, more nutrient rich water than I have to offer. If you can provide that? It should work fine. cheers Darrel

Hi all, The variability is the issue. Potentially you can do the same with <"sediment nutrients"> as you can with water column ones, all the way from <"Triffid to running on petrol fumes">. That is why I like Oak (Quercus spp.) or <"Beech (Fagus spp.) leaf mold">, it is going to add <"slow to...

Hi all, That is an advantage of a dry salt straight away, you aren't paying for any added water. I'm <"proud of it"> and it works. I want people to keep planted tanks, both because I like plants (I'm a botanist by training), but also because they make fish keeping a lot easier and more...

Hi all, It should have done, conductivity is a linear scale. I still use a conductivity datum, although I don't actually <"measure conductivity regularly"> any more. Exactly that. If you stabilise pH you no longer have soft, acid water. Yes, probably to 50 microS, you can carry on with the...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS and nice tank, nice fish. You will get some rise in conductivity, plants take up nutrients as ions, and it is those same ions that conduct electricity. A <"relatively small addition of salts"> causes quite a large increase in electrical conductivity. I'm going to say...

Hi all, I think that is probably the important bit, the bark is <"nearly all lignin"> and that has a very low <"Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)">. The problem with the domestic green waste compost is that <"it isn't fully decomposed"> (although some of the fixed nitrogen will have gone)...

Hi all, You might not get frogs, but you will probably get Smooth Newts, they occur in all sorts of unusual places. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'd keep well away from anything with <"green waste compost">, or <"controlled release"> fertiliser, in it. If you did want to use it? I'd only add a small amount. There are <"loam based aquatic soils"> that people have used successfully You can use a small amount of garden soil...

Hi all, Soft water (or lack of alkalinity) was definitely the <"problem that I had with them">. a lot of people keep them in tap water in this area, and the water is pretty much fully saturated with calcium (Ca++) and bicarbonate (2HCO3-) ions. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That one for me, but I have a fairly ad hoc. <"approach to water chemistry">. I use our tap water (and add a sprinkle of "Epsom Salts" (MgSO4.7H2O)) <"as a remineraliser">, should I need one. If I didn't have hard tap water? I would still add a sprinkle of Epsom Salts, but I'd add a...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, You can, it is in the <"Nutrient Dosing Calculator"> but you would be better with a micro mix designed for commercial horticulture <"Solufeed 2:1:4 and Solufeed Sodium Free TEC or Solufeed Coir TEC Combination">, it would also be a lot cheaper. It depends how...

Hi all, This is an <"interesting phytoremediation paper">, partially because it uses Vallisneria spiralis, a plant many of us will have in our aquariums: Morini, L., Ferrari, C., Bartoli, M. et al. (2024) Vallisneria spiralis L. adaptive capacity improves pore water chemistry and increases...

Hi all, It looks the best method, it is the one aquarists have used traditionally and this was what <"Dr Newton said">: <"A rooted plant"> (with some substrate) would also do. cheers Darrel

Hi all, The root tabs are probably leaching ammonia <"I made a substrate from hell, i want to change it"> . I'd change some water (probably all of it) every couple of days, until <"ammonia levels reduce drastically">. It is <"definitely too much">. I'd actually go further and say that any...

Hi all, If you want a cheaper option for soft water <"rainwater might be a possibility">?, <"I use it">. What does your water provider say for water parameters? It is likely that your dGH and dKH are similar (<"for geological reasons">) and if you live in the SE, or E, of England they will be...

Hi all, They are all a bit rampant. Have a look at <"Water meadow gardening">. If you were set on a grass? Glyceria declinata <"Glyceria declinata | small sweet grass /RHS Gardening"> is possibly your best bet. Catabrosa aquatica <"https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NHMSYS0000456975"> would...

Hi all, It is <"partially the time of year">, you usually get a bloom of green filamentous algae in the spring <"Pond algae and blanket weed / RHS Gardening">, before you get a huge amount of vascular plant growth. As the strands thicken up, and photosynthesise, it will tend to float to the...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, I wouldn't get too hung up on the exact spectrum, you need @oreo57 & @Andy Pierce , but my understanding is that plants are much more efficient at utilising more of the incoming PAR, rather than just that at the absorbance peaks of photosynthetic pigments. Have a...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, Why do you need to get rid of them? Are they interfering with the water flow? If they aren't? I'd look on them as a positive as "tank janitors". Scrape them off and chuck them back in the pond for the Koi? Physical removal is a lot less problematic than attempting...

Hi all, Perfect. cheers Darrel

Hi all, @tam is right, something like a slice of cucumber has <"absolutely negligible bioload">, and the <"Otocinclus prefer it"> once it has gone a bit "slimy". cheers Darrel

Hi all, I know that not everybody is going to agree, but (objectively) that just looks fantastic. This could be the new "Teflon" <"Great Accidental Discoveries"> cheers Darrel

Hi all, Very nice. Alice, I have a suspicion that @megwattscreative may be interested in your work. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think most of us use our water change water to water the house plants, garden containers, gardens etc. I've never had any issue, but it will be interesting to hear what other people have found. cheers Darrel

Hi all, No, it doesn't directly, although <"fixed nitrogen compounds are highly soluble">, and there will be transfer from the substrate to the water column, but to an unknown extent. The original idea was to have a <"rooted emergent plant">. This would have the dual benefits of Diana...

Hi all, Yes, any floating plant works in terms of growth rate. The problem with Salvinia natans (auriculata group) (and Pistia stratiotes) is just <"that the leaf hairs"> make it difficult to accurately assess leaf colour. This plant had been grown in very warm water and high light, it has...

Hi all, Microbial assemblage? Cheers Darrel

Hi all, Cool and light would be better. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is even better <"than it was last year">. Not many Rhododendrons in our part of the world, it is all limestone here, but spring has worked it's magic. The tulip is "Lilac Wonder" <"Tulipa saxatilis (Bakeri Group) &s;Lilac Wonder&s; (15) | Candia tulip &s;Lilac Wonder&s; Bulbs/RHS...

Hi all, Just put some cucumber in an aquarium net, and leave it for a couple of hours and then remove the snails. Rinse and repeat until you have a level of snails you are happy with. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, It is. They are predators of Daphnia, and may have been introduced with some Daphnia? They occur in clean water ponds without (m)any fish, and are a top live food item for small cichlids, tetras etc. You don't need to worry, basically anything big enough to see and in the water column...

Hi all, Red green colour blindness does add another <"layer of complexity">. I think so, they look paler green, that could just be a <"lesser need for chlorophyll"> or it could be the start of chlorosis (below). Certainly true, judging leaf colour is definitely easier with a larger leaf...

Hi all, Yes, you can use the <"Rotala Butterfly"> calculator. Ferrous gluconate is a <"less strongly bound chelate"> that FeEDTA etc. so tends to work better in soft water. If you have harder, more alkaline, water you need a <"more tightly bound chelate">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think that makes perfect sense. One of the advantages of my <"original duckweed (Lemna minor)"> was that its faster growth rate allowed a quicker diagnosis of nutrient deficiency (and their subsequent recovery). As you have both old and new "duckweeds", what does your Lemna look...

Hi all, It doesn't matter, in practice they are the same. If we assume that the gluconate containing "H24" and "H22" are different compounds (and I'm guessing that they aren't) the difference is absolutely minimal because hydrogen (H) has a RAM = 1 and you are 2 different (24 - 22). This...

Hi all, I wouldn't be too worried just about the depth, if they are OK otherwise? Same for me. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Interesting, you shouldn't have iron (Fe) issues at this point. Manganese (Mn) deficiency would be an option, but it is really rare. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, That definitely looks to be an iron (Fe) deficiency, small, pale (chlorotic), new leaves are <"pretty diagnostic">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, hopefully we can offer you good advice. Have a look at the <"Duckweed Index thread">, linked in my signature, it separates the <"important bits"> from the less important bits. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, Betta channoides? In fact a pair of any of the Betta spp. If you wanted a challenge? A Parosphromenus sp. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think that might be <"iron (Fe) deficiency">, it is only really iron, and manganese (Mn), deficiency that causes pale new leaves. I'm still away from home, but look up <"Ivory allure"> on UKAPS. Cheers Darrel

Hi all The chemicals are inert while they are dry but you may have an issue with calcium chloride (CaCl2.nH2O), because it is deliquescent and will pick up moisture from the atmosphere. That could lead to your dry dosing being a single solid lump rather than two separate salts. This lump should...

Hi all, In Stockholm briefly, the weather is "interesting". Cheers Darrel

Hi all, You are still in "apples and oranges" territory, none of these estimations are comparable, without a measure of the amount of dissolved oxygen in the system and, most importantly, it's rate of replenishment. You can process huge bioloads, if you can continually refresh the level of...

Hi all, They look pretty healthy. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'm not trying to be funny, but where are you likely to get better advice? Via UKAPS or just the WWW? Cheers Darrel

Hi all, It is what I use. I don't understand what you mean. Play sand is made of <"rounded quartz grains"> (silicon dioxide (SIO2)) and is exactly what you want. The higher the proportion of SIO2 the better. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Add some sand, it can be a very thin layer. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'll be honest, I'm just <"incredibly lazy"> and always follow the <"path of least resistance">. I look on the requirement for limited intervention <"as a positive">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, This one isn't great, and doesn't look at Amazon Frogbit, but does look at Azolla and Salvinia. Eder Carlos Lopes Coimbra, Alisson Carraro Borges, Ann H. Mounteer, Andra Pereira Rosa, (2023) "Using wastewater treatment performance, biomass and physiological plant characteristics for...

Hi all, The issue you have is the tussle between a <"quick win and longer term stability">. I'm going to guess that a lot of us have been there, after the initial elation of having mastered plant growth comes the realisation that <"you can have too much of a good thing">. It should be OK, but...

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

Hi all, That makes a lot of sense. It is likely that <"photosynthesis only evolved once"> - <"https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.16249">, so inthe very broadest sense ("all photosynthetic organisms <"form a clade">...

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

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...

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)...

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

H all, That is looking great. Temperature I think. Cherry Shrimps didn't enjoy soft water with me, although I had both low dGH and low dKH. It is a quick grower for a moss. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Sorry for your loss, I don't have any real suggestion to make. I've not used eSHA GDEX (Praziquantel), but I've killed Planaria with Panacur (Fenbendazole) without any issue. Praziquantel is usually regarded as the least toxic (to non-target organisms) option. They should be fine...

Hi all, Alas people haven't had a very good record with <"seeds from China" > some <"have germinated">, but none have ended up being <"what they purported to be">. I'm pretty sure he is a "sleeper male", because of the blue colouration. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Perfect That was what <"Dr Newton found">. This is what he said: cheers Darrel

Hi all, It was actually <"Panaque and sawdust"> that allowed me to see the wider picture with some of the issues with nitrification. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That would be fine, it is really doing the same job as a pre-filter. <"Yes I would">, but I'm not really interested in <"water clarity">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, If the filter floss filters out a lot of fines it is <"likely to clog">, and this could reduce flow far enough so that nitrification is compromised by lack of oxygen. Cheers Darrel