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Hi all, You can silicone oil (for sewing machines etc.) as well as grease. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You have to look at the water repellent hairs (trichomes), but if they <"look like little egg whisks?"> They are Salvinia "auriculata" group. I'd guess that most of the Salvinia plants, sold under a variety of names, are S. auriculata s. l. Same for me, but I mainly do small volume...

Hi all, I think you have some <"iron (Fe) availability issues"> and also that @simon_the_plant_nerd is right. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It just makes <"life a lot easier">, all you have to do is have a <"reasonably large plant mass in active growth"> and then keep it that way. All <"the measuring"> and <"heavy lifting"> is done by the plant / microbe biofiltration. I'm probably absurdly proud of the <"Duckweed Index">...

Hi all, No, you don't. If you aren't going to have plants? You still <"need to cycle the tank">, but once you have a reasonable plant mass? You don't. Have a look at our thread where we talked to Dr Tim Hovanec - <"Dr Timothy Hovanec's comments about Bacterial supplements">. We now know that...

Hi all, That sounds promising. I probably would carry on with water changes, but you can definitely lessen their frequency. It shouldn't make really any difference in their time to reach microbial maturity. HOB filters actually have the advantage of a greater gas exchange surface area. Both...

Hi all, I've only passed through the airport a couple of times, and both times the weather was wet and my first thought was "wow, it is incredibly hot and sticky". cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is quite a lot of salts (ions). The bogwood won't make much difference, the TDS meter is measuring conductivity and non-ionic compounds don't add electrical conductivity, although they would add ppm TDS if that was what we were actually measuring. I'd definitely stop adding...

Hi all, I'd guess the water has got too soft for them. It has rained a lot in the last 18 months, which will have washed all the limestone (calcium carbonate (CaCO3)) dust from both roofs and the atmosphere. I measured the conductivity of the water from the water butt at home recently (not a...

...Acids and Bases | Introductory Chemistry">. What the calcium hydroxide doesn't add is any carbonate buffering (dKH) because <"it is a strong base*"> and the hydroxide ions (OH-) go into solution (solubility is only 1.73 g/L (20 °C)). It will raise dGH, because you've added calcium (Ca++)...

Hi all, You get a much wider range of fish in Trinidad and Tobago than you would in the other <"West Indian"> islands, because T & T are a (recently) detached part of the S. American mainland, in the same way that Britain and Ireland are detached parts of the European mainland. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is one of the advantages of a fertiliser <"designed for hydroponics etc."> it has to "work", or the company that made it, and the growers who used it, would have gone out of business. Have a look at <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I had the <"same problems with them">. A lot of people <"have done much better">, so it is definitely sub-optimal growing conditions. Try a <"bit more nitrogen (N)">? cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, You can use a <"horticultural fertiliser">, as long as it doesn't have too high a proportion <"of ammonium salts">. Have a look at <"Solufeed 2:1:4 and Solufeed Sodium Free TEC or Solufeed Coir TEC Combination">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think normally the cure is worse than the pest. I'd guess that the Shrimp attacking species are an absolutely <"tiny proportion of the total"> and that 99% of people who have <"visible Flatworms"> have species that are pretty benign. I think it is the same problem for both...

Hi all, That is good to know. I wonder if they are to do with being in spawning condition? I know that male Cyprinids <"get tubercles on the head"> when they are in ready to spawn - <"Nuptial tubercles - Wikipedia">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, They might be <"Rhabdocoelas flatworms">, they are much more resistant to pesticides. You can tell than and Tricladia apart, if you look at the head it is a point, rather than an arrow. <"Fenbendazole, planaria calculating dose.">. You could also try a <"Planaria trap"> or <"What are...

Hi all, With the proviso that I have <"zero practical knowledge of carpet plants>", but you need to retain as much plant mass as possible at the moment. Personally I'd leave it a couple of weeks and then give it a fairly light chop over. "Ease of removal" is one of the real advantages of a...

Hi all, That partially explains it, Ramshorn Snails etc. would make short work of it. Interesting. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That was my guess. If you want to harden it a bit you can add some <"Oyster shell Chick-grit">, it is really cheap and does the job. Unfortunately <"pH is a much misunderstood parameter"> and requires some interpretation. I'm guessing that there were processes in your old tank that...

Hi all, Do you have any snails? cheers Darrel

Hi all, Yes, diatoms. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Do you have really soft water out of the tap? You should be able to get figures from your water supplier, but because you live in Scotland it is quite likely that you get soft, low conductivity water out of the tap. Assuming you that is the case? Then <"pH will never be stable"> and...

Hi all, About £10 for 100g. cheers Darrel

Hi all, <"Some fish are meant to eat Hydra">, but <"I've never owned any that have">. If you feed a <"lot of small live food items"> (Daphnia, Microworms, BBS etc) you are very likely, <"soon or later">, to see some Hydra. I ignore mine most of the time, but when they become numerous I treat...

Hi all, If they have <"Dracaena">, <"Fittonia">, Selaginella, Hypoestes, <"Ophiopogon">, <"Hemigraphis"> etc. as "aquatic plants" I just tell them that is what they are and ask if could they remove them? Often they claim ignorance, deny that they aren't aquatic or say "people like them" or...

Hi all, I like his tanks. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS. It is a Selaginella sp., and even though they are <"sold for aquariums"> they aren't aquatic plants, which explains why it isn't doing well. I'll be honest, it <"really p*sses me off">. Edit what @The Miniaturist says. cheers Darrel

Hi all, No, you can reduce their frequency as the <"plants grow in">. When you prune the plants you're <"removing all forms of fixed nitrogen"> (and other nutrients) from the tank. As long as you have <"enough oxygen">, <"the microbial flora"> (in the filter and tank substrate) will also...

...you have to follow a multistep process to get a coloured compound that you can measure to indicate their level. Because of your tap water results* you may well have those levels of fixed nitrogen, via uncontrolled release from the controlled release fertiliser. You can see plant growth...

Hi all, I don't believe your test kit. That is the bit that matters. cheers Darrel

Hi all, They are a bit <"aesthetically challenged">. It is only when you have them in a tank that you get a close-up. This next link isn't <"for the squeamish">, but apparently not as uncommon as it should be...

Hi all, In the glimpses I get of them they look quite plump. When they went in the tank there were a lot of "tank janitors", so whether they just associate crustaceans with food I don't know. I've seen some big Asellus, so there definitely is a limit in size to what they will take on. Cheers...

Hi all, I'll update this thread. I was hoping to add a photo, but that may have to wait. I've still got them, they still eat everything, but they've become incredibly reclusive and no longer shoal at all, in fact they've all splintered to their own little areas of the tank, and they...

Hi all, <"This one"> shows the sponge. Actually an <"easy mistake to make">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, <"Aroids like"> Cryptocoryne spp., Schismatoglottis, Bucephalandra & Anubias barteri and mosses & ferns, Bolbitis spp. You should be able to reduce nutrients, <"light intensity"> & CO2 level (down to 15 ppm?) cheers Darrel

Hi all, That looks about right, definitely <"a Davallia"> and a Polystichum. Polysticum spp. have <"pointed pinnules">, which you can see in your photo when you zoom in. cheers Darrel

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 the route of thinking more about <"the oxygen and...

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

...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 there is absolutely <"no sound science in the...

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

...calcium (Ca++) and sulphate (SO4--) ions and <"not have a lot left in solution">. You would still have the magnesium (Mg++) and chloride ions (2 Cl-) in solution, because magnesium sulphate is soluble and <"so are all chloride compounds">*. *I'm <"ignoring silver chloride (AgCl)">. cheers...

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