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Thanks a lot!

Hi all, Because it is a neutral salt it doesn't effect pH, all it does is lessen the time the electrode takes to reach equilibrium. This means you don't need to add a set amount, just tip a small amount of salt into the sample. Cheers Darrel

Good night Ukaps :)

Besides Peace Lilies l think Spider Plants do very well emmersed aquarium plants and like the "reed" effect they give

Hey @Sarpijk. Think the most rare i have are the c. Veinghera and the c. Spiralis caudigera. Glad you are enoying the journal :thumbup:

Presumably then you’re storing captured energy in your DHW cylinder before charging the batteries? Assuming an aquarium temperature of 25C, a mains water temperature of 5C and a DHW cylinder temperature of 65C, you would be mixing water in the ratio of 2:1 mains to cylinder to get a 25C mix...

@dw1305 I’ve seen you have mentioned on another thread that KCl can be used as an additive to test sample to improve pH reading results. Could you please elaborate on this a little bit more? For example if water has low TDS or hardness what KCl concentration we should aim for to improve reading...

That makes absolute sense despite the fact that some stock solutions sold online contain some mould inhibitors (If we believe what description says) Yeah, when I was doing research I found that some solutions are 4M and some are 3M. I guess the more concentrated the better + as @dw1305 says...

Interesting question. I bought KCl for the same purpose. I thought 3 mol/l is the standard concentration for the pH pen storage solution? Not sure if it matters much.

Hi all, I'd guess not, it grows in dry places normally. Most other Tradescantia spp. (other than T. sillamontana) should work. Cheers Darrel

Yes, our winters are cold and dry here in Minnesota... In the winter we often see indoor RH% down in the mid 20 ties. During those times the water evaporation from my tanks is pretty significant. Summers on the other hand are relatively humid which means less evaporation. That said, while it...

Hi all, You don't need anything else. Nothing will grow in 4 mol. KCl, it is pretty "salty". Cheers Darrel

Already planning to take the Hygro back a bit.

Got to love Crypts man! So unfussy plants , so many different colours ,types and sizes! What is the most rare you have?

Hi there I’m looking to make my own KCl 4M storage solution and I wonder if using potassium sorbate in such solution is a good idea. Thinking of preventing mold formation and not damaging pH electrode in any way. Also I’m going to use RO water. By the way I’m using Hanna pH meter. Cheers

You can propagate in water but does anyone know if Tradescantia spathacea (moses in the cradle) is viable long term in water?

Yes! My Peace Lily corpse was from Asda at the princely sum of 20p. Very easy to resurrect and knowing that you basically can't overwater is a big win in my book

Now Si has his answer can I hijack this and ask if anyone has seen Bacopa compact or Carolina doing this two for one deal on tops? I just get one for one and have all these single stem plants and no bush effect

Huh. I pretty much always wind up just tearing it all out. It doesn't make that much of a mess and clears up pretty quickly. Next time I'll have a go at leaving the bottom pieces in.

I would and the hygrophila too

It is a bit large, but yes, only one. I bought it already dried, from a garden decoration / floral arrangements shop.

That TDS is just ridiculous🫣 wrgb pro is very strong light too have you thought about raising it slightly? Also you could try to get your hands on 2-3 simese alge eaters , tank your size should be ok . You also if you could start cutting your water with some RO that would bring tds down . I...

🤣 I have that exact page open in my browser. Great minds and all that 😆 Sounds like I'm on the right track. My mate says use the bath upstairs and fill it up from there. It would work but I think there would be additional additives to the water for the tank unless I did a deep clean of the bath...

So, it is time for a update. This picture I took last night when I arrived at home, I was out of town for nearly 5 days. Today, the nineth day since it was set up, the readings are: pH 7,6 (I measure just two hours after the lights went on, in the morning. Usually I measure it at night...

Interesting, I hadn't thought of it like that 🤔. On reflection, my kitchen is the warmest room in the house with the kitchen heating rarely on. It gets the early morning sun and is also south facing. So, it picks up plenty of heat from the sunshine. Also, with cooking it heats up quite nicely. I...

I've used a few various sizes of potable water tanks for storing RO water - this is one seller. https://www.tanks-direct.co.uk/water-tanks/above-ground-water-tanks/potable-water-tanks/c1184?page=2 Some model come with threaded ports at the base to securely add taps.

I have indeed. A super cheap as chips option, with the help of a submerged pump and hose. Great option, but after something a bit more palatable as it will be in my kitchen, although more or less out of view. I'm more inclined to using a lay-flat 150+Litre container with a tap, on some...

Nice work on the tint - is that just from one shell? I might look into those!

Hi all, A water butt might be the cheapest option <"Garland 114ltr Harcostar Water Butt (Includes Tap & Child Safety Lid) Electrical World">? cheers Darrel

Hi all, I don't think you don't need to dose EI levels, personally <"I don't"> and would only do so in <"very, very specific circumstances">. That is why I'd start with just adding the micronutrient mix from @BuffBall 's post <"Solufeed 2:1:4 and Solufeed Sodium Free TEC or Solufeed Coir TEC...

EI strategy is based on excess -- even with huge plant mass, you dose more than is consumed and there is always nutrients available for algae. But it is expected that happy plants will keep algae at bay, especially algae growing on the plants.

I ask as a genuine curiosity as I live in a different reality, but I wonder if your tap water is colder than the room temperature, I'm imagining that the room is heated. And if that is the case, adding 115L of cold water to your room will generate a demand for room heating equivalent to the heat...

Have you thought about a water but that youd normally keep in the garden?

My worry about EI levels and the plant like nature of algae is that I don't have enough fast growing plants to consume the nutrients and "outcompete" the algae. If I increase the fertilisers won't that just make the algae take over the "slower" growing plants? My other doubt is in regard to...

No gamblers here ey ☺️ The red abaxis is from mine wendtii green! In fact this one has 3 different leave versions! Olive colour with red abaxis, fresh green en olive/green with dark pattern. Every leaf is different, so cool. The leaf with the red stains and red vain is from a c. Wendtii...

Only 8 days after adding the sapucaia fruit, and the water is very dark! It has reached a point where I may have to consider controlling it and set a desired darkness level, instead of the "as dark as I can get" strategy I had before. This and the slow-but-steady growth of the floating plants...

Hi All, At the moment I am cycling my tank (only 1 week in). I am preparing to use EI ferts with a weekly 50% water change. Having a 230Litre tank I want to store 115Litres, or so, of tap water. 24+ hours of temperature equalisation to room temperature before dosing and adding to the tank. I...

£5 for this tank is a really good find, the rear filtration space is superb, and goes well beyond what is required for the volume of water

Thats wicked guys! Thank you all for your collective technique! Good to know that its okay to not uproot the stems. Phew!! Si

Very true. I try to make sure any plants have acclimatized well before winter, if not then it's worth waiting until spring unless you can plant (aquatic) plants below the water surface and let them make it up onto land on their own. Established plants usually handle dry air without to much...

Hi all, They are definitely a bit deficient in something, the problem is working out what the <"something"> is. I think this as well. Time is a great <"healer">. I'd probably look on increased algal growth as a good sign, both <"green algae and aquariums plants"> are fundamentally "plants"...

Hi all, Problems often come in the winter, particularly in more continental climates. @Tyko_N or @MichaelJ can probably add more from their <"personal experiences"> of <"life in a cold climate">. The problem is that the cooler the air is the less water vapour it can hold, so really cold...

This is my tank. Some plants have roots on the substrate, some are attached to the wood as epiphytes, some live in moss above the water but with a cotton wick pulling water up. Some houseplants, some aquarium plants. Humidity isn’t really a problem as it’s in my south facing kitchen. Water loss...

Hi all, Sage advice, that is why UKAPS is the <"gift that keeps giving">. I think, <"back towards the start"> of the <"cycling wars">, there were <"one or two posters"> who suggested that, if they ever met me in person, they were going to re-arrange my dentition, but this may have actually...

If you can keep house plants alive then there will be plants that you can use in the tank. Googling the UK is meant to be 50-60% average humidity in summer and I've not had many issues with what I've tried and I don't mist at all. You might need to experiment with different plants but there will...

Sounds like your CO2 is fairly well optimised. But stay on top of it and make sure you can rule that out as a potential factor. The reason, the new tank is relatively immature and missing an essential component to stability; a balanced microbial community throughout the entire system. This...

I've never heard of Filtreau. Please tell us more about it, if you are interested more specifically, price, support, service and what parts you changed. I use a drum filter made in Korea from the rau company, I ordered it here: raufilter.com I have been using a 35m³ drum filter and a...

If eventually the original (after several trimmings)bottom of the plant starts to look iffy, lack of light maybe dropped leafs it can be cut at substrate level keeping soil disturbance to minimum

Lots of lovely floating plants arrived in the post yesterday and are now in the water -- thank you so much, @simon_the_plant_nerd 🌿

Thats what I mostly like to believe. ... and that is why I hedge my bets and never open my front door to strangers after dusk. Cheers, Michael

Ha! I haven’t been traumatized on this forum … yet. Instead, I visit most every day to see what new tidbits you guys are handing out. Such a great place to learn.

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome. I actually do have a pressing question, now! I noticed two small green hydra on my front glass a few days ago. I spot treated both with less than a mL total of hydrogen peroxide and I sucked them up when they became detached from the tank. I already knew...

Yes, I think so.

The height at the back is only 20 ish centimeters so i think the usteriana would be a little to big. I was looking at echinodorus red diamond. The ted tiger could be an option! Thanks for the help @Walt1908

Thanks for the help, just been looking I’ve found this connector JBL. Are these the right sizes that I need?

First time attempting a Micranthemum ‘Monte Carlo’ carpet. When the best time to trim it back??

O to 3 weeks

I think JBL used to do a converter. JBL stuff is now very difficult to get hold of in UK.

Wow! I love kuhlis! I have the oblonga and the pangio. This handsome would be a nice addition 🧐

If i had your tanksize ill do 1 or 3 cryptocoryne usteriana and some c. Spiralis 'tiger' for 100% :cool:

Thanks for the info, I already have some floating plants and will add some stemplants in the near future to help aiding the startup process. Some of the juwel led fixture i Blacked out with some heat resistant tape.

Rearanging some crypts result: Hole in a cryptocoryne nevelli leaf... Nothing big, but something to keep an eye on. This is the second most isolated crypt to the most right in the tank. Its surrounded by multiple balansae doing just fine. 15cm to the left from the nevelli: To the right a...

Hiya @Ryanj8825 It looks like the regulator you have is designed to fit the disposable gas bottles, these come with a M10×1 thread. Like this. It fits this type of cylinder. Unfortunately I'm not aware of any connector that can take that thread to a BS341 / DIN477 / W21.8×14 female nut...

Different cylinders may use different threads depending on the intended use and the technical norms in each country. It is possible that somewhere in the world there are cylinders which fit in your regulator without any adaptation or connector.

not as description, so should get a refund if open a dispute with PayPal

Nerite are just amazing for cleaning hardscape. I can clearly see where that snail's been. P. S. I saw these the other day at my LFS. I have never seen them before. They LFS didn't know what they are either. Apparently they are called pumpkin nerites or pink lady nerites (fitting name as they...

thanks for the help. It was listed as ready to go.

I have done 2 60% water changes while vacuuming the substrate. The water was disgusting to say the least. I did a heavy trim and the tank looked good again. For a few days. Then it kind of bounced back again. I added 8 more amanos, 13 nerites, a large ramshorn and 4 more otos. The hardscape is...

No sorry, only ever bought them as complete regulators. I’d return it unless it’s was listed as spares/repairs

Thanks Paul! Have you links so I can purchase one? Or know a website?

They look exactly like in the photo. I slightly increased the ferts again but I think it made algae worse.

...dosing etc. You might have to dose additional <"chelated iron"> (Fe), (and possibly magnesium (Mg)), purely because of the <"hard and calcium (Ca) rich"> nature of your tap water. * it will be less than these values because you won't have the addition from the Solufeed 2 : 1 :4. cheers Darrel

Thank you for your input. The tank was set up in October last year though so I would expect it to balance out by now. It must be the organics and the lower plant mass (of stems). I'm still struggling with algae 😕

Hi Looks like your missing a piece, male threaded pipe one end and a spinning nut other end to connect to the FE

Thank you for all the helpful links and information. I will go through them over the next couple days to see what I can learn. From my limited reading it doesn't seem possible to keep tropical plants like this if your humidity is in the 50% region even with daily spraying?

Hi all, That is it, just below a node (where the axillary buds are), and then trim the cut stem back to the next node <"The Art of Nature Aquarium">., removing the "snag" of tissue (the section above the node). Plant the cutting (the bit with the apical bud) and the axillary buds should then...

Thanks for the reply, I just bought this of eBay.. it stated on the advert it was all ready to plug in and go. I’ve literally just took it out the box

Without wishing to sound condescending (I hope I don't and forgive me if i do) but have you removed the horn (the black applicator where the CO2 comes out from by unscrewing it from the body of the extinguisher?

Welcome :) agree with you on the Celestial Pearl Danio I love watching mine do the dance and put on a show

Greetings from Ukraine! why not combine 2 favourite hobbies? In autumn 2020 I tried to rescue a dying phalaenopsis by putting it in my blackwater biotope aquarium. Now it is a beautiful healthy plant with strong roots and grows on the emersed part of the driftwood. It regularly blooms twice a...

Hello, really struggling finding a connection to connect my co2 fire extinguisher to my regulator. Can anybody help me out? Tia

Welcome and nice start

Welcome :)

Thanks for the advice. It was doing better I hacked a few stems and replanted. After a while it just started to look scruffy and lots of the leaves were turning yellow and brown. I'm currently dosing with APT 1 daily so will try moving it as you and @MichaelJ have suggested!

Last time I checked, this was the definition of an expert. There is a researcher in Brazil that managed to sprout a rare plant, that was quite difficult, because there was no prior relevant research on that specific specimen. She did it so well that it growed as high as one meter in a pot...

Welcome! I'm jealous of the access the west coast has to nice aqua scaping stores. Not much out here in the NE. :/ Oh, and if you're in it for the long haul, get ready to spend a lot more money haha

Always tricky when going away and want to do for all the 'what ifs' :arghh: I done the same approach as @ian_m in the past which has worked well accepting the plants going a little laggy and straggly as Ian says, bit of maintenance and your soon back on track. Another option which I didn't...

Hi all, I can think of a few, @zozo (Marcel) is a good source. <"Where The Jungle "Destroys" Red Rock Creek..">. <"Journal - Mission Bathtub and the Pollywog Party..."> <"Does anyone have experience growing, Echinodorus 'Small bear' and Echinodorus 'Yellow Sun'"> Then there was @BigTom...

Don’t pull them up, just trim and replant the tops. Best to trim at a level just below any hardscape so the ugly ends are hidden until they start to grow again. And repeat as and when necessary. The rooted stems should produce two or more new shoots, so you should end up with dense bush. One I...

Simplest way would be to get a smart plug for the lights as well and use it only when on holiday. Sunset feature isn't all that important, especially if there is no one there to see it. Lights would simply turn on for ages, before LEDs. Alternatively, you could use a plug that can be controlled...

⚒️ H A R D S C A P E B U I L D ⚒️ Making progress on the mossy stream…

Quick phone picture. Fish thought it was feeding time, when in fact it was bed time. This isn’t really what I had in mind for this tank, but I am slowly adding epiphytes and also moss. I love the gangly stems, and the way Bolbitis grows through the wood. Plants such as the guppy grass, Riccia...

I usually trim a top section off, at a node, where there are hopefully new roots already forming. I then carefully remove the leaves at the very bottom of the cutting and replant. I trim the rest of the planted section down a bit, if it's extra straggly.

Hi all, Good, I knew it should / does work, but it is always nice to have some confirmation. We have quite a few threads (on all sorts of subjects) where we've offered advice, and the OP says that they have started following it, but after that we just don't get anymore posts. The problem at...

Hi. Not wanting to miss an opportunity of replanting a Stem Plant, I have been doing a bit of reading up an the forum, back to 2007 about trimming and replanting when stems get a bit ragged. It seems normal practice to pull growing stems from the substrate, trim off the bad bit and replant the...

Before I built my PLC, which has a holiday timer mode, I just turned everything down when I went away. I ran my tank over 5 weeks whilst on holday, with lights & CO2 starting 2 hours later and turning off an hour earlier. Basically had 2 T4 tubes on for 4 hours only. Also reduced fertiliser...

Nice example. I think the key is choosing the right plants from the outset, ones that don't mind their feet in water but can also tolerate lower humidity. So you're not necessarily restricted to what we normally consider aquatic plants. You also have more than a few houseplants to choose from as...

Hi - new to aquascaping and 1st time using CO2 so apologies for if this is a stupid question......... I have Twinstar G Line lights and CO2 kit supplied by Aquarium Gardens. (Absolutely amazing customer service!!!!) The Twinstar's have their inline timer / dimer control and the CO2 will be on...

Welcome ,it's looking good

Best ditch the compromised Anubias. Try purchasing replacements from the Wanted/Sale forum!