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Hi @jynxy Welcome from me too! JPC :)

Hi @oreo57 Thanks for your reply. I'm using an old Samsung Tab to write this reply, which is quite a challenge! Will get back to you again when I'm back at my laptop. JPC

Hi @rdk1402 If it works for you, which it obviously does, why change? JPC

Hi @MichaelJ How I managed to forget to include ORP on my list I don't know. I guess I was not expecting a newbie to measure (and interpret) this parameter. For me, ORP is primarily my measure of dissolved organics. JPC

Hi @rdk1402 I'd be interested in knowing how you determine the extent of organic buildup in your tank. JPC

Hi @oreo57 Have you ever experimented with lighting that emulates natural sunlight/daylight? Companies like Waveform Lighting and Kyocera seem to be active in this form of lighting? Here's a couple of links: https://www.waveformlighting.com/aquarium...

Hi @John q That's a pretty comprehensive answer. Many thanks. JPC

Hi @John q With the greatest respect, I have yet to find test strips in which I would place any trust. But, I've not tried them all. So, which test strips would you recommend? JPC

Yes, Darrel is correct. Some of us prefer to do water tests - when appropriate. Examples of water parameters that I may choose to test are ammonia, nitrite, KH, GH, pH. To this list, I may add EC* or TDS**, both of which are in the form of a battery-powered electronic probe. It is vitally...

Hi @hypnogogia My reservation about rainwater that has flowed across roofs, guttering, etc, is what it may pick up in the process - bird droppings, etc. I use rainwater that I collect in a clean container and then pass through a coffee filter. The use of coffee filters has been discussed very...

Hi @dw1305 Perhaps the 3 ppm figure comes from that wonderful aquatics source from many years ago. I'm referring to The Krib. Please take a look at the following: https://www.thekrib.com/Plants/CO2/co2-booth-faq.html In the text, there is a statement that "With a typical equilibrium...

Hi @pollyandpear Please take a look at the following link: https://www.swelluk.com/help-guides/which-tropical-fish-can-i-keep-in-hard-water/ Plenty of fish to choose from! JPC

Hi Everyone, I guess the link I provided above came as no surprise to people. I do believe that I may have mentioned this elsewhere on UKAPS. JPC

Hi Folks, You will no doubt find the following an interesting read: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/edn3.139 Bit of an eye-opener, eh? JPC P.S. If I've made an error here, it will have to wait until tomorrow before I can correct it. Please be patient with me!

Hi @Myrtle I'm pretty sure that it's a form of Staghorn Algae (Compsopogon caeruleus). Please take a look at the following: https://www.aquasabi.com/aquascaping-wiki_algae_staghorn-algae It's a common invader into our tanks. JPC

Hi @ExcitableBoy Organic matter needs to be maintained at an absolute minimum in order to keep algae under control. Remove any that is visible. JPC

Yes, I'm also having a lot of problems. I sent a PM to London Dragon and Tim Harrison a few hours ago. No reply as yet but I suspect they're busy sorting the problem out. Fingers crossed. JPC

Hi @dw1305, Thanks for the links. I was surprised to discover that the Canford Park post first appeared back in August 2019! Tempus fugit! JPC

Yes, I remember that thread. @dw1305, do you know where I can find it? TIA JPC

Yes, I remember that thread. @dw1305, do you know where I can find it? TIA JPC

Hi @Simon Cole & Everyone, From the above, could one not conclude that the fishes' behaviour is simply the result of excessive carbon dioxide in the water? Or, what am I overlooking? JPC

Hi @Simon Cole Although the ORP/Redox of my tank water is +370 to +380 mV, I suspect that this may increase a tad if an airstone was added to the tank. Who knows? But I could give it a try. I do know the difference between dissolved oxygen (a gas) and ORP/Redox (oxidizers and reducers) - the...

Hi @dw1305 :eek::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::eek: Yikes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's mind-boggling and more detail than I could have ever expected! Thanks so much. JPC

Any chance you could do a quick measurement? Please. JPC

Hi Darrel, Do you have a suitable microscope at your work lab that would enable you to measure the hole diameter on a 'typical' coffee filter paper? I've often wondered about this. I guess it's also possible that the water gets through the filter by capillary action. JPC

Hi @Soilwork I would have thought that AOA and AOB would both be dependent on KH as a source of carbon. Without carbon, they would be missing one of the most important elements in life as we know it. JPC

Hi Everyone! This is an eye-opener, to say the least. Is there no definitive reference to which we can turn to obtain the true/correct identity of aquatic plants? What about Christel Kasselmann's Aquarium Plants book? JPC

Hi @balthazaar With what are you proposing to wash the plants that you remove from your tank? Could you also let us have a photo of one of your plants on which the cyanobacteria has grown? That'll do for the moment but please expect a few more questions! JPC

Hi Folks, There has been a good deal of discussion recently about 'dissolved organics', aka DOC/DOM. But, if it weren't for heterotrophic bacteria, DOC/DOM would continue to accumulate. This is where heterotrophic bacteria (and other organisms) step in. It is heterotrophs that mineralize...

Hi @_Maq_ Interesting. Do you have any idea, theories or hypotheses that might explain this particular ratio? Thanks in advance. JPC

Hi @Myrtle May I ask - what is the power rating (in Watts) of your heater and what is the temperature range of your room? JPC

Hi @Myrtle Have you considered using a surface skimmer? I have one in a 30cm cube and it has adjustable output flow. It's a modified Eheim skim350 but there are others. Just a thought. JPC

Hi again, @Zendango I never kept GBRs with shrimp but I seem to recall that they were OK with Corys. It's only 3-4 years since I kept GBRs so I'm embarrassed that my recollection of some details is rather sketchy. :(. They can get aggressive towards tank mates - particularly if other fish...

Hi @Zendango Having never kept the larger geophagus, I am unable to make the comparison. But, they didn't disturb the substrate in my tanks. And, going by memory, it would have been 2mm diameter. Had the substrate grain size been much smaller, I guess they may have been able to filter the...

Hi Folks, And here's another relevant thread: https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/seachem-purigen-activated-carbon.70347/#post-704623 I'll stop there. Phew, I hear you all say! JPC

Hi Everyone, The following is the link to which I was referring. It is also referenced in other threads. https://www.golias.net/akvaristika/experiments-algae-organics.php JPC

Hi @hypnogogia, I couldn't agree with you more! In my opinion, build-up of organics just doesn't get the attention that it deserves in our tanks. I have been interested in this aspect of aquatics for several years during which time I've researched and carried out numerous measurements. There...

Hi @Mattant1984 May I suggest that you take a look at the following to see if it helps in any way: https://www.aquasabi.com/aquascaping-wiki_algae_fuzz-algae JPC

Hi @neofy705 That's one for the shrimp-keepers. Unfortunately, I'm unable to help you there. But, you're unlikely to have to wait for long before help arrives! JPC

Hi @Zendango / Karl Welcome to UKAPS! I assume you are referring to the German Blue Ram (as shown in my avatar). It's a long time since I kept/bred them. I would advise reading as much as you can for these lovely fish. Here are a couple of links to get you started...

Hi @neofy705 &Everyone, According to the blurb, the Apera PC60 is supplied with calibration solutions. And this includes an EC solution of 1413 microSiemens/cm. Here's the blurb: https://aperainst.com/pc60-premium-multi-parameter-ph-ec-tds-salinity-pocket-tester-meter-1 JPC

Hi @MichaelJ & @neofy705 Yes, it's the inorganic carbon that is required by the Staghorn algae. And, pH will determine the form this takes . That's what I was hoping to illustrate in post #32. JPC

Hi @neofy705 Please take a look at the scientific paper below: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278847407_First_record_of_the_tropical_invasive_alga_Compsopogon_coeruleus_Balbis_Montagne_Rhodophyta_in_Flanders_Belgium I suggest that you read the Abstract of this document where it...

Hi @neofy705 The Apera PC 60 looks like a nice piece of kit. A pH of 6.1 would be unlikely to encourage the growth of Staghorn algae - in my opinion. Not being a shrimp-keeper, I am unable to advise about shrimp. The difference in TDS readings is gobsmacking! As the Apera PC60 also has an...

Hi again, @neofy705 I suggest that you measure the tank water pH with your new pH meter and let us have the figure. Then, we can decide how best to proceed. JPC

Hi @neofy705 As I said above, higher pH is likely to encourage growth of Staghorn Algae because of the higher bicarbonate in the water. And, in post #22, I suggested that pH figures in the range 7.5 to 8.0 may be typical of this water. Please take a look at the attached graph which shows the...

Hi @neofy705 May I ask what you are using to measure pH? If pH turns out not to be a factor, then all those botanicals may well be the culprit. JPC

Hi @neofy705 Firstly, I'm having problems with my PC. With that caveat in mind, I firstly suggest that you take a look at the following site: https://www.aquasabi.com/aquascaping-wiki_algae_staghorn-algae Staghorn (Compsopogon) algae prefers HCO3- (bicarbonate) as a source of inorganic...

Hi @_Maq_ It is my understanding that diatoms also require sulphur and carbonate for growth. See the following document, which is available on ResearchGate: J. Freshwater Biol., 3(3): 193-200 (1991) JPC

Hi @dw1305 Point taken. To be honest, no sooner had I submitted my post when I realized that there would be microbes on the various surfaces. JPC

Hi Folks, Obviously, as a hobbyist, I am unable to investigate the presence of AOB or AOA in my tank. But, I guess I could possibly eliminate any stray microbes by passing the tank water through a UV-C sterilizer. Just a thought. JPC

Hi Folks, Here it (hopefully) is: https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/is-expensive-bio-media-worth-it.67468/post-691967 JPC

Hi @dw1305 & Everyone, I have extracted the following from the Planet Catfish reference: "For whatever reason some aquarists are resistant to the idea that plants can be an important component of biological filtration, but it is the honest truth". I have demonstrated to my own satisfaction...

Hi @JohnCooke Welcome to UKAPS :thumbup: JPC

Hi @dw1305 Looks like I have some serious catching up to do! Congratulations on pulling together all this information! JPC

Hi @castle Fishbase is the de facto fish reference at my local fish club and is used by plenty of hobbyists, including myself. JPC

Hi Everyone, Another, possibly better, alternative to Seriously Fish is the following site: https://www.fishbase.se/search.php Check it out and put it through its paces. :thumbup: JPC

Hi @castle OK, reading your posts again, you're obviously referring to nitrifying bacteria. So, the paper that I attached is applicable - not only to AOB* but also AOA** *AOB = Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria **AOA = Ammonia-Oxidizing Archaea JPC

Hi @castle I'm not sure that I fully understand what is behind your question. But, it has been known for a long time that nitrifying bacteria are affected by light and this is spectrum-dependent. A good many papers address this topic. Here's one for starters...

Hi @Jonstonia Welcome to UKAPS! I know Wakefield very well as I'm originally from Mirfield. JPC :thumbup:

Hi @MichaelJ Thanks for clarifying what I was trying to say. Good on ya! JPC

Hi @dw1305 & @RickyV Is it not possible to 'dilute' RickyV's tap water to lower the sodium level? I just had a quick look at a typical range of sodium figures for my tap water here in the UK. The range is 19 to 38 mg/litre. RickyV is seeing 33 to 81 ppm. Ricky, are you on well water? I ask...

Hi @plantnoobdude I should have made myself clearer. I'm not questioning the conversion. All that was necessary from the manufacturer was to provide nitrogen and phosphorus figures for NO3 and PO4. This is what the aquarist wants to know. And, is the General Hardness of this fertilizer...

Hi @Witcher For a similar reason, I'd be concerned about the Macros separately listing P and PO4. Also, N and NO3. The Micros bottle also states DGH of 0.02 ppm/degrees. Very odd. JPC

Hi @dw1305 Yes, interesting stuff. I'll keep an eye open for your new thread related to the above topic. JPC

Hi @plantnoobdude Absolutely. I have a tank in which I let the plants take care of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. I have never added any nitrifying bacteria products to this tank.The only electromechanical filter in this tank is an Eheim skim350 surface skimmer. This tank has been running for...

Hi @zozo There were times when reading Virgil's Aeneid Book IV when I considered the words 'complexity' and 'Latin' to be synonymous! JPC :lol:

Hi @hypnogogia Yes, I reckon it was about 50 years ago!! Yikes! JPC :eek:

Hi @zozo Your post takes me back to my 'O' Level Latin classes. Ah, fond memories! :) JPC

Hi @John q Would you care to explain, please? As an example, aquatic plants release organics into the water and this will have the effect of lowering ORP. Organics are then mineralized by heterotrophic bacteria, consuming dissolved oxygen in the process. It's not the ORP figure in and of...

Hi @plantnoobdude Ah, yes, of course! Thanks. JPC

Hi @plantnoobdude I wasn't aware that Otocinclus were recommended to "solve" tank issues. For which issues were they recommended? Yes, I agree. They're quite demanding fish. JPC

Hi @Tom72 Do you also have figures for KH and GH? May I suggest that one Otto may need a couple (or so) more Ottos for company? JPC

Hi @Wookii It ought to be possible to increase ORP (i.e. more positive) by use of suitable filtration. I'm referring to the likes of Purigen or other organics removal media. Granulated activated carbon or other adsorption materials should be effective. If my memory serves me well (!), I seem...

Hi @Wookii OK, I see where you're coming from. I'll give it some thought and hope to get back to you later today. JPC :thumbup:

Hi Everyone, Further to the link that @dw1305 provided in post #64 above, I'd like to draw attention to another excellent article that is included on Marcel's website. Here it is: https://www.golias.net/akvaristika/experiments-algae-organics.php It addresses the issue of organics leakage from...

Hi @KarloNo1 As others have requested, a photograph of the algae is essential in order to accurately identify it. Simply use your mobile phone camera and try to avoid any reflections from the tank glass panels. Assuming that we can accurately identify the algae, we should then be able to...

Hi @dw1305 You beat me to it! Had i not been doing other things, I was planning to reference Marcel's excellent article. That article, along with the others on his site are some of the best scientific studies in the aquatics hobby - in my opinion. JPC

Hi @Wookii It's important to remember that oxygen (as O2) will have lower oxidizing power than, for example, ozone (O3). The key point here is that ORP is a measure of oxidizing and reducing potential. It is not simply a measure of dissolved oxygen. JPC

Hi @Wookii & Everyone, Yes, the presence of dissolved organics lowers the ORP value and that's why it is used to gauge the level of water pollution. I find that addition of Seachem Iron (ferrous gluconate) lowers the ORP. I suspect this is caused by the organic gluconate rather than the...

Hi @MichaelJ The reading of +285mV is indicating a decent balance between oxidizing and reducing reactions in the water column. As an example, if there was a build-up of dissolved organics, this figure would drop. The extent to which the figure drops would be an indication of TOC*. I aim to...

The second sentence above is encouraging. JPC

Hi @Hanuman & Everyone I'd be a tad cautious with the above two websites. Neither of them support https URLs (internet addresses). I received security warnings when trying to connect to each of these sites. I use the Brave browser. Just thought I should let you know. JPC

Hi @_Maq_ & Everyone I'm in the UK and I simply use silica sand. But, I adopt the minimalist approach. I let the plants perform the filtration. The tank is home to Vietnamese Cardinal Minnows. JPC

Hi @MichaelJ Thanks for your comprehensive reply. Much food for thought. It seems that you have 'tuned' your tank optimally and are reaping the rewards. Well done! May I ask what you mean by "proper levels of beneficial bacteria"? I assume that you are referring to nitrifying bacteria but...

Hi @MichaelJ Unless I'm mistaken, you haven't mentioned any figures from your ORP meter. And, does your tank ever develop algae of any kind and/or cyanobacteria? JPC

Hi @ollie123 I have never used a CO2 reactor. But, I notice that they are available from the likes of CO2 Supermarket. This may be of some interest: https://www.co2supermarket.co.uk/co2-diffusers-turbo-reactor-co2-diffusers-gsc18.html JPC

Hi @Fiske Stunning photography! :thumbup: Do you also extend your macro photography skills to underwater creatures - fish, shrimp, Daphnia, etc? I suspect that requires highly specialized equipment? JPC

Hi @dw1305 Yes, I see that @Aleman mentioned it. Determining when the "X" disappears is obviously subjective but I'm not looking for 100% accuracy whenever I test for potassium. JPC

Hi @Vsevolod Stakhov I use the JBL potassium test kit. See below: https://www.jbl.de/en/products/detail/8679/jbl-proaquatest-k-potassium I'm in the UK. JPC

Hi @Hufsa & Everyone, For more information on Water Conditioners, you may want to take a look at the following: https://www.theaquariumwiki.com/wiki/Water_conditioners I find the Aquarium Wiki to be a handy resource. JPC

Hi @Matti I don't think you mentioned anything about the filtration system in your tank. Please let us have some details. JPC

Hi @MichaelJ I have just spotted the above thread/posts. You may recall that I also have the Milwaukee MW500. ORP at its heart is very complex. And that's because it's responding to a whole load of oxidation and reduction reactions that are simultaneously taking place in the aquarium water...

Hi @John q Thanks for correcting me. Indeed, the pertinent information is exactly as you have described above. Clearly, I need to spend more time using Ms Kasselmann's book. :oops::rolleyes: JPC

Hi @John q I can find no entries in the book for Lake Malawi. So, perhaps my idea is best consigned to the waste bin! BTW, I'm confused by your question, "Are you doing the test?". As I said, let's abandon this. I don't want to waste people's time. JPC

Hi Folks, According to the scientific research, Compsopogon coeruleus flourishes in water that has a high bicarbonate content. This would likely correspond to alkaline water with a pH somewhere from 7 to 10. It seems to me that this is where we should focus our attention, not on CO2 per se but...

Hi @JoshP12 & Everyone, And that's why I use an ORP* meter as a proxy to provide an indication of TOC**. But, it's a slow (and expensive) process accumulating data. Nevertheless, my pursuit continues. The expense arises because of the need to involve a Test Laboratory to carry out the TOC...

Hi @eminor I know very little about aquarium soils. @_Maq_ and other UKAPS members should be able to help you here. If you use tap water, it is very likely to contain silicate. JPC

Hi @eminor Diatoms require silica, sulphur and carbonate. So, when you were dosing potassium sulphate (K2SO4), you would have been adding sulphur to your tank. When dosing potassium chloride (KCl), sulphur would not be present. You may find the following scientific paper to be of interest...

Hi Darrel, I think I may have mentioned the above previously on UKAPS. What an eye-opener, isn't it? That's why I always dip new plants in potassium permanganate solution before adding to a tank. JPC