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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, 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, Perfect. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Cool and light would be better. 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, 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, Nice. I'd guess it will be all right. I assume because the water is oxygenated and moving a lot of plants seem to root much more readily in the fish tank than they would in a glass of water etc. All add in @hydrophyte, he is an <"emersed aroid man"> an should be able to offer a more...

Hi all, I agree with the others, it is a Hydra <"What are these Worms in my Shrimp Tank">. They are easily controllable <"with fenbendazole">, which you can buy cheaply as the Cat / Dog wormer "Panacur". You also have an <"Ostracod in the picture">, these are both harmless and common in...

Hi all, That is the one for me, no <"magic bullets">, I think you are right, it might be useful in the start-up, but there is some evidence that a "Twinstar" <"damages mosses"> in the longer term, probably by the <"same mechanism"> that kills cyanobacteria (BGA) etc. Dark chocolate digestive...

Hi all, We think it is an oxygen (O2) nano (and micro) bubble generator - <"Twinstar..what is it?">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You don't really need to measure small amounts, you can just <"guestimate">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, What @LFNfan says, but I'll still post this. If they worked (and that is very much open to question <"Dr Timothy Hovanec's comments about Bacterial supplements">) they would provide ammonia oxidising bacteria (AOB) that convert TAN ammonia / ammonium (NH3 / NH4+) to nitrite (NO2-) and...

Hi all, You are not getting any nitrate (NO3-) addition from the water, so I think that is very likely. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I really like our hard <"chalky water"> to drink, but it trashes <"your showers, kettles etc">. Soft water is very different and always feels (to me) like it is dissolving your tongue. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Yes, that is really soft water, it is actually softer than the rainwater I get in S. England. It is easy to <"add compounds to water">, but really difficult to remove them, so a water that is a <"blank slate"> is a great starting point. <"Those of us who have moved from liquid rock...

Hi all, No, it is a succulent and won't enjoy wet. You could grow it a "Bonsai". We have a few wabi-kusa threads <"DIY Wabi Kusa Spaghnum">. A Marsilea sp. has done well with benign neglect (it is @megwattscreative 's really) for me. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is a still from Rachel O'leary's famous video <"BBA carpet"> where she had a tank with fantastic BBA (and I mean <"that in a good way">) which suddenly all detached for reasons unknown. cheers Darrel

Hi all, The simple answer is we don't know what causes BBA, despite two very long threads <"What exactly causes BBA?"> & <"What exactly causes BBA? Part 2 - Bacterial imbalance">. Iron dosing If we looked at iron (Fe) dosing the argument, it is a bit if a strange one, but leads from adding...

Hi all, You can use the <"Nutrient Dosing Calculator"> to work out an amount. Just choose "11% FeDTPA" as your compound, add in the tank size and aim for ~ 0.2 ppm Fe as your target. If you are an Excel user? The<"IFC Aquarium Fertilizer Calculator"> will give you a lot more options. In...

Hi all, This is a really common worry, but it is only a potential problem in very specific circumstances where you have a <"really thick blanket of floating plants">, covering the entire gas exchange surface. Away from this specific scenario? Plants are <"massively net oxygen producers">...

Hi all, I honestly wouldn't worry too much. Your plant growth looks pretty good and your fish look really healthy. That is honestly what matters. I was just admiring that photo as well. I'm sure it is possible to have healthy plants (if you were adding high levels of CO2 or ammonia based...

Hi all, It does. If you add CO2 the plants can only make use of the extra CO2 if none of the other <"essential nutrients for plant growth are deficient">. It honestly <"won't remove any nitrate (NO3-) at all">, and if it could? You would be <"teetering on the edge of disaster">. I have a bit...

Hi all, @Cor is probably your best bet. The idea is that, if you have an <"ammonia rich substrate">, <"the "cycling" process"> occurs in the dark, which suits the nitrifying microbes, but stops algal growth <"Who needs a tank for a dark start…. Let’s see.">. Personally I would still probably...

Hi all, I'd pop it on a <"yoga mat"> (or similar), I honestly don't think it is a problem. cheers Darrel

Hi all, With the proviso that: you would need to buy the pH buffer calibration solutions, and I wouldn't put too much reliance on the values given at around pH 7 This sort of thing <"HI-98108 pocket pHep+ pH Tester & °C">? You can make your own electrode storage solution from potassium...

Hi all, <"Tricky">, unfortunately. "Cheap" and "pH meter" <"don't really go together">. Have a look at <"C02 injection with already low ph"> & <"Reccomended PH Probe">. cheers Darrel

H all, You need to watch out for the first signs of iron (Fe) deficiency. Have a look at "When the Duckweed Index breaks down" - <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">, cheers Darrel

Hi all, They are, but apparently only 1% of the English and Welsh population are supplied by "private" water supplies. <"What are Private supplies? - Drinking Water Inspectorate">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I've wondered about that as well. The map originated at DEFRA, so I assume it is correct. I think probably "public" is the important bit and it means that the water supply doesn't come from Yorkshire Water etc., not that there isn't any mains water. <"What are Private supplies? -...

Hi all, I think it is a good idea, we have quite a few "food" posts already. I don't know how difficult it would be to scrape them together into a forum (@LondonDragon ?). <"Blackworm and Asellus buckets">. <"Culturing daphnia">. <"Apisto double red fry dying HELP"> <"Live food culture -...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS. Honestly hard water isn't a deal breaker <"Some handy facts about water"> & <"What is this tanganyika plant?">, it is actually much more suitable for the tanks than water <"softened by ion exchange">. Have a look at @akwascape's low tech tanks linked in <"Choosing my...

Hi all, Unfortunately only when <"new leaves grow">. Have a look at - <"Duckweed Index says Nitrogen please?"> & <"Plant deficiencies and the Fe Experiment">. The plant can't move iron (Fe) around the plant to new tissue, or store it for a <"rainy day"> - <"Should i start to fertilize?">...

Hi all, That is what the vendor want you to think is important, but iron (Fe) availability is dependent upon alkalinity, both the ferrous (Fe++) and ferric (Fe+++) ions <"will come out of solution"> very quickly in base (<"and oxygen">) rich water. They aren't lying, but <"they aren't telling...

Hi all, The most important thing is healthy plant growth and a reasonable plant mass. Are you you saying that you still aren't <"dosing any fertiliser">? (and we still don't know if that iron (Fe) <"is plant available">). From your other thread <"Eheim Vivaline 240 Journal - Medium Tech">...

Hi all, It is just the sap you have to worry about. Probably wise. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You will need to let it dry out or soak because of the sap as @richardcunliffe says, After that you are good. Have a look at <"Now is a good time to look for PYO wood">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You just need the media from an established tank and then plant the tank, once the <"plants have grown in"> the <"tank is fish safe">. If you want to add a very small amount of ammonia? It won't do any harm, but <"probably won't make any difference">. We know a lot more about the...

Hi all, I'll add in @oreo57 , he is our resident lighting guru. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, @Stubbo , honestly we don't have <"anything to sell"> and we aren't <"keyboard warriors">. All you will get from us is what members think is good advice, it is entirely up to you what you do after that. Personally I'm a great believer in KISS solutions and <"if it ain't broke, don't...

Hi all, It just "horses for courses", it really all depends on <"what fish you keep">. As an example Rift Lake Cichlids? They are happy in hard, alkaline, high conductivity water. If you look at <"Lake Tanganyika"> it has <"plenty, of a wide range of salts"> and if you wanted to keep the...

Hi all, That one. It is just like first aid, you need to deal with the <"biggest problems first">. and that one. and that one as well. cheers Darrel

Hi all, These are, at best, <"ball-park figures">. As the others have said those are some fairly large numbers. I like conductivity <"as a measurement"> and your ppm TDS values are actually conductivity values (in micro S / cm) multiplied by a <"conversion factor"> (0.64 or 0.5). That would...

Hi all, You can to some degree, but a floating plant with a <"leaf green"> leaf makes life easier. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Yes, I have all of those. Have a look at this thread <"What are these?"> It is worth reading all the way through. This is specifically for Hydra & Planaria <"Planaria, are they an issue?">. That is the problem, I think you have to leave them. The problem is that the algae growth is...

Hi all, You need a lot more plant mass, but as your plants grow in you <"should get some stability"> and things should improve. I wouldn't <"worry about the wood">, but I would be worried about the <"Anubias barteri">, it needs a <"lot less light">. If you reduce the light intensity you won't...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, Personally, I think the "Father Fish" advice is mixed (there are lots of bits I agree with - <"Correspondence with Dr Ryan Newton - School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee"> & <"Maq's Substrate Experiment>) but I much prefer a <"low nutrient...

Hi all, @Courtneybst has moved to Canada (Courtney, how are things (other than cold)? I was going to PM you), and I don't know what, if anything, he took with him. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I only have sustainably caught "Tuna Friendly" Tuna now, you just get a small can entirely filled with brine or sunflower oil. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I've actually had this told to me by a Discus keeper, who was vehemently opposed to plants, and said.... We then got on to a discussion about beef-heart, HMA and <"Pozzani nitrate filters">, to which his attitude was all entirely positive. After that I left that discussion. The...

Hi all, Agreed, and no I'm definitely not recommending drinking the rainwater, just for the tanks (and garden pots). I'll clarify that in the <"linked thread">. I hadn't appreciated that there was any ambiguity until your post, but I can see there is. In my case it wouldn't only be...

Hi all, I think that is pretty much where we are. It is a proxy for changing water, without actually changing any water. I'm sure you are right, even in the famously wet UK <"2024 United Kingdom floods - Wikipedia"> we have real issues with <"drought and water abstraction in S.E. England"> and...

Hi all, Pretty much eternally, if you stop <"organic pollution"> getting in to the container. Rainwater is naturally distilled <"https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/freshwater/water-cycle">, so is pretty much devoid of nutrients and it is the nutrients (fixed nitrogen, organic...

Hi all, I should say I think he (Eric) has a lot of good ideas and in terms of the contribution of plants he is very much talking to the converted. Eric if you are reading this, you might be interested in <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?"> That would be the real worry for me. I get...

Hi all, That is obviously an issue, but I don't think the only options are "1/3 of the tank volume" or "no water changes at all". I'd just like "some". For most of us, with smaller volume tanks, it is less of an issue. In NW Europe you could easily collect 10,000 litres of rainwater in the...

Hi all, I'd agree with that as well, I'm not sure that the H2O2 <"oxydators"> make much difference. I can see the sponges <"as a sustainable option">, but I'm not sure the zeolite or purigen have a smaller environmental footprint than water changes would. I'll be honest, I can't see <"any...

Hi all, I think he is right there, there is plenty of contamination in tap water, and we have no real idea of <"whether hormones"> etc are <"coffee or froth">. That is one of the reasons <"I've used"> (and pushed the use of) rainwater <"If it's yellow, let it mellow and RO is the devil">. I...

Hi all, I'm not convinced about these three values. The conductivity value is much more likely to be correct, but I'm not sure how that works with "no water changes". That is a very small amount of ions in solution and even if "useless" <"soluble ions"> (Na+, Cl- etc) were building up...

Hi all, It is soft water, but not really blackwater. I would be interested whether the alkalinity is continually dropping (as nitrification consumes it) or whether he maintains it at 3 dKH. On <"Apistogramma forums"> what is, or isn't, blackwater is quite a hot topic - <"Absolute beginner to...

Hi all, I honestly think it is a lot more complicated than that. There are the hormones <"and salts"> etc produced by the fish, which have to continually excrete water (and internal salts) for osmotic reasons and plants are <"just very leaky structures">. I'm not an EI user, but Clive...

Hi all That is a well known, and very influential, name in the wastewater world. Possibly. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, We have some posts on these: <"Ocean Free Hydra electro-plate filtration - thoughts please">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Yes, this is just back to the <"advantages of plants">. Reef keepers use algal scrubbers mainly because there are <"very few marine angiosperms">. Synergistic "plant / microbe" nitrification is potentially about <"an order of magnitude more efficient"> than "microbe only" nitrification...

Hi all, No, not really. There was a thought at that time that <"you didn't need to change water"> in a low tech tank, but I think subsequently times have shown that (<"nearly">) all tanks benefit from water changes. cheers Darrel

Hi all, and the answer is <"change some water">. Have a look at <"Walstad revises">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is the one, once we had the genetic sequences for denitrification we found that facultative and obligate denitrifiers were pretty much universal I'll be honest, I would have been amazed if the situation hadn't been much more diverse than the traditional view was. It is back to the...

Hi all, That would make life easier. If you did lots of plant thinning and syphoning (I can't see any mulm etc.) then the "no water changes" would become more feasible, particularly with topping up to counter evaporation. Also the filtration might be relevant, if any-one know what it is? I've...

Hi all, <"You can"> - <"Blackworm and Asellus buckets"> These are @REDSTEVEO's in his shrimp tank - <"What are these Worms in my Shrimp Tank">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I would have both on. I always run my lights at "full" <"for ~12 hours a day">, even when they are dimmable. It just takes <"lack of PAR"> out of the equation. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Yes, but you could try <"SpotlessWater"> (two options in Gloucester - GL2 5EA or GL1 5SG), a few members use them and <"they are cheap">. What @hypnogogia (and links say), you can remineralise your water with <"a splash of tap water">, it supplies 1 :1 dGH : dKH. and you only need a...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS. The simple answer is that you can use your outside tap water. It <"limits the plants you can grow"> (and fish you can keep), but a <"lot of members"> have <"fantastic tanks with hard water"> and it does open the possibility of keeping <"Tanganyikan cichlids">, fancy...

Hi all, There is no real way of knowing, but I think that is where your problems may lie. I don't like filter floss, or fine sponge, inside the filter body. I like all the mechanical filtration to have occurred in the <"intake pre-filter">. I use really <"big sponge blocks">, basically I don't...

Hi all, Unfortunately Rams are poor, unhealthy things now. It is a shame because they are <"one of my favourite fish">. That doesn't sound great. I think you've done all you can at the moment. It depends a little bit on <"what is in the filter">, you are actually much more likely to have...

Hi all, That doesn't look too bad at all, but I'd describe it as "lightly planted". Personally I'd remove any yellow leaves, or leaves that have started to go rotten at the base, but I wouldn't remove a good green leaf just because it has algae on it. I know it is difficult, but you need to...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPs Can we have a picture? It is just going to make things a lot easier for us. cheers Darrel

Hi all, You would need some-way of keeping them and the fish apart (like <"a refugium"> etc.). They tend to fall foul of the filtration as well. The only small crustaceans I've had survive in the tank are Ostracods, and that is because they <"aren't very palatable"> to all fish. When it warms...

Hi all, If you give them some cover (structural leaf litter, small caves, bogwood) they will hide in / under them during the day, rather than digging into the substrate. Having said that I'm pretty convinced that they aren't your primary problem, the plants are up-rooted because they are...

Hi all, It is bizarre what some of these <"books are reputedly worth">. I own a copy of Mile Hellweg's <"Culturing Live Foods: A Step by Step Guide for Culturing One's Own Food for the Home Aquarium" >which I purchased for the sterling equivalent of $35. Cheap today at £189 cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think <"it is a good thing">. My friend from Bristol, the late Bob Marklew, <"had mulmy tanks"> and he was an incredibly good fish keeper. It is slightly different in that they want to keep <"REDOX values as high as possible"> and don't have access to higher plants etc. <"I think...

Hi all, Hold the back page, I just found this <"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsestengg.3c00344"> cheers Darrel

Hi all, The're on the flowering scapes, sometimes after the plant has flowered, but some times just as plantlets, rather than flowers. Have a look at @zozo (Marcel's) posts in the thread <"Does anyone have experience growing, Echinodorus 'Small bear' and Echinodorus 'Yellow Sun'">...

Hi all, Have a look at <"Andys HC propagator step by step">. Vallisneria spp. is an obligate aquatic plant, but tends to spread fairly quickly in the tank. Java Fern (Microsporum pteropus) can be <"grown emersed">, but needs <"very humid conditions">. Because it grows <"new plants on older...

Hi all, A "dark start" sounds a good idea. I'm a floating plant fanatic, but they really help. One advantage is you can just "watch the plant" so it takes a way a lot of the <"uncertainty associated with water testing">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Yes, change some water. If you are adding ammonia (NH3)? Just stop, cycling doesn't really exist in the way <"that we traditionally thought it did">. If you have a substrate that is ammonia rich the dark start process will reduce the ammonia levels without encouraging a bloom of algae...

Hi all, <"PlanetCatfish.com - Hypancistrus sp. (L136) (Loricariidae) Cat-eLog">. Nice, he shouldn't eat much, but the damage looks very much like Ancistrus feeding marks. I had a <"PlanetCatfish.com - Ancistrus sp. (L100) (Loricariidae) Cat-eLog"> and juvenile <"Hypancistrus...

Hi all, Do you have any plecs? cheers Darrel

Hi all, Plants can only improve water quality when they are actively growing. In this case the plant can't grow underwater and will start to decay, reducing water quality, rather than improving it. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'm not sure root tabs make any <"positive difference">, but I don't tend to break my tanks down and, <"over time">, the "normal" <"substrate processes"> will occur. I think it is <"Ophiopogon japonicus"> as well, unfortunately one <"that comes up a lot">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think they do <"Cloudy Water Hazy Water and Algae!">. Yes, I've been lucky enough to visit a lot of <"water treatment works"> (and <"landfills">), but this is the photo @_Maq_ has in mind <"First Planted Tank - 180L"> . Photo by John Rostron, CC BY-SA 2.0, <File:Beckton STP...

Hi all, Too much flow. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Yes. @Cor has <"done this">. I'll link the thread in later <"when I'm home">. That is it, basically <"use the thing you can observe">, rather than trying to measure things you can't. People who are good with plants are at an advantage, so the question was: how to quantify those things...

Hi all, What @John q says. You actually need to <"reduce the level of ammonia"> (NH3) and then not add any more. I know it is difficult because you can get a tsunami of information, but I'm not being funny, but just don't listen to them. The facts are that ammonia (NH3) / ammonium (NH4+)...

Hi all, I wonder if the problem is just the distilled water, it doesn't contain any nutrients and some of the required ones are missing. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think you are right, but it depends a little bit on the nature of the organic debris and <"whether you have shrimps and snails"> (or other <"tank janitors">). The other situation, where you might get an accumulation of organic debris, is if the water is very nutrient poor and acidic...

Hi all, Nice post and perfect tank. If people <"look at aquaponics"> it makes this point. I had to have a re-think about this in <"light of some stocking revelations"> from <"Stocking of an Aquarium">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Nitrate test kits are often a source of "interesting results", there is an explanation of why here: <"Few problems with my little slice of nature!">. It was actually the <"issues with nitrate (NO3-) testing"> that initially led me to the development of the <"Duckweed Index">. cheers...

Hi all, It is that one really. Marine aquarists don't have <"many vascular plants to choose from">, and also have the issue of the expense of water changes. If I had a marine aquarium <"I would definitely want plants">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is it, we just don't know <"Is expensive bio media worth it?">. We can, however, make some <"educated guesses"> based upon the scientific literature : <"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969722029680">. I know @_Maq_ agrees with this and we both think...