Hi
@dw1305
Thanks for your reply.
So, my question is - how do we mitigate against organics building up? I realize that you're not in favour of testing water parameters but do you know how we can quantify and control organics building up?
Dissolved organics are most easily removed by maintenance. Water changes are the most effective method to remove them, and why we do such large and regular water changes. Also cleaning the filter more regularly, not overfeeding fish, removing dying and loose leaves, siphoning any detritus build up etc will all help lower organics, but water changes are perhaps the most effective.
Dissolved oxygen levels also obviously help break down organics, so maximising DO should also help break down organics more effectively. Surface skimming is also effective as you have already mentioned - since it removes the organic film on the water surface, removing those organics, but also increasing gas exchange (and presumably DO levels) (PS - if you want a much more effective and easier to use skimmer than the Eheim 350, try the APS SKIM-2).
Darrel will I'm sure be able to give you more detail, but monitoring TDS is the simplest way to track gradually increasing organics - though if you use tap water for water changes, you need to keep an eye on tap water TDS also as mine varies quite a lot throughout the year.
What about activated carbon and the likes of Purigen?
JPC
Activated carbon is a bit more indiscriminate and will absorb a wider range of substances. Purigen is marketed as absorbing mainly dissolved organics. I use it in my filters, as I imagine do the majority of high tech tank owners on this forum, and it appears to be an effective addition as far as I am able to observe.