Hi all,
Organics aren't necessarily a bad thing (<"Dissolved organic substances">).
In marine reef, or un-planted "rift lake" tanks, where you have very heavily carbonate buffered water you can aim for high REDOX values and no dissolved organics, but the situation is much more complex in planted tanks with softer water and a substrate.
I use a different approach, where I try and ensure that I always have fairly high oxygen levels (via planted tanks, plants with access to aerial CO2, a reasonable amount of flow, venturi devices, water changes, aerobic biological filter material etc.) in the water and then I think in terms of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) of any items that I add to the tank.
The only measurement I take is conductivity. Although it isn't the most useful parameter it is the only one where you can just dip the meter in and get an accurate reading.
cheers Darrel
Organics aren't necessarily a bad thing (<"Dissolved organic substances">).
In marine reef, or un-planted "rift lake" tanks, where you have very heavily carbonate buffered water you can aim for high REDOX values and no dissolved organics, but the situation is much more complex in planted tanks with softer water and a substrate.
I use a different approach, where I try and ensure that I always have fairly high oxygen levels (via planted tanks, plants with access to aerial CO2, a reasonable amount of flow, venturi devices, water changes, aerobic biological filter material etc.) in the water and then I think in terms of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) of any items that I add to the tank.
The only measurement I take is conductivity. Although it isn't the most useful parameter it is the only one where you can just dip the meter in and get an accurate reading.
cheers Darrel