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  1. dw1305

    Using Waterlife pH 6.5 product

    Hi all, We actually have a "Kinetico" ion exchange unit at home, it gets through a lot of salt. Our tap water is fully saturated with calcium (Ca++) and bicarbonate (2HCO3-) ions, the water tastes lovely, but furs up showers etc really quickly. It is "strong acid" ion exchange, so it doesn't...
  2. dw1305

    Using Waterlife pH 6.5 product

    Hi all, I think these are "phosphate buffers", and I would be amazed if the weren't sodium phosphate based - <"https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/phosphate-buffer.9279/">. They are worse than useless, and sold by companies that know this, but are entirely devoid of any moral compass or...
  3. dw1305

    Looking For Advice (A. Borelli)

    Hi all, I have the low tech equivalent, a pestle and mortar - <"https://apistogramma.com/forum/threads/new-life-spectrum-fry-starter.23903/#post-112446">. Cheers Darrel
  4. dw1305

    Looking For Advice (A. Borelli)

    Hi all, I have these and all the fish eat them. My fish get a lot of live food - <"https://apistogramma.com/forum/threads/panduro-pairing-wait-or-give-up.30039/page-2#post-136747"> so tend to be less keen on most dry food -...
  5. dw1305

    Parasite or just a deformity?

    Hi all, It maybe a thyroid "tumour" - <"https://apistogramma.com/forum/threads/copella-callolepis-disease.22316/#post-103180"> ? Cheers Darrel
  6. dw1305

    Looking For Advice (A. Borelli)

    Hi all, You probably know what I'm going to say, but can you wait longer before the fish arrive? Your tank is still much, much too open. The fish don't need (or want) large open areas. If you can see the fish easily, you won't see the fish, if that makes sense? It doesn't have to be plants...
  7. dw1305

    Dicrossus filamentosus

    Hi all, This is how they look now. I've seen some eggs, they looked fertilised, but still no fry. Cheers Darrel
  8. dw1305

    Finally found a store that had Apistogramma in stock!

    Hi all, The OP hasn't been on the forum since 2024, so I guess we will never know. Cheers Darrel
  9. dw1305

    Emerse Echinodorus on balkony?!?

    Hi all, It won't work on a sunny balcony, but that would be a good suggestion for a shadier spot, or if @Phil_1983 could place it out of direct sunlight? Cheers Darrel
  10. dw1305

    Finally found a store that had Apistogramma in stock!

    Hi all, Apologies, that is my fault, I "piggybacked" on this thread, because it had Axelrodia riesi pictures. It would have been better to start a new thread. Cheers Darrel
  11. dw1305

    Finally found a store that had Apistogramma in stock!

    Hi all, And this is what the adults look like Cheers Darrel
  12. dw1305

    Finally found a store that had Apistogramma in stock!

    Hi all, I still have some of these, they have Dicrossus filamentous as their tank mates now. I have some fry that have appeared in the tank, curiously only since I've had the cichlids in with them, possibly because they've had more food (including a lot of Daphnia). Apologies for the quality...
  13. dw1305

    Looking For Advice (A. Borelli)

    Hi all, Very few of us vacuum our substrates. I don't want to disturb the substrate, I want "natural processes" to occur. Have a look at: <"https://www.swisstropicals.com/library/aquarium-biofiltration/"> - you may need to scroll down the page to reach the article. If you like a very tidy...
  14. dw1305

    Is it low ph or lack of kh that causes 'low ph' bacteria to grow ?

    Hi all, I think that when you add CO2 it is the only time that you decouple carbonate hardness and pH. Carbonate hardness, as acid neutralising capacity, is really what we are interested in. I actually just use conductivity as a proxy measurement, I can do this because I know the majority of...
  15. dw1305

    Is it low ph or lack of kh that causes 'low ph' bacteria to grow ?

    Hi all, The former. In an established set-up you will get a very diverse assemblage of nitrifying organisms, which will change in abundance dependent upon the ammonia loading, amount of dissolved oxygen, carbonate hardness etc. This is discussed in the Barthelme et al. paper in...
  16. dw1305

    Is it low ph or lack of kh that causes 'low ph' bacteria to grow ?

    Hi all, I should have also said that, even if you did want to add some dKH (and I don't see any reason why you need to), sodium (bi)carbonate is a very poor choice for this, potassium (bi) carbonate is a better choice, and if you have hard tap water? A splash of that is ideal. Cheers Darrel
  17. dw1305

    Is it low ph or lack of kh that causes 'low ph' bacteria to grow ?

    Hi all, <"https://apistogramma.com/forum/threads/starting-a-firs-blackwater-aquarium-nitrogen-cycle.30016/#post-136365">. We have a number of threads on UKAPS, where we've talked with scientists involved in research on nitrification in aquaria. I'll link a couple in, but basically it isn't...
  18. dw1305

    Back in the hobby

    Hi all, That sounds perfect. The main difference I've found with Apistogramma spp. from "standard fish" is that tend to be fairly unforgiving of any loss of water quality, inappropriate feeding, or suboptimal habitat. Cheers Darrel
  19. dw1305

    10g Breeding Project?

    Hi all, It would really depend on how much structure you have in the tank. I have really densely planted tanks, with lots of wood and structural leaf litter, and that means that your fish have a little bit more wriggle room with regards to aggression, as "lines of sight" are very short. I've...
  20. dw1305

    Questions regarding softwater tanks

    Hi all, Probably these bits: And the Graph cheers Darrel
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