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  1. dw1305

    Back in the hobby

    Hi all, Welcome to Apistogramma forums. An established sponge is a great start. What @MacZ says really, have a look at the links in: <"https://apistogramma.com/forum/threads/maturing-an-aquarium.25797/#post-128211">. Basically you can maintain water quality a lot more easily in an established...
  2. dw1305

    Questions regarding softwater tanks

    Hi all, Neufeld lab. thread <"Linked here"> I'll have a go through the paper when I have time and abstract the "good stuff". In the UKAPS thread with the Neufeld lab. there is some discussion of whether plants might effect the microbial assemblage, and from the results of this paper, it looks...
  3. dw1305

    Questions regarding softwater tanks

    Hi all, A paper has come my way that is relevant to this thread. The paper is from the Neufeld Research Group - <"They looked at the sequence of microbial development in filters">. Cheers Darrel McKnight, Michelle M, Szabolcs, Natasha Graham, Alyssa & Neufeld, Josh D (2025) "Microbial...
  4. dw1305

    Feedback On Apistogramma Tank Plans :).

    Hi all, I always buy the cheap ones that say "100% silica sand", but having said that I haven't bought any for a while. This one should do <"https://www.wickes.co.uk/Suburban-Play-Sand---20kg/p/285242"> 100% quartz (SiO2) and £5 for 20 kg. cheers Darrel
  5. dw1305

    Questions regarding softwater tanks

    Hi all, Perfect. The simple answer is that you can just use their growth, and the <"Duckweed Index">, as your fixed nitrogen test kit. Labs. tend to use an ion selective electrode, or ion chromatography‐based nutrient analyses, but nitrite (NO2-) is one of the easier ions to test for with...
  6. dw1305

    Questions regarding softwater tanks

    Hi all, <"Everyday unfortunately">. cheers Darrel
  7. dw1305

    Parasites and wild caught food

    Hi all, Is that true for Chironomid larvae in general? I <"ranch"> my own in fairly clean water, but I won't feed <"commercially collected"> larvae. cheers Darrel
  8. dw1305

    Questions regarding softwater tanks

    I'm pretty sure that is the test kits, not a true reading. One reason is that comammox Nitrospira look to be the prime ammonia oxidising microbes at low pH and ammonia loadings and the comammox process oxidises ammonium (NH4+) directly to nitrate (NO3-). You don't have many ions of any...
  9. dw1305

    Nannostomus Sp.'Cenepa/Amaya'

    Hi all, This has always happened to me with <"Pencil fish and allies">, I think the problem is that they really don't like one another and, even if they don't physically damage one another, stress does for them over time. cheers Darrel
  10. dw1305

    Sudden Apistograma death need help with why

    Hi all, I'm sorry to hear of your loss, it is something that has happened to all (or nearly all) of us. Have a look at the <"Seasoned Tank Time"> concept. It is really difficult for us to judge what the tank was like without a photo. You won't actually have 0 ppm nitrate (NO3-), NO3- is a...
  11. dw1305

    It’s finally happening

    Hi all, Run them for longer, at least eight hours, that may not be long enough (in duration) to support plant growth. Rather than 4 hours light, I'd look at that as "20 hours of darkness". Have a look at...
  12. dw1305

    It’s finally happening

    Hi all, PM me if you change your mind, I always have spare <"Magnolia grandiflora"> leaves. What I would say is that structural leaf litter offers a lot of hiding places for the fish and also provides some natural activity and <"environmental enrichment"">. I'm personally convinced that this...
  13. dw1305

    It’s finally happening

    Hi all, Not much sympathy, but a lot of good advice. @Jwitho are you in the UK? I can post some "structural leaves" if you are. I know what I prefer, but I'd go for "firm but fair". Cheers Darrel
  14. dw1305

    It’s finally happening

    Hi all, Personally I wouldn't have any rocks, just "twiggy" wood and lots of structural leaf litter. You want the structural elements to break up "line of sight" and rock doesn't really offer that. Once the plants have grown in they perform the blocking function. I pyo all my wood and mainly...
  15. dw1305

    Befuddled by ph

    Hi all, That is the one, small additions of proton donors (or proton acceptors) make a huge difference to pH in low conductivity water. There is, but it is that all gases are less soluble at higher temperatures. Electrical conductivity is a sensitive measurement it will detect absolutely tiny...
  16. dw1305

    Befuddled by ph

    Hi all, You also have CO2 depletion, which will raise pH. I really wouldn't worry, the way I look at is that actively growing plants are the single most important factor in maintaining water quality. I'd guess that CO2 depletion will have a much bigger effect on pH. I used to occasionally try...
  17. dw1305

    Befuddled by ph

    Hi all, That should be fine. If you add some more tannins (I use Alder (Alnus) "cones" and Oak (Quercus spp.) leaves) the pH should come down. In planted tanks the removal of nitrate (NO3-) causes the pH to rise (again the chemistry is on the Niade website -...
  18. dw1305

    Befuddled by ph

    Hi all, As Mike says pH isn't a very useful parameter in low conductivity water. The problems are that very small changes in water chemistry cause large changes in pH, and that pH meters are a specific type of conductivity meter, and they take a long time to stabilise in low conductivity...
  19. dw1305

    Plants in Softwater tank

    Hi all, It probably won't include calcium (Ca), mainly because calcium sulphate (CaSO4.2H2O) is insoluble, which limits the salts (MgSO4.7H2O etc) you can use. I've got hard, alkaline tap water so I can use that to add calcium and bicarbonate (dKH). If I didn't? I'd use calcium chloride...
  20. dw1305

    Plants in Softwater tank

    Hi all, You can just add fertiliser via the <"Duckweed Index">, plants suitable for soft water have very low nutrient requirements. Cheers Darrel
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