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  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. dw1305

    Finally found a store that had Apistogramma in stock!

    Hi all, And this is what the adults look like Cheers Darrel
  6. 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...
  7. 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...
  8. 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...
  9. 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...
  10. 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
  11. 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...
  12. 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
  13. 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...
  14. dw1305

    Questions regarding softwater tanks

    Hi all, Probably these bits: And the Graph cheers Darrel
  15. 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...
  16. 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...
  17. 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...
  18. 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
  19. 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...
  20. dw1305

    Questions regarding softwater tanks

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