TDS

[Profs]

Hello!

what is the ideal tds level (ppm) to keep and breed dwarves and discus? Thanks

 

[Mike Wise]

It really depends on the species and the water values where they live in Nature. I don't think there really is an "ideal tds level", just a range.

 

[Profs]

mmm ok thanks. i have sucessfully bred and raised rams at 500ppm but am worried abt the other planted tanks where i dose with EI its almost 1000ppm :/

 

[gerald]

It also depends on what exactly those ions are, and their ratios. If your 1000 ppm is mostly KNO3, that might not be so good for fish. In natural streams and lakes, the TDS-contributing ions are usually a mix of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, F, Fe, Mn, Mg, Al, SO4, SiO4, CO3, HCO3, NO3, etc. Reverse osmosis reduces their concentrations but it doesn't remove them all. TDS (measured via conductivity) just tells you the total ion content. You can't tell if there's a serious shortage or excess (in terms of animal/plant needs) of any particular ion.

 

[illumnae]

Most RO remineralizers include K, Mg and Can but not the other ions. Would dripping in some comprehensive plant fertilizer like Seachem Flourish put these ions back in the water in a form that is available to the fish?

 

[OGNickyB]

It really depends on the species and the water values where they live in Nature. I don't think there really is an "ideal tds level", just a range.

so what is that range? just looking for a point of reference. i'm currently preparing a planted tank to become an apisto habitat (as far as species, whatever I can get my hands on around here), and am currently reading at 222ppm. for full disclosure, my water registers in the 170s out of the tap. I dose seachem excel flourish daily and Fe and trace minerals weekly, and perform 10% water changes daily or every other day. this routine keeps the TDS consistently reading at high 210s/low 220s. I run no carbon or purigen.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
I aim to keep my tanks below 120 microS (~80ppm TDS, the meter doesn't measure TDS, it measures electrical conductivity in microS and then displays ppm TDS using a conversion factor between 0.5 and 0.64). This was based on the theory that most soft water fish come from low conductivity environments.

The other advantage of conductivity is that it is pretty well the only water parameter where you can get an accurate reading from a "dip it in" electronic meter.

I only keep planted tanks and I feed the plants using the "Duckweed Index" (post towards bottom of the thread). I've found this is tank management with soft-water cichlids. With apologies for the cross-post, but details and photos here <"Water Lettuce and its impact...">

If you have a look a this thread it deals more <"directly with conductivity">, and is well worth a read.

cheers Darrel

 

[regani]

I keep most of my apistos at ~220 microS (about 150ppm TDS) and that seems to work fine for the majority of species I have kept so far. Some more sensitive species I keep in tanks at ~120 microS

 

[skoram]

I keep most of my apistos at ~220 microS (about 150ppm TDS) and that seems to work fine for the majority of species I have kept so far. Some more sensitive species I keep in tanks at ~120 microS

I was really surprised to read this. Does "seems to be work fine" also including breeding success? I am using RO/DI water for my uaupesi tank and I was debating using a mix of RO/DI and tap water for my A. erythrura pair. According to my meter, the tap water here has a 110ppm TDS and I figured that might be too high to breed them.

 

[gerald]

Depends on what those ions are. If they are mostly just Na and Cl with minor amounts of other ions, then it may be low enough. TDS (or conductivity) doesn't present the whole picture unless you also measure the GH hardness.

 

[regani]

I was really surprised to read this. Does "seems to be work fine" also including breeding success? I am using RO/DI water for my uaupesi tank and I was debating using a mix of RO/DI and tap water for my A. erythrura pair. According to my meter, the tap water here has a 110ppm TDS and I figured that might be too high to breed them.

Yes, that includes breeding. The species I have successfully bred in that water are macmasteri, borellii, baenschi, trifasciata, agassizi and cacatuoides. Maybe not the most demanding species, but still...

 

[skoram]

well this seems like encouraging information. whenever I measure my tap water using Tetra GH Kit, it always changes color after 2 or 3 drops. I don't know how reliable the test is though.

 

[gerald]

Does your water supply company post their test results? If not you might be able to find out with a phone call or email. Then you can compare your test kit with their results. If your water is soft, 2 or 3 drops might be about right. Is your test kit calibrated to 1 drop = 1 German degree GH (= 18 mg/L as CaCO3)? BTW if you call and ask, public water supply staff use "Hardness" to mean GH and "Alkalinity" to mean KH.

 

[skoram]

Does your water supply company post their test results? If not you might be able to find out with a phone call or email. Then you can compare your test kit with their results. If your water is soft, 2 or 3 drops might be about right. Is your test kit calibrated to 1 drop = 1 German degree GH (= 18 mg/L as CaCO3)? BTW if you call and ask, public water supply staff use "Hardness" to mean GH and "Alkalinity" to mean KH.

this is a very good idea and I will try to find out. I cannot get much information from their website primarily because it is only offered in Korean, and my Korean reading ability is not-so-great.