Introduction While many hobbyists rely on water parameter readings of ammonia/nitrite/nitrate to monitor their water quality, these parameters alone do not give a complete picture of water quality. The tank water may have a high pathogenic bacteria load (in the case of new/unstable/under-filtered systems) or other forms of organic waste molecules that have not yet […]
The tank above was grown in in less than 6 weeks, in a tank that was not pre-cycled. This guide explains on how to smoothen out the maturation process for folks that are in a rush to finish their planted tank projects and do not have time to let their tanks mature normally. What makes […]
Introduction The quality of tap water can have a great impact on planted tanks. For folks that are not imbued with an assortment of test kits to test every parameter, reading the local tap water report can give good clues as to what is in your water. Knowing what is in your tap water can […]
GH in this tank above was about 10-12 dGH, with KH values of around 8-11 dKH due to the limestone used in the tank. Limestone (CaCO3) dissolves slowly in water, adding both Calcium and Carbonates to the water. We would classify such water parameters as moderately hard. General Hardness (GH) Despite its fancy name, GH […]
Neocaridina shrimp (Bloody mary) in one if my home tanks. They breed wildly in planted setups, even though the daily pH swings in such tanks is easily more than 1 point. WHAT IS PH, REALLY? pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline the water is. The best way to think about pH is […]
CARBONATE HARDNESS Carbonate hardness, is a measure of water hardness caused by the presence of carbonate (CO3) and bicarbonate (HCO3) anions.It is a measure of the water’s buffering capacity; the higher the KH, the higher the pH in absence of other chemicals in the water, and the more resistant the water is to downward fluctuations […]
TDS refers to Total Dissolved Solids; this include all dissolved organic & inorganic substances in the water. However, the TDS reading does not tell us what is in the water. What makes up the TDS value is important. FOR EXAMPLE 100pm of Calcium in water is relatively harmless while 5ppm of copper will kill most […]
WHAT IS ‘HARDWATER’? Most aquarists use the term “hardwater” generically to refer to water that is high in mineral content – this can mean either the water being high KH (contain high levels of carbonates) or high GH (high calcium/magnesium content) or both. In laymen terms, it is common for “hardwater” to have both high […]
Syngonanthus and Tonina species and some Eriocaulon species such as the red Eriocaulon quinquangulare (shown above) prefer very softwater. Most “softwater” plant species are actually sensitive to high KH values and not GH per se. It is more accurate to then say that they prefer water with low carbonate hardness [low KH]. Most plants are tolerant […]
The main issue for both plant/livestock is that while many can survive in a large range of GH/KH values, the transitioning process from water bodies with different salt concentrations can be stressful. It is mainly the difference in alkalinity and salt concentrations that cause osmotic stress when transferring livestock between two different water bodies. The difference in […]
My main farm tank has a pH of 5.0 when the CO2 is turned on. WHY DO CERTAIN PLANTED TANKS HAVE SO LOW PH? Tanks using aquasoil in softwater countries naturally have very low pH values. This is by design; as most aquatic plants favor slightly acidic substrates and the large majority of fish in […]
The pH level of tap water may vary greatly depending on the location and season. It is usually neutral at pH7.0, but it can become more acidic (approximately pH6.0) or alkaline (approximately pH8.0). Most of the aquatic plants used in the basic types of layout grow well in neutral to slightly acidic water and tend […]
The basic concept of Nature Aquarium, that is, making use of diverse living organisms including aquatic plants, mud snail and Cardina japonica for water purification. Although it is impossible to reproduce the natural ecosystem exactly as it within the limited space of a tank, the essence of the ecosystem can be extracted and rebuilt in […]