Search results

I guess I'll wait until the filter arrives (I'll order over the net without buying media) and then I can see how much I'll need. £30+ seems extortionate!

I'm thinking of replacing my broken Fluval external filter with an Eheim 2026 (Professional 2) as I hope to move up to a larger tank in the future. Why is the filter media so expensive? I'm looking at £110 for the filter and in excess of £30 for the media! How long can I reasonably expect the...

I have tapwater in the NW with about 40 ppm nitrate (albeit tested with a broad range test kit -_- ). I've been using a 3 stage RO unit for the past year and the health of my fish has increased immesurably. The RO product water has no measurable NO3 or PO4 in it, which is excellent for...

I currently have a 140L tropical tank filtered by a Fluval 104 MSF and an Eheim Ecco 2231 external filters. The Fluval is on it's last legs and needs replacing (increasing number of leaks etc). On the other hand, the Eheim continues to be flawless and has convinced me to buy from the Eheim...

I think a tank of that size is good for 4-6 angels. If you're worried about aggression, the more you have the more it will be spread out amongst the smaller fish. The only thing to worry about with 6 angels will be terratorial disputes if 2 of them pair up and decide to breed. However, if you...

Thanks for your reply :thumbs: 82F is about 28C so maybe I need to increase the temp in my tank a bit. I bought an RO system because of the NO3 and PO4 in my tap water, which is otherwise fairly soft. I like the fact that I can control the GH and KH more closely and the health of my fish...

I'm about to give my remaining clown loach and gourami back to my LFS and purchase a couple of altum angelfish. I have an RO system and keep my planted tank at around ph 6, GH 40-50ppm & KH 70 ppm, temp 26C. What parameters are ideal for altums? My existing (scalare) angels seem to be thriving...

What's a water bridge? :unsure:

Excellent :thumbs: How big are the tanks? I'm thinking of replacing my 140L tank with one 2-3 times the size so that I can move on to keeping Discus. I reckon buying a large glass tank and making my own stand would be very economical?

Thanks :thumbs:

That doesn't really matter as I have to raise all 3 anyway: my RO water is usually pH4 with almost no GH or KH.

How does salt affect your catfish though?

Altrincham. Because our tapwater contains high levels of nitrates and phosphates. I've measured up to 70 ppm NO3 and the PO4 is above the range of my Hagen test kit! My fish went through a period (4-6 months and 3 lost fish) of persistent fin & body rot which I attributed to high background...

I've got some limestone chips in the bottom of one of my external filters and at the bottom of the container my RO water goes in to, but i'm not sure they have all that much affect. I tested some RO water and then put some limestone chips in for a week and the difference wasn't noticeable (with...

Calcium carbonate being talcom powder? What about Mg, Fe etc.?

I'm aware that baking soda can be used to raise the KH of RO water, does anyone know of a cheap way to raise the GH? Additives cost a fortune! I've been using a mixture of Kent RO Right and Seachem Fresh Trace with good results, but wish to economise if possible. I believe that buffering RO...

that's true - my clown loaches are pretty much nocturnal

clay pots should be fine and not affect pH unless your water is very soft. I think clay minerals would raise pH if that was the case.

clown loaches or corys I'd say. clown loaches can grow to 6-10 inches, but very slowly, certainly a lot slower than a catfish.

It is a bit of an investment, but if you continue to have problems then maybe consider it... Sorry :/

An RO unit will also reduce the carbonate harness (KH) to around zero. It is this type of hardness (not GH) that buffers pH. My RO water is pH 4.5 and GH 0/KH 0. I add some Kent RO Right/Seachem Fresh Trace to it to raise the GH and half a teaspoon of baking soda to raise the KH slightly. This...

I switched to higher quality water (RO water) to get rid of persistent fin rot in my tank. It might not help your little guy, but it definitely improves fish health overall. I'd also try switching to another treatment and not doing daily water changes as that just dilutes the medication. Leave...

Not necessarily as most dry food contains quite high PO4 levels as it's not poisonous. I feed once a day and it's all gone in under 4 mins.

Even though I use RO water with <1mg/l PO4, the levels in my tank are still >5 mg/l with associated algae problems (although ottos do help ;) ). I've put this down to the PO4 levels in dried fish food. Does anyone know of any PO4 free fish food to help keep levels down?

Very nice :thumbs: You have the same backdrop as me and the same trapped air problem :(

Easy fellow scouser - there aren't many out there who can take our wit ;)

Good grief - how old were those angels? What did you feed them on?

I got 2 SAEs and 4 ottos. Lost both my SAEs, but my ottos love this type of algea :thumbs:

Thanks for the advice :thumbs: I've found bicarbonate of soda (nothing else listed in ingredients) - is this what I'm looking for? The Seachem powder I'm using is not called Equilibrium, and it does list PO4 as an ingredient. It's strange, all my LFSs stock Kent and Seachem products, but...

From what I read in several places prior to the RO unit investment, RO water is always low in pH, so that's not completely unexpected. It's just harder to get back to neutral than I expected, like you say, because of the low KH. I can't seem to find baking soda anywhere... Would that alone be...

That completely defeats the object and will leave me still with high PO4 levels.

Is anyone aware of a PO4 free pH buffer available in the UK? My RO water is <pH 4 and I need to raise it to 6.5. I have tried additives that increase GH but that is not sufficient and provides a 0.5 increase at most. I also need to raise KH. I'm currently using Seachem's pH buffer powder, but...

That's a very good question... :thumbs:

Test kits aren't very accurate - they could just be spurious readings.

Ever thought of using a substrate/don't the discus get frightened of reflections from the bottom of the tank?

For what's it's worth, my Fluval 104 is much noiser than my Eheim Ecco 2231. A recent review in PRactical Fishkeeping Magazine also raised this point and hence recommended Eheim filters over Fluvals. Eheims also have better fitting internal compartments :thumbs:

Practical Fishkeeping Magazine recently recommended water changes when nitrate levels reach 70 mg/l :thumbs:

The purpose of an RO system is to remove contaminants from the water, not to change pH. The fact that my tap water is pH 7 is good, but it also contains >5 mg/l phosphates, for example. "Just adding minerals" back didn't seem to help all that much. Going to "invest" in some baking soda on the...

The Seachem additive contains Mg, Ca etc which is why I bought it. I even over dosed it, but the pH didn't rise. I think I'll try baking soda to see if that works... How much in 35L do you think - a teaspoon (5ml)?

I've just purchased an RO unit and the product water has a pH of <5. My tap water is 7 and the water in my tank 6-6.5. I've visited all my local fish stores and couldn't find any purpose made RO buffer additive on sale, so I bough some trace mineral additive thinking it would do the trick...