Any suggestions welcome, please

[Naughts]

I don't - the water board don't give these parameters and the kit we have (API) while excellent in other respects doesn't test for calcuim- TBH, I can't say I've noticed one that does.

I am tempted by the pandas, I must admit.

Some people don't like corydoras, but I think they have oodles of charm.

Calcium might be on your water suppliers report?

 

[LostBear]

Calcium might be on your water suppliers report?

I didn't know we got a water supplier's report. I'll have a look online.

 

[Essjay]

@LostBear I'm with Northumbrian Water as well and they say my water is also "slightly hard". Last time they gave a number it was 42 mg/l calcium which converts to 5.8 dH and 104 ppm. This is right at the lowest edge of their "slightly hard". I have nerite snails and they don't have a problem with my GH.
Since we both have "slightly hard" water, yours must be the same or a bit harder than mine so your snails should be OK.


Edit to add - Northumbrian Water does give water quality reports but they don't include calcium or magnesium, the two minerals which make GH.

 

[LostBear]

@LostBear I'm with Northumbrian Water as well and they say my water is also "slightly hard". Last time they gave a number it was 42 mg/l calcium which converts to 5.8 dH and 104 ppm. This is right at the lowest edge of their "slightly hard". I have nerite snails and they don't have a problem with my GH.
Since we both have "slightly hard" water, yours must be the same or a bit harder than mine so your snails should be OK.


Edit to add - Northumbrian Water does give water quality reports but they don't include calcium or magnesium, the two minerals which make GH.

Oh - thanks for that update essjay.

I'm comforted to know that my snails and shrimps (?) should be ok. We've had a shrimp shed, and I left the empty carapace because I read online that they often eat it for the calcium it contains - and sure enough it was gone in a couple of days.

You've got cherry shrimp haven't you? Do you ever need to put shrimp tablets into your tank? Do they like them?

 

[Essjay]

Yes I do have cherry shrimp; they do eat their shed skins, though I do hoover some up during a water change. I don't add anyhting to the tank except food - Hikari Shrimp Cuisine and crushed algae wafers a couple of times a week.

 

[LostBear]

Yes I do have cherry shrimp; they do eat their shed skins, though I do hoover some up during a water change. I don't add anyhting to the tank except food - Hikari Shrimp Cuisine and crushed algae wafers a couple of times a week.

Thank you - I'll get some of these.

 

[ClownLurch]

We don't have mystery snails in the UK - they are banned! However I have to confess that I an very taken with my Nerites. We had two (Bob and Terry). Bob escaped (or possibly Terry escaped!) and by sheer good luck we found him covered in dog hair several days later. As his little trapdoor was tightly shut we took a risk, crossed our fingers and popped hm back into the tank. After a short time he began to peep out and soon he and Terry (or maybe Bob) were locked in a passionate embrace on a flat rock. I had to cover the dogs' eyes!

Thelma the rams horn appeared with some plants as an egg - some weeks after putting them in the tank this tiny snail was seen zipping about (good turn of speed on her, I can tell you!). She disappeared after a couple of weeks and we assumed she had slithered into the filter and died, but just a couple of days ago she was back, a little larger and just as cute.

Meanwhile we had got another Nerite (Tallulah). Since this one moved in, not only is it like some sort of gastropod orgy in there, but there are eggs appearing all over the place. I know conditions won't allow them to hatch, but they look a bit unsightly, and I'm concerned that if they rot they'll poison the water, so I'm scraping them off when I do the weekly change and hoovering them up. So either Tallulah is a girl and both the lads are besotted with her, or she is a boy and the others are girls and are now in his harem, and everyone has the wrong name.

I read somewhere that is can be good for your snails to have a piece of cuttlefish bone in the tank, for calcium. Is this ok for the fish, does anyone know, and would the amano shrimp benefit from it too.

Asking for an invertebrate . . .

Terry’s sister was called Sheila wasn’t she? Or was that her real name?

 

[LostBear]

Terry’s sister was called Sheila wasn’t she? Or was that her real name?

Terry's sister was Audrey - the actress was Sheila Somebody (sorry - haven't checked it. I can't remember her husband's name (Barry?) but I'm pretty sure he was played by Ronald Lacey.

Thelma was Bob's long-term girlfriend (and later wife).

 

[ClownLurch]

Terry's sister was Audrey - the actress was Sheila Somebody (sorry - haven't checked it. I can't remember her husband's name (Barry?) but I'm pretty sure he was played by Ronald Lacey.

Thelma was Bob's long-term girlfriend (and later wife).

I had this discussion on here with @Essjay last summer!

 

[LostBear]

I had this discussion on here with @Essjay last summer!

What goes around, comes around!