Bringing home my profession water tester... lets talk typical aquarium ppm...

[Magnum Man]

interestingly I just tested the house softened water, and it tested the same 457 ppm... curious if that is salt ions, replacing the iron and calcium ions one to one, or if my softener, is literally not working at all right now???

 

[TwoTankAmin]

From the EPA

5.9 Conductivity

What is conductivity and why is it important?

Conductivity is a measure of the ability of water to pass an electrical current. Conductivity in water is affected by the presence of inorganic dissolved solids such as chloride, nitrate, sulfate, and phosphate anions (ions that carry a negative charge) or sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and aluminum cations (ions that carry a positive charge). Organic compounds like oil, phenol, alcohol, and sugar do not conduct electrical current very well and therefore have a low conductivity when in water. Conductivity is also affected by temperature: the warmer the water, the higher the conductivity. For this reason, conductivity is reported as conductivity at 25 degrees Celsius (25 C).

Conductivity in streams and rivers is affected primarily by the geology of the area through which the water flows. Streams that run through areas with granite bedrock tend to have lower conductivity because granite is composed of more inert materials that do not ionize (dissolve into ionic components) when washed into the water. On the other hand, streams that run through areas with clay soils tend to have higher conductivity because of the presence of materials that ionize when washed into the water. Ground water inflows can have the same effects depending on the bedrock they flow through.

Discharges to streams can change the conductivity depending on their make-up. A failing sewage system would raise the conductivity because of the presence of chloride, phosphate, and nitrate; an oil spill would lower the conductivity.

The basic unit of measurement of conductivity is the mho or siemens. Conductivity is measured in micromhos per centimeter (µmhos/cm) or microsiemens per centimeter (µs/cm). Distilled water has a conductivity in the range of 0.5 to 3 µmhos/cm. The conductivity of rivers in the United States generally ranges from 50 to 1500 µmhos/cm. Studies of inland fresh waters indicate that streams supporting good mixed fisheries have a range between 150 and 500 µhos/cm. Conductivity outside this range could indicate that the water is not suitable for certain species of fish or macroinvertebrates. Industrial waters can range as high as 10,000 µmhos/cm.

https://archive.epa.gov/water/archive/web/html/vms59.html

Sometime the Google AI comes up with a good answer:

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Conductivity (EC) is converted to Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) by multiplying the EC value by a conversion factor, typically ranging from 0.4 to 1.0, and the result is expressed in parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per liter (mg/L). A common conversion factor is 0.65.

Here's a more detailed explanation:

EC and TDS:
Electrical conductivity (EC) measures the ability of water to conduct an electrical current, which is related to the presence of dissolved ions. TDS represents the total concentration of dissolved solids in water, including inorganic salts, organic matter, and suspended solids.

Conversion:
While EC and TDS are related, they aren't directly equivalent. The conversion factor is needed to account for the varying composition and concentration of dissolved substances in different water samples.

Conversion Factors:
The appropriate conversion factor depends on the specific mix of dissolved solids and the measurement temperature. A common rule of thumb is to multiply EC (measured in micromicro Siemens per centimeter) by a factor of 0.65 to estimate TDS in ppm.

Example:
If the EC reading is 1000 micromicro Siemens per centimeter, the estimated TDS would be 1000 * 0.65 = 650 ppm.

TDS Measurement:
TDS meters measure EC and then apply a conversion factor to provide a TDS reading.

 

[Magnum Man]

magnesium??? most info I'm finding on it refers to corals, and probably all other shelled aquatics...

this is an interesting read on plants

The calcium-magnesium ratio - | Aquasabi

Nutrient optimization in the field of total hardness

www.aquasabi.com

I can find magnesium test strips...

https://www.amazon.com/Magnesium-Stips-Quality-0-1000-Strips/dp/B0DBQXM7HK/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=30WUNHYC4RB0V&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.81ugPtRh9U3At29aGR8SHosvuUzAX1VMXlpWjj32GNM5uf_G8DtZ1UrOt5FTMqsMGjJ9ocI06qCRl3CEWaEY7h_7RTOnlS_FodFcJ6IC55Mo4BH17IaaQNdU4DUaXra7XqSpdXIqD3fGg8yCw1WQvOCtcfZe0aW_AIqY7vvZVlmEmbPo7XxY0TtLCNnwa8hxE3wHKtD3XdGTkDYXXCEHjQ.vfgDSs6FHAHXsZSX2uK_wHyHvQgZGO6wLFCQjepx8gw&dib_tag=se&keywords=magnesium+tester+for+water&qid=1744471828&sprefix=magnesium+tester+for+watet%2Caps%2C179&sr=8-4