PerceptivePesce

I've been thinking about my tap water parameters all day, and now I have time to relax and post about it 😁 I just tested tds in my tap, it was 307ppm. When I look at the list of "bad stuff" on the report, I don't see anything that explains that number (but im not sure i know how to read that report). It'd be nice to know the "good stuff" ppm like ca, mg, k, etc. And speaking of high numbers- did yall see that pH? Woo lad! @Mmiller2001@Seattle_Aquarist I'm curious what our aquifer is... spring water running through fossils? Or is this what north America's waste water in the Mississippi looks like?

The link I provided above was for 2020. My bad, I was in a hurry. These are screenshots of the 2021 water quality data. I skipped the text stuff, let me know if I need to include that info too.

Yeah, u gotta dl it to read it. I can post ss later if u don't wanna dl

I checked out my water system's website and found a report for 2021. I don't know what any of this means tho. https://ndws.us/water-quality-report Lowes has tests with more details. I'm gonna get one today.

@Seattle_Aquarist@Mmiller2001 Have y'all ever helped someone who doesn't want to get an ro filter, and has high tds, high ph, decent buffer, moderate softness tap water? I don't have my tank set-up yet, I'm just trying to get prepared. But let me ask ya. Would it be crazy for me to call the water company and ask if they can tell me what's in the water? I assume the tech required to test water is very expensive since there aren't many retail options.

The plant I've circled, what is it?

cool thread. @Seattle_Aquaristdo you use ro water too?

Those discus are really beautiful. In the picture they look blue and purple to me. Are those cardinal tetras? Those are pretty too. Good pic of them, too.

No, he isn't a member of any clubs. Are you? I'll tell him you said "stunning". 🥰 I think the same thing! And I'll bring up the epoxy question with him. Is that a standard thing aquariumist do, epoxy the top? Aqueon's tank stand is top less. I just figured they were cutting material costs... Do aquariums make lots of condensate?

This is our cabinet so far! The reclaimed cedar is stained. No board and batten, just plain shaker. I helped him come to the conclusion that the piece was too small for battens. Battens on this piece would have been too busy.

I'm worried about my ph and getting it below 7.5 and stable. From another hobby, hydroponics (DWC & aero), I learned that ph will drop when the tds is increased with fertz, but as the plants use the fertz the ph rises again. Also, if your ph isn't in the right range it causes fert lock-out. Plants can't absorb nutrients if the ph is off. (I have some dwarf hardy hibiscus cuttings in a clone aero bucket on my backporch right now. I have a few roots!) I do not have fish. I don't even have water in my tank yet. Also, I was planning on taking my time doing plant-in cycling after it's filled with water. Right now I'm waiting on my husband to add doors to our aquarium stand. He's having a good time in the garage playing with his biscuits, and rabbits, and dodos.

@boylesdowntothiswhoah, a quantum chemist that works with jet propulsion. That's so cool! Have you seen the Strange Angel series? It was based on Jack Parsons life, a rocket surgeon. I'm new, too. Will you teach me chemistry so I can dial in my aquarium? :D

Yesterday, I tested the same glass of water 24 hours later. Everything looked the same and the tds meter read 299ppm. I also bought a ph only test from Walmart. The strip was in the high range too. I think my tap ph is off the charts. I ordered another digital ph meter. If my ph is off the charts, does that mean I'll have to pretreat the tap before refilling my tank for water changes?

Do you happen to know or have heard a discussion about how much ACOs Easy Ferts lowers ph?

@Ken BurkeI bet you'd be interested in my water parameters since we're neighbors. 🙂 The chlorine is low. That strip was dipped in a fresh glass of tap. Digital TDS meter read 275ppm. (Tools borrowed from another hobby.) The Ph meter is in fail mode. 😞 I'm not looking forward to getting my water dialed in. (Thanks to my husband for hand modeling :D)

@Odd DuckThanks for the reply. After making the post above, I had the idea that maybe they meant the rhizome grows 12" tall and the stems with leaves only grows 4"-6" off the rhyzome. When you say the standard barteri grows 8-10", do you mean the stems and leaves get that tall? I just looked at a couple of the links in your sig, I'll finish looking at the others. What I've seen is inspiring! Beautiful!

I'm trying to pick out plants for my first tank, and plan where I'm going to place them around my hardscape. ACO rarely has a size in their plant listings. Buceplant.com has sizes listed but there are some inconsistencies. For example: In the written description for the coffeefolia it says it can grow 12" tall, but then under the plant's listed stats it says, Height: 4"-6". https://buceplant.com/collections/anubias/products/anubias-barteri-coffeefolia The anubias barteri doesn't have a height in the description, but its stat height says 4"-6" also. https://buceplant.com/collections/anubias/products/anubias-barteri The anubias barteri butterfly has no height in its description, but its stat height says it can grow up to 16". https://buceplant.com/collections/anubias/products/anubias-barteri-butterfly I'm thoroughly confused. Can anyone help clarify?

@David Retired LEOCongrats, minnow dad! When I was a kid riding around on a 3-wheeler, a root tab made me eat dirt too. :D After @Patrick_G posted about comets, I found blackwater creek. I wouldn't mind having a Watonai. I like the longtail fancies, but honestly, I'm probably just gonna go for fancy-tail orandas. Their big, bubbly faces just make them so much more personable.

Ty for sharing your experience. What kind of goldies do you have?

Just getting prepared for shtf scenario.

@Ken BurkeDoes Pet Zone offer a water testing service that will analyze more than ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, hardness (GH), buffer (KH), pH and chlorine?

Just wanted to let y'all know I'm waiting on a tank stand to be built, cleaning rocks, stacking rocks, and developing MTS. What aquatic life has captured my attention and given me MTS when I don't even have my first tank set-up? Beautiful, colorful Shrimp. I don't think goldfish and shrimp can share a tank, so I'll need a second tank.

A real person from Aquatop replied and helped me troubleshoot with pics! I figured I'd get some corporate canned response. I love Aquatop now! The mounting bracket my husband cut can be totally removed. The rep's solution was to remove that bracket and secure with suction cups. Sheer brilliance!

This aquatop filter is pretty neat. It came with a standard intake and a skimmer attachment. It came with a 2-way outflow and a spray bar. It has an outflow adjustment. It has a built-in UV light. 370gph and it was $120+tax.

Welp, my husband successfully modified the fittings. He cut out a 1/4" piece of curved plastic from the fittings which allowed them to slip over the rim and be secured down. Removing the plastic does weaken the "ears" that hold the screws. Picture of modification attached.