[Does Fluval Stratum leach ammonia?]

i actually built a new tank sunday and just tested water and zero at it il keep checking 

also im steady with a drop in ph as it says it does from me micing water to make a 7.4ish i end up with 6.6 steady so its a lil more of a drop then i wanted 

[TDS and fertilizer dosing]

iv got a 5.5 gal plantes tank running a new aquasky light cuz i was havin algae issues with my other one so i needed something adjustable but as far as deaths i only had a few die when i added some (the normal) but seen to have luck for several months still dilaing in my light but my water is very hard and a 8.4 ph so i do a mix of drinking water with my tap to the paramaters i want and thats how i do everything waitin on my gh/kh test to show up becuase it’s impossible to find one locally but hoping to be breading ghost shrimp first them make the move to the others 

[TDS meter recommendations!!]

so just use api test kit and do gh and kh to figure it out? 

[Does Fluval Stratum leach ammonia?]

also is there a good simple ph tester like the tds testers? 

if you are using one could point me in the right direction tds and ph and what others you use if you do of if there is a thread already on this subject could you link or send to me please 

[Does Fluval Stratum leach ammonia?]

well maby yall could help me out here i also have a high ph 8.4 tap water and very hard water as well iv been havin issues gettin gh ans kh test local and iv called it quits searching it local so today im ordering online but iv also using fluval stratum in my ghost shrimp tank my api liquit test kit shows a hint of green (ammonia) in my tank is this help anyone almot not even on the chart

but im tryin to bread ghost shrimp in my planted 5.5 gal  and was actually curious if the substrate was my issue iv been havin issues findin a narrow window to the parameters and like i said gh-kh i was mixin drinking water with my well/tap water to maintain a ph and it would drop to a 6.6 and hold day after day just did another water change sunday so im gonna check to see if it maintained back the water i had added was a 7.4 7.6 tryin to bring the number closer to 7 

[java fern roots?]

[java fern roots?]

see i was gonna weight em and i seen one of corys/johns at kg videos and when he was gettin into it and cory had sent him some lead weights so i started lookin into that as far of leaching lead but i have a bunch of stainless steel nutts i thought about usin as anchors

 

 good news today tho il be planting them today java fern and anubias 

[java fern roots?]

ok good 

well it didnt stay but 10min not enough to hold it in place i see my people glue and tie it so i guess ima have to tie it to a rock and burry the rock 

[java fern roots?]

healthy?

better planted? 

[java fern roots?]

oh i fightin they would be fine but i know my stors get new ones every week so ya gotta pick a special day to get some  so i didnt know how much life they would have is kept longer then usual

 

but thank yalls!

[java fern roots?]

i actually have some cholla wood im soaking now throught about putting plants around,in, or glued too 

kids beta tank quit so im building another 

btw those tubes of plants ya get from big box stores how long will a plant last in one i bought some last week and buyin more this weekend for the new tank so they will have been in the tubes for a week next to my other tank for the light was worried about a lack of water and nutrients so i mixed a small amount of fertilizer and water and that givin em about 3-5 ml of water at night good bad or noooo??

[java fern roots?]

now that was a wild story!!! 

[java fern roots?]

ok i will il be makin some changes this weekend when i do my water change and be sure the next ones aint too deep or glued 

[java fern roots?]

[java fern roots?]

no its not that deep at all actually but i do have a java (the other starts with a w but cant remember) im pretty sure it has a iron deficiency cuz one stem is solid black exoskeleton (reason i got fertilizer) il get a picture and post it tomorrow 

now my other tank in fluval stratum they may be too beep but seem to be growing i know my anubus is too deep and its even growing anither stem 

i will be removing it and planting in a new location soon! 

[java fern roots?]

awesome! glad its all goin according to planned and thank you! now i will go try to find some trimming videos 

how often does this happen? when its fully mature?

[java fern roots?]

so for a java fern is this normal with roots off the upper stem? and what else could you tell me that you see in the photo i know java is better to plant on surfaces but i had these planted weeks ago just like this but all info is helpful 

im new to plants watched alot of videos

i just started using all in one aquarium co-op yesterday as well to help with some of my issues