If a/n/n are reading zero, no immediate need if nitrate reach 20ppm, then a small one would help. What's the tds?
water change or no
Allright everyone had this tank set up for 9 months now 75 gallon fx5 filter co2 electronic doser with reactor tank is doing very well full of plants it's been two weeks since a water change water is crystal clear plants are thriving, ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 15 do i really need to do water changes or is it best to just leave it alone? I am so on the fence about this I get so many different ideas from store owners and such.
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Don't have a meter to measure TDS KH is 4 and GH is 6 does that help, never checked TDS
Tds will tell how saturated the water column is and commonly used to test drinking Water. For example, If your tds is upwards of 200, its not considered drinkable.
I will go out and get a meter, what should it be at in an aquarium with a bunch of community fish?
I use a TDS meter to determine when to change water in my 30 gal shrimp tank. I've gone 6 months with only top offs before reaching 200 TDS which is my limit because of my livestock required parameters.
It's easier to change water tho, if that is not a pita for you...
It's easier to change water tho, if that is not a pita for you...
does anyone know what the required TDS perimeters are for a community tank? Also what would be a good meter to use.
Okay, I went out and bought a tds meter, tds in my tank is 159 so that bad or good?
159 is a good value for soft water fish.
Indicates there should be enough minerals for them (and the plants) without the water being too hard.
For hard water fish that would be really low.
Indicates there should be enough minerals for them (and the plants) without the water being too hard.
For hard water fish that would be really low.
Using a TDS meter as indication of water quality.
I use 100% RO water and remineralize rather than mixing with tap due to source issues.
After a large water change of 50 to 80% I set my base parameters.
Setting GH, KH and dosing trace, 10ppm NO3, 2ppm PO4 I'll wait 24hrs for the water to mix and stabilize then test TDS.
When TDS values rise about 100ppm above the 'clean' recorded test I do another water change and restart things.
On my NPT (soil based tanks) it's basically the same thing, TDS either stays close to the fresh 'clean' water recorded level or water changes are done when levels rise to remove organic build up.
HTH
I use 100% RO water and remineralize rather than mixing with tap due to source issues.
After a large water change of 50 to 80% I set my base parameters.
Setting GH, KH and dosing trace, 10ppm NO3, 2ppm PO4 I'll wait 24hrs for the water to mix and stabilize then test TDS.
When TDS values rise about 100ppm above the 'clean' recorded test I do another water change and restart things.
On my NPT (soil based tanks) it's basically the same thing, TDS either stays close to the fresh 'clean' water recorded level or water changes are done when levels rise to remove organic build up.
HTH
Same here.Using a TDS meter as indication of water quality.
I use 100% RO water and remineralize rather than mixing with tap due to source issues.
After a large water change of 50 to 80% I set my base parameters.
Setting GH, KH and dosing trace, 10ppm NO3, 2ppm PO4 I'll wait 24hrs for the water to mix and stabilize then test TDS.
When TDS values rise about 100ppm above the 'clean' recorded test I do another water change and restart things.
On my NPT (soil based tanks) it's basically the same thing, TDS either stays close to the fresh 'clean' water recorded level or water changes are done when levels rise to remove organic build up.
HTH
1 - 11 of 11 Posts
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