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Originally Posted by wayne Now your plant growth will consume and bind many of these things, but not all, and I don't believe it's all predictable. You are feeding your tank, are you convinced/certain that everything you put in is utilised or removed in some way, and that all wastes are removed, not just the ones you measure. |
I am definitely not certain that everything I am putting if is utilized. Good Point.
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Originally Posted by wayne You could measure DOC electronically, or get a redox meter. You're right , your high kH is useful in keeping pH relatively stable as it will overpower the acidification effect of accumulating organics |
I just tested my KH today for the first time in a couple months, and it is now 15, it was 13.5 for about a year. I added some calciferous rocks when I set the tank up and apparently some of the calcium is leaching into the water. Considering I'm not changing water much I guess that is more good than bad. Not sure.
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Originally Posted by wayne As a final note I find it interesting that you're keeping fish from an enviroment of continual water changes (high oxygen stream/rapid flow river) to one of no water changes. When I was interested in L number plecs which are somewhat similar I became very familiar with water changes |
I have very rapid flow as the powerhead forces a current the length of the entire tank and the tankwater is turned over about once every 3 minutes. I believe the oxygen content is very high in the tank as all the plants pearl quite a bit. I remember reading a thread somewhere (not here) months ago and there was a lively debate about whether putting more CO2 into the water pushed Oxygen out. The consensus was that the 2 gases exist independent of the level of the other, even to the saturation point of one or both. If this is true, then the loaches could have a very high O2 environment, if it is wrong, the little guys are miserable... I do not expressly test for oxygen levels with a kit.