Almost perfect, except I don't think you mentioned when is the best time to measure water parameters? I only have time to measure once a week, so i assume the best time is just before a water change, and not immediately after a water change? AI-Scaper also agreed with this 👍Please add this information to the video, and then it will be perfect 😊
Excellent, they covered 95% of the topic, it was clear and concise; To be complete (and perfect), Mulder's Chart needed to be explained. Thank you very much, you are the best!
Hi, I have a notes about the kh in water 1) In the Amazon River there is no kh in water and as Tommy said in a previous video, changing the ph around 1 degree in the day is not a problem. 2) I do not think that the ph fluctuation/crash is easy, as evidenced by the need to inject tons of co2 into the tank to lower it by one degree 3) There is an article on your official website mentioned in the case of using active soil. It is sufficient to use the gh+ thanks
Love your videos. Had my first planted tank for about 9 months now a very simple rookir setup. Setting up my 2nd larger one this week and your videos helped me so very much greatly apreciated. Love the deep dive into the information
I don’t see the problem with him showing his qualifications. The aquarium hobby is one of the most complex hobbies to get right and master as there is so much science behind it. With so much misinformation on the internet it’s really refreshing to see some experts
That’s the problem science! Natural is the only science you need, look at where these fish come from in nature… ponds lakes streams that have thousands of plants.. There’s your science I think we have all had enough of so called science
@@Saxonwomen I get that, that's biology (and I'm a biology nerd), but nature is also built on chemistry. Without proper chemistry there wouldn't be life and we can't make sustaining aquariums. I just wanted to emphasize how important it is
Wow! A lot of useful info! I found it very informative and probably watch a few times, I have the attention span of a flea! Awesome video and thank you Balazs for breaking it all down!
Nice video guys, as always! Only one thing ... TDS meter in fact mesure water conductivity (EC) and then convert it in TDS using a conversion factor. This factor value in usually 0.5, called "sodium factor" - assuming that all hardness is due to NaCl. But there are other conversion factors like 0.7 called "442" (40% Na2SO4, 40% NaHCO3 and 20% NaCl). So, is better to refer at EC instead of TDS.
Excellent video and simply explained. I hadn’t considered temperature in my thinking about minimising algae - will knock it down to 24degC (currently 24.5degC).
Well, I don't think 0.5 degrees difference would mean a lot, but maybe it's the last push to full stability. :) Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers.
In the long run, it's generally easier to adapt your fish and plants to your tap water than adapt your tap water to your fish and plants. Stability is important and chasing parameters up and down and all around will create stress for your livestock and stress for you.
Yes, right! I was actually thinking a bit when talked about cooling the water with slightly cooler new water when the temp raises, as that is a change that would stress fish, but I left it in.
This is true. Users vary the amount of additive and water they take out. I accomplish my water conditioning by mixing it all in a separate container. A 36 gallon trash bin which I fill up to the same mark each time. Then I add in my water conditioners that I’ve measured out. Repeat the same until it’s all very stable. Ideally I’d have a huge 2000 gallon external clean tank and do all my water work in there. That will be the most stable. But we each do what we do because it works!
Hi guys. Thanks for the really good and informative video. I learned something again. But one question, why is such a high "K" value being aimed for? Shouldn't the value actually be 5-10? Thanks and greetings to Hungary. Mathias 👍🏻🌿🐠
Potassium is the only macro element that is not being produced by the fish and plants consume it in the same way they consume nitrate. Therefore, all hobbyists and manufacturers found (regardless of their rich or lean fertilizing style) that adding lots of potassium will benefit plant health, and not adding it will result in plant issues. Nitrate and Phosphate are also needed, but even if you measure zero, you should know that these elements are continuously produced by the filter and instantaneously uptaken by the plants, that's why you measure zero - or close to zero values - with lean fertilization.
You are missing an important point regarding oxygen. At night, or when the lights are off, plants consume oxygen. It’s incredibly important to use an air stone during this time or raise the outflow to create more surface agitation. I overlooked this for years and could never understand why my fish were gasping for air in the morning, even though all my parameters were perfect. Then I read about it in an ADA guide on creating an aquarium
Yes, you are right, thanks so much for clarifying. That is indeed important in most cases, and ADA does it too. We don't do it, and found no issues, but night-time oxygenation sure helps and is strongly recommended by Green Aqua too.
Eh, that's really only a concern if you have poor flow to begin with. Yes, autotrophs consume oxygen at night as they break down the sugars they made during the day, but the effect is much smaller than the O² produced during the day. Many aquatic plants also use Crassulacean Acid Metabolism to continue consuming CO² at night, storing it in vacuoles to use when the lights turn on (succulents also use CAM, but for a completely different reason, they use it so they don't have to perform gaseous exchange during the day when the heat would cause them to lose more water). Anyways, the point is that if you have halfway decent surface agitation, good surface skimming, and good vertical mixing of the water column (all of which is easily accomplished with a set of skimming lily pipes), then aeration is unnecessary at night. The one exception can be of you have a large algae bloom, particularly planktonic (green water algae/cyanobacteria). We cannot comprehend the number of individual algae cells floating in such a bloom, and they absolutely can deoxygenate the water at night.
You should airate at night if you grow plants in great quantities that produce lots of oxygen during the light period e.g. Riccia (they in turn can deprive oxygen at night to levels where not only fish start to suffer). The same is true when your tank does not reach 100% O2 saturation during day time hrs which is more likely with poor plant growth and/or heavy bioload (shrimp and fish). Also, you don't sense when your filter bacteria suffer from oxygen depletion (keep in mind that they are active at night as well). In general it is much better to err on the safe side and airate at night no matter the tank condition.
Just need the surface of the water to be agitated, my tanks are very heavily planted & have never had a problem with this.. if temperature is too high that can cause the fish to galp for air at the top on the water..
Great video. I think it would be cool if you did a video on hydrogen sulfide building up in your substrate and how to deal with it. Also, a video on the various microfauna we could see in an aquarium like copepods and ostracods.
Köszönöm, hasznos videó volt! 🙂 Szeretem a kémiát, egyetemen is tanultam emelt szinten, de ott ez a biológiai része nem volt része az anyagnak. Sajnos itt a Dunántúlon az 5-6 fokos vizet nehéz lenne megoldanom lágyító nélkül (mikor utoljára néztem a csapvizet, volt vagy 38😂), én örülök ha már kb 12-re csökkenteni tudom ioncserélt víz bekeverésével.😅😂 Remélem az is még jó keménység. Igénytelenebb növényeim vannak, pl ez a világos zöld jáva meg anubias nana.
Köszi, hogy nézel minket, igen, nem vagyunk könnyű helyzetben itthon. Egyébként nem szeretjük a csapvizet keverni az RO vízzel, bár működhet a dolog, de ha már egyszer megtermeljük a jó vizet, akkor inkább a megfelelő arányú visszasózást választjuk, ahelyett, hogy a fluktuáló vagy nem jó Ca / Mg arányú vizet kevernénk vissza részben. De működik sokaknál ez...
How do you keep the GH in that range in scapes you use lots of seriyu stone? I have a nano tank with seriyu stone and i water change with RO of 7 GH. Within a few days my GH goes up to 13-16 and thats where it stays until I do my weekly water change. I cannot seem to keep a low GH at all
Yeah, we do have fluctuating GH (TDS) too, there's nothing you can do about that, except more frequent water changes if you have the energy. We don't but we found that after some time the amplitude decreases, when we start with TDS 120 after water changes we get to 170-180 by the end of the week, that's not very bad, at least that's what we found.
Hi Green Aqua. I have a question for you. I use reverse osmosis system and from the beginning I have a TDS of 120/140 without reminalize the water because I have seiryu stones inside. Have I to reminalize the water if I reach the desired TDS only with the rocks?
You should not have TDS 120 with seiryu stones "from the beginning" if you have made a 50% water change with TDS 7 RO water. You should see something like TDS 50 and then remineralize that to 120 and watch the TDS rise to 180 in a week or so, after which you do another TDS 7 water change, etc.
Hey, great video! I'm amazed at how much I learned (and how it refreshed my university knowledge) in just 28 minutes. Thanks, guys!! I just tried the AI-scraper, which seems cool. However, is it normal for the chat to close in the middle? I was in the process of entering the lighting aspects of my aquascape (after entering my filtration details), and then the chat abruptly ended. The information wasn't saved. Should I be logged into my account when using it, or is there a better way to ensure the chat doesn't end prematurely? Thanks again!! Cheers!
We have a more stabile version up now, but there are still a lot of weird things going on with the AI. The issue you had has been fixed (I know which problem you had, I remember the issue). Cheers!
Thanks for the video. It was really useful. Could you tell me which way is better - set co2 round the clock (for stability ph) or when the light is set only?
@GreenAquaShop whatever, if you have a ph controller, you should set co2 24hrs for stability. You mean I should set the co2 when I got the ph controller only? I can keep under control by bubl counter. The question is, do I need to keep supply co2 24hrs or is it not necessary?
Some use the 24-hour method, but this is used for keeping sensitive species like shrimp. We do not see any advantage to it. pH controllers are different, as you can set a pause period and hysteresis and monitor and turn off CO2 when it is too much. The manual method just pumps CO2 without real control.
Using the Seachem product to remineralize the GH, bringing it to a value of 6, it is impossible to maintain the TDS at 150, they contain a lot of potassium and at that GH value the TDS rises above 500, isn't it a good product?
Hello, thank you very much first of all for the valuable information that you provide us every week. I live in Spain and I am looking for AI-SCAPER but I can't find it. Can you provide me with the link please? THANK YOU VERY MUCH
I understand the use of tap water before the resin softener but in case of a RO System after the water softener system? or should i still connect the RO System before water softener (with resin) system?
Good question, and a bit complicated to answer. If you connect the RO before the Resin system it would work as usual, so that's what I would personally do. If you connect it afterwards, you are removing the salts that are produced by the central water softener so I see no point in the ion exchange when you are removing the result anyway... With that said, your central softener might have some prefilters too, which would keep your RO prefilters (and membrane) cleaner - theoretically, so that's a pro. But it sounds like a bit of waste to me. But it won't hurt the RO probably... One thing is sure: we connect RO-s before the waste water with clients.
@@GreenAquaShop yes i agree, in my particular case i can technically connect the ro before the central softener… but that would be in the basement and it will becaome cumbersome to carry the RO water tonthe 1st floor 😅 that’s why i have it connected after the softener since it’s closer to the aquarium, and was wondering if this might be an issue or not.
Hello. What to do if Amazonia ver-2 soil is "eating" all po4. Dosing 2-3ppm per week. Tested with JBL and Salifert tests. Should i continue dosing until i see some po4 in the test? Or just add 0.2pmm as you recommended and skip tests? Fertilizing aquarium by EI method. Thanks.
Great Masterclass 👍🏻 just a question: is sufficient the soil to have a stable PH, even if the KH is zero? We can increase KH at 2 also with soil? Thank you
Nice! Well said. As far as PH my natural from the well is about 8.5-8.8. I have driftwood in my tanks brining it down by maybe .4 or so. as far as what I’ve found fish really only care about a stable PH so long as it’s not entirely extreme.
Just saying, while there are indeed many beautiful planted tanks maintained at 0 KH, they often have higher pH levels or other balancing factors that mitigate the risks associated with low KH. In our AI-Scaper's algae risk evaluation, we consider these nuances by using a percentage-based risk assessment rather than a binary outcome. Even with a 40% risk of algae, for example, there’s still a 60% chance that the tank will remain beautiful and algae-free. This approach was designed precisely to avoid such polarized discussions by providing a nuanced view of aquarium health. I love how this video has sparked a vibrant discussion on aquarium chemistry, reminiscent of debates typically seen on other platforms. There's really no need for conflict; we’re all here to learn and share our passion for aquascaping. Peace.
There is something i don't understand about your parameters. I remineralize my tanks with Green Aqua Gh/Kh + at 150. But when i test, for me it's something like 3Gh/ 1-1.5Kh. Listening to you, it should be more.. Any reasons i'm not aware about it ?
What I still don't understand and seems like a lot of other people don't either based on forums is how to have a healthy tank while using rocks like Seiryu stone. Stones like this make your water parameters out of whack. How do you keep stable parameters with rocks like this? It's the one thing I was looking for that wasn't touched on.
Biggest thing I would say is water changes are your friend. If it’s raising GH KH anything , you can always for example use RO water to “reset” those parameters. That’s why many people, especially those who want to grow more sensitive plants, or those who do more advanced things do. Since the RO would essentially be pure water , you can then start off at all 0 values , and pH being neutral.
Question: I have almost RO water (26 TDS out of tap), my tanks range 300-500 TDS. Is there a way to determine what the Dissolved Solids are that are being measured. I know salt spikes TDS, so my theory is it's brine shrimp salt, which I also add some Epson salt to. I know that pretty much blows the Green Aqua standards out of the water, haha. My fish are happy, my tanks are beautiful and full of plants, so I've never stressed about the high TDS. My secondary theory is that salt is good for fish for a number of reasons, so I don't want to rinse my brine shrimp. If you use a TDS meter on brine shrimp solution (2 tablespoons per liter salt and teaspoon of Epsom salt) it shows 9999 TDS. I will answer my own question because I have salt meter test strips for my pool, but I'm still wondering if others have this high TDS issue they believe is brine shrimp salt.
So I’m not crazy for reading 0 ppm Amm, 0 ppm No2 & 0 ppm No3. Could someone explain exactly what is happening in this process? What if my No3 never fluctuates or rises above 0?
Sir, I am your subscriber from India 🇮🇳 and want to know if I can use Chira stone is also known as laterite stone in English. Laterite is a type of soil and rock that is rich in iron and aluminum. It is commonly found in tropical areas that are hot and wet ( Ratnagiri sindhudurg , Karnataka ) . . Will it effect my Fish or plants ?
It depends, no experience with that stone, but if it leaches too much iron, you can have issues with the iron reacting with phosphate and precipitating in your filter. So I would avoid it.
There are a few scientific errors in the video. I'll address some and provide more information on others. 1. Silicon is a beneficial plant nutrient. It promotes plant growth, improves cellular structure and increases disease resistance. This may be part of the reason why plants grown using tissue culture are small and weak, bc the nutrient solution lacks silicon (amongst other essential and beneficial nutrients). 2. Potassium does not need to be 20-30ppm. This is likely far too much as aquatic plants don't need it. It's primary function is osmoregulation, as is sodium (which was not addressed in the video) which is more important for animal health. If sodium is lacking, it can lead to poor health and premature death of fish and shrimp. 3. Nitrate excess can prevent certain types of alga (e.g. filamentous types) from growing. That's why aquariums with high amounts of NO3 tend to not have these alga. When nitrate is excessive, plants (and alga) stunt and grow deformed due to a molybdenum deficiency. Molybdenum is required for nitrate reduction so fertilizing exclusively nitrate nitrogen can result in molybdenum deficiency sooner. The reason filamentous alga die under high nitrate is due to insufficient Mo . Fertilizing Mo under high nitrate will allow plants (and alga) to grow. 4. Phosphorus should be balanced with nitrogen. An N:P ratio of approximately 10:1 is optimal for healthy plant growth. 0.2ppm of phosphate = 0.067ppm of phosphorus. Using the 10:1 ratio, that means nitrogen would be 0.67ppm, which is ~3ppm of nitrate. Increasing the amount of P can signal to plants (e.g. Anubias and Bucephalandras) to flower.
@26:41 the filamentous alga's wiry and clumped growth indicates a molybdenum deficiency. Under sufficient Mo, the alga grows straight and thick like hair.
A makrotokat használom. 5-6mlert kap naponta így tartom a 10-15ppm nitrátot és 0,6-0,8foszfátot plusz foszfát adagolással. Akkor elkelle kezdenem csökkenteni?
Can you please always mention the units when measuring TDS? Most use ppm, but in my local store they measure uS/cm (which is technically conductivity). It is the TDS x 2. This can lead to confusion. Anyway for any parameter that is mentioned, units should always be specified. In school our teacher would add “bananas” if we forgot the units 😂
It only makes sense to measure TDS if you use RO water, which is their case. In Brazil, water is normally very soft and it is not common to use RO water in planted tanks. So measuring this will make no sense at all.
Yes, you are right, this is why I said in the video, that knowing what you have matters, and it doesn't hurt to check sometimes, because values can shift with time - we know that from experience. But there is no need to get "all-chemist". LOL.
The numbers aren't of particular interest for most plants but you should explicitly tell folks which units you are talking about concerning TDS. Do you mean ppm (dissolved solids) or microS/cm (conductivity)?
You are absolutely right, that's what my father told me on the phone after he watched the episode. :D Yeah, TDS is measured in ppm but the test itself measures conductivity and then converts it.
@@GreenAquaShop Just to make it clear for once and for everyone :) The numbers given by Green Aqua are ppm (ppm x 2 equals microS/cm). At least this is how I grasp your reply.
I always love your videos. I appreciate the difficulty in attempting something like this, and I'm always on the lookout for good water chemistry videos to recommend to beginners. I think this one comes the closest to what I've been looking for in the decade or so that I've been helping others in the hobby, but I have just a couple nitpicks. Now, I totally get the point early in the video that you can see success with different parameters, but that this is just what you've found works well. I totally understand and respect that, and while there are lots of little details that could be added, you're trying to not make a 3 hour long video 😂 That being said, there are just two reasons I can't recommend this video: 1. The Redfield Ratio just needs to die, lol. It's very misunderstood. It's the ratio of C:N:P (160:16:1) in marine phytoplankton, as determined by a guy named Alfred Redfield in the 30s. It's not relevant to freshwater (which varies much more in nutrient levels) and it's not relevant to macrophytes (which tend to resemble terrestrial plants more with an average ratio of 2-12:1... yes, several aquatic and terrestrial plants have been shown to contain a 2:1 N:P ratio). Finally, those amounts are representing atomic N and P, not NO³- and PO⁴+. The regular Redfield Ratio (16:1) as calculated for NO³- and PO⁴+ would be 23:1, which isn't even close to anything people actually do Keeping N and P low is a good strategy for nature-style aquascaping, which is usually heavy on hardscape. Rich fertilization is really only for Garden-style tanks, with >80% of the substrate planted with fast-growers. So as a strategy that works for you, that totally makes sense. The other point is the KH thing. If 2 dKH works well for you, that's great, but 0 dKH does not cause wild pH fluctuations or melting plants. That's a myth that's based on a misunderstanding of some real concerns in natural systems. The whole pH crash thing isn't really a thing either, unless you're talking about an aquarium that goes >1 year without a water change. To explain it fully requires a *lot* more detail than I'm going to put into a RUclips comment, but I'm happy to talk about it any time. I speak as someone who has run a very happy and productive tank breeding hundreds of Neocaridina shrimp with a baseline pH of 5.5, down to 4.5 with CO² injection. But also, Dennis Wong (2 Hr Aquarist), Tom Barr, Gregg Zydeck, and many others use 0 dKH to grow plants that can't be grown in higher KH. The only plant I've *ever* seen that struggles in 0 dKH is Rotala ramosior. Every other plant I've ever grown is either indifferent or actively prefers 0 dKH. I think Marwen was harsh in his assessment, but this is very well known among the best plant growers in the hobby (many of whom are quite poor at aquascaping, lol) If not for those two details, this would become another go-to video for helping people understand water parameters. As it is, the only source that I've been able to recommend unreservedly is Dennis at the 2 Hr Aquarist Generally, love your videos, cheers!
Sorry man, but you can not discredit other people’s experience on the topic and their learning from decades on the field. For example, from their experience and myself we can observe that no KH on new setup tanks does melt plants. It is also fact that the PH will fluctuate as crazy if you are injecting CO2 at day. That is chemistry, not opinion.
@@fabioprata9539 That sounds great and all, but in this case, to do so discredits the experience and expertise of people like Tom Barr, Marian Sterian, Xiaozhuang (Dennis) Wong, Sudipta Shaw, Joe Harvey, Winston Sumogod, Omid Niavarani, Vin Kutty, Gregg Zydeck, and many others. If you don't know who any of those people are, you should google them. Given your placing in the IAPLC (congrats, btw), surely you're familiar with at least some of them. Some have placed in aquascaping contests, some have judged, some have PhDs in argology and enzyme biochemisty, some of them just grow plants that no one else in the world can grow (or can grow to their highest form). Now, as far as the chemistry bit, I'm sorry but you're right, there is no room for opinion there. It's science. We can go about it two ways: 1) the scientific method. Have you ever run a 0 dKH tank? if you haven't, how do you know? I have, and many others have, and we don't see pH swings. 2) we can understand the science behind it, and where the misunderstanding comes from, because it *does* have a basis in real science. It's just misunderstood. I have a bit more time on my hands today, so I'll go ahead and write a little chemistry lesson. So, a conjugate acid/base pair is a pair of molecules that differ by a single proton (Hydrogen is the simplest atom, consisting of a single proton, so in this context proton and hydrogen, as in "potential of Hydrogen", are synonymous). A unique characteristic about conjugate pairs is that they don't destroy each other. So you can add a ton of both of a pair to a solution, and the acid neutralizes any bases, and the base neutralizes any acids, and they naturally reorganize to an equilibrium with each other, so the pH doesn't move. That is a "buffered solution". That's what we use to calibrate pH probes. Now, carbonic acid > bicarbonate > carbonate H₂CO₃ > HCO₃⁻ > CO₃⁻⁻ (Or CO₃²⁻) Each minus represents a missing proton, because it can accept a proton from the water. That's what makes it basic. They are a conjugate trio. Now, carbonate hardness is supposed to represent the total bicarbonate+carbonate in solution. Those are a conjugate pair, so that must mean KH=buffer, right? Well, every buffered solution has a target pH and a useful range (where you can tweak the recipe to target any point in that range). For example, pH probe calibration solutions are buffered solutions, that way, minor cross contamination during calibration doesn't throw the whole thing off. But there's a limit to how much acid and base a buffer can neutralize before it is exhausted. These are Acid/Base Neutralizing Capacities (ANC/BNC), and the total buffering capacity is always equal to the lowest of the two. You can make a bicarbonate/carbonate buffered solution. Its main target pH is 9.6 and its useful range is 9.2-10.6 If your pH is
Oh yeah, one red flag from the video is that they specifically say that the only time they recommend measuring KH is when plants are melting. But if you only measure a parameter when conditions are poor, how do you know that the parameter has actually changed? If you want to try and correlate parameters, you need to test frequently so you have a baseline to compare it to. Even then, instability of *any* sort can induce melting in more finicky plants. This includes KH, GH, nutrients, CO₂, temperature, etc. I just really struggle with the KH section If you're growing easy plants, like Green Aqua does, then you have a much wider range of tolerance. For those of us growing Eriocaulon, Lachnocaulon, more challenging Syngonanthus, Hygrophila araguaia 'Chai', Paepalanthus, Tonina, Centrolepis... this won't cut it. And that's fine, they're speaking within their experience. The KH thing is the only really big issue I have because it's increasing work and cost, increasing the toxicity of ammonia, and making the tanks less forgiving than they would be if they just left out the KH
Oh, well... my super long comment explaining the science behind it has disappeared 🤷♂ Not sure if it was a some automated filter or what, but oh well. That's why I don't usually bother with youtube comments for that kind of thing. If you want the actual science behind it, you'll have to find me on a different platform, or spend a significant time researching it. If you want a head start: learn about conjugate acid-base pairs, buffered solutions, and the useful range of a carbonate buffered solution. If your pH is less than 9.2, there's no buffering, just alkalinity, which is *not* the same thing.
Thank you,@@christopherfassett9973, for your detailed explanation about the role of carbonate hardness (KH) and its buffering capacity in aquariums. You emphasize that below a pH of 9.2, the buffering capacity of bicarbonate/carbonate systems is essentially exhausted, rendering KH ineffective at resisting pH swings in that range. However, the situation is a bit more complex than it might appear at first glance. I discussed your comments with my father, (who is a chemist, as I mentioned in the video) and he points out that all conjugate acid/base pairs, including the bicarbonate/carbonate system, do exhibit buffering effects, and this buffering capacity is influenced by the metal ions present-such as sodium (Na⁺) or calcium (Ca²⁺). Specifically, when calcium ions are involved, the buffering effect occurs at a lower pH range compared to when sodium ions are present, due to differences in how these metal ions interact through hydrolysis, which affects the resulting pH. Carbonic acid (H₂CO₃), being a weak acid, only slightly acidifies the environment. However, in the presence of calcium bicarbonate (Ca(HCO₃)₂) and calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), the pH can increase because the hydrolysis of these salts produces calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂), a base typical of slaked lime. These processes are part of equilibrium reactions, and the buffering capacity depends on the concentrations of these dissolved compounds. The solubility of CaCO₃ and Ca(HCO₃)₂ plays a crucial role here, as does the addition of CO₂, which shifts the equilibrium towards more carbonic acid and bicarbonate, affecting the pH balance. While it's true that the buffering capacity has its limits and can be overwhelmed - especially with significant additions of CO₂ - the KH does contribute to buffering within the typical pH ranges found in aquariums (usually between 6.2 and 7.5). The effectiveness of this buffering is governed by the concentration of the buffering agents and the specific chemical equilibria in the tank. Overextending this capacity can lead to pH fluctuations that might affect aquatic life, but it doesn't mean that KH has no buffering effect below pH 9.2. Therefore, your view seems a bit oversimplified regarding the buffering role of KH in aquarium settings. I appreciate your insights and the opportunity to delve deeper into this complex aspect of aquarium chemistry. Understanding these nuances helps us better manage our aquariums for the health of both plants and fish.
I know this has nothing to do with this video, but what do you do when the snails (Cliton, Zebra) leave empty egg shells all over the aquarium? It’s impossible to clean off and it looks awful😅 but they are great algae eaters so it’s a struggle!😂😅
The part about low/zero KH being bad in planted tanks is a myth that has been debunked countless times. There are many amazing planted tanks and aquascapes running on zero KH. Low or zero KH is great for plants under CO2 injection. (The bit about zero KH causing plant melt in a new tank is also nonsense.) The part about phosphate being above 0-0.2 ppm causing algae proliferation in a planted tank is another myth that has long been debunked. Your knowledge on water parameters for planted tanks seems quite outdated. Please do your research before spreading such old myths to new hobbyists.
Come on, guys, did you hear me saying in the first part of this video, that sticking to these values is only something we found works for us and many aquascapers throughout the world that we are in contact with, and that other values might also work for people? I see no reason for using words like myth, nonsense, and living in the past in comments. I'm 51 and I read too many forums and comments that were separating the people in the hobby into groups that fight each other over nothing. Thanks for watching the video, you are great! Peace
@@GreenAquaShopthe most beautiful planted dutch/garden style tanks at the moment are with 0kh even the brands like 2hr and Masterline use it. Maybe good to try in the future. Most used for those kind of tanks at the moment, a must have Aswell with rare plants, i understand with all those store aquarium store easy plants tap water is fine.
@@GreenAquaShopI think that's a fair response, but some of the top growers in the world have been banned from TPT in the last couple years for saying 0 dKH was fine. One particular moderator (username: somwhatshocked) went on a whole power trip about it, even though the whole thing is a (very complex) misunderstanding. 0 dKH is not harmful. If it was, we would have virtually no plants/fish from places like the Rio Negro, the Pantanal, or from 90% of South and Southeast Asia, where pH ranging from 3.5-6 are totally normal. Yet these places have some of the highest aquatic plant diversity in the world. The point being, people are upset because you've (inadvertently or not) fed one of those issues that is actively ripping TPT apart as we speak. It was a huge loss when Gregg Zydeck's 200+ page, 4,000+ post journal was deleted, all because in several years of running 0 dKH, he never saw a pH fluctuation. It's just one more entry in the long-running category of "wildly unnecessary drama", lol
I understand both sides of this. Maybe some things were stated wrong , but they did also say that swaying from these parameters would not cause a problematic tank. As for Dennis , he did create a statement , which I really like. Here is the statement: There is no need to test boundaries if all they do is grow easy plants. As a business, selling scapes with easy plants is the way to go, no client tank with limited servicing is gonna grow a Hygrophila chai or Erios. Their focus is on hardscape and low maintenance. Why have higher than 0.2ppm PO4 if you're just growing Java fern and mosses. Why have low KH if not growing any picky soft water plants, they could use Seiryu rock on every tank and it'd work out the same. Their advice reflects the expertise with the type of scape they do (hardscape focused, easy plants). Looking to them to in-depth chemistry advice, is like looking to movie celebrities for nutrition advice.
In my opinion, water quality parameters are only a part, the most important thing is still the temperature in the lake or outside the environment 20-22 degrees is a beautiful tree.
Absolutely, water quality parameters are indeed just one part of maintaining a healthy and visually appealing aquarium. While temperature is crucial, with 20-22 degrees Celsius often being optimal for many plants, it's important to recognize that no single factor can be deemed the most important in isolation. In aquascaping, every element from lighting and substrate to CO₂ levels and water chemistry contributes to the overall balance. That’s exactly why we developed AI-Scaper-to provide a more holistic view of aquarium health through its risk percentages. This tool helps aquarists understand that while one parameter might not be perfect, the overall balance can still support a thriving, algae-free tank. By looking at the bigger picture and managing risks collectively, we can achieve beautiful results without getting bogged down in specifics. Let's enjoy the diversity of methods and views in this hobby. Peace.
I’m a biologist but did not learn it at school I learnt nothing at school, the parameters of the water will be perfect after a few weeks if you plant lots & lots of plants they do all the work for you.. all my tanks are heavily planted I have no algae no disease’s in the tank all fish happy healthy & having babies like no tomorrow.. one tank full of fish overstocked & been going for a year I’ve only ever done 3. 20-30% water changes it’s thriving never had to clean it, it’s also opposite two windows & I don’t even get algae on the glass now if that’s not proof enough that plants are the answer then I don’t know what else to tell people.. it’s how it works in natural ponds there’s no one cleaning those bodies of water & testing it everyday I never test the water no need I know it’s perfect.. Also I never use chemicals in my tanks no way am I going to put man made chems into my little people’s environment…. also I have fantails beautiful flowing tails one had fin rott when I got him half the tail eaten I put him in a hospital tank & treated him for 9 days with organic Celtic salt no food for the whole time your treating he was cured in 9 days that was months ago & his tail has grown back he’s as greedy has ever happy & spawning… now he’s in a planted tank & no problems at all, try it put lots of plants & leave it a loan to do its thing I also put dead leaves in my tank from the bottom of ponds I’ve also got plants from ponds & planted them in my tanks straight from the pond no problems if there’s fish living in the pond then no worry of toxins coming from that pond otherwise the fish in that body of water would be dead.. I also take moss from the side of a water fall & glued it to the wood it’s dark green & looks awesome it had little organisms on it straight in my tank.. 😂😊 I sit back & watch my tanks evolve good luck 🤞 people just look to nature there’s your answer
It’s more that there are lots of people online who are js dead wrong, especially in the aquarium hobby, so it’s actually important to know you can trust someone
Also the science behind it makes this one of the most complex hobbies at the highest level. Don’t click on a video titled ‘masterclass’ and be surprised it’s an expert talking in detail
I had no idea, that explaining my bkgd gets through like showing off, I think that knowledge is something that is required for everything, from psychology through communication and hobbies. Thanks for watching and commenting, you are great.
As stated before , qualification is what technically makes everyone a good source for information. In most cases , trusting someone who has been in the hobby for the longest time and has had a lot of experience , along with experience in biology , chemistry , physics , etc., DOES create people that you can rely on , rather than some random comment. Yes of course , there are many people that can seem to have more knowledge than those who have no degree , but all information should be checked , and ideally be challenged, in experiments. Experiments , in every field , is what advanced those fields. Not many understood why some plants were stunting in high tech tanks ; come in Vin Kutty researching this and finding Lythraceae was stunting because of high column dosing and lower root feeding. So any labels in our names or papers all have people find our research more credible. Plus , they have worked for those labels , if it’s in an applicable category, it should work. If I am working with the water parameters and how they affect flora , I should show off my phD in biology and chemistry to in some way show I should hold some credibility to my knowledge
![AMAZING Ecosystem Fish Room!! [Tour]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/BtUlprT8ZRE/mqdefault.jpg)
Almost perfect, except I don't think you mentioned when is the best time to measure water parameters? I only have time to measure once a week, so i assume the best time is just before a water change, and not immediately after a water change? AI-Scaper also agreed with this 👍Please add this information to the video, and then it will be perfect 😊
It doesn't matter what is your qualification. The only thing matters is that both of you are good aquascapers.. Thumbs up to you
Completely agree with you. Actually, I think Tommy explains things better, I love how he brings the topic closer to viewers. B.
Excellent, they covered 95% of the topic, it was clear and concise; To be complete (and perfect), Mulder's Chart needed to be explained.
Thank you very much, you are the best!
Hi,
I have a notes about the kh in water
1) In the Amazon River there is no kh in water and as Tommy said in a previous video, changing the ph around 1 degree in the day is not a problem.
2) I do not think that the ph fluctuation/crash is easy, as evidenced by the need to inject tons of co2 into the tank to lower it by one degree
3) There is an article on your official website mentioned in the case of using active soil. It is sufficient to use the gh+
thanks
I love these types of videos. Great work guys
Thanks a lot for the support, cheers!
Love your videos. Had my first planted tank for about 9 months now a very simple rookir setup. Setting up my 2nd larger one this week and your videos helped me so very much greatly apreciated. Love the deep dive into the information
I don’t see the problem with him showing his qualifications. The aquarium hobby is one of the most complex hobbies to get right and master as there is so much science behind it. With so much misinformation on the internet it’s really refreshing to see some experts
Cheers, thanks for the support, I had zero intentions of showing off though, just wanted to share what I learned. Hope you guys found it useful.
Are you running co2 round the clock? @@GreenAquaShop
That’s the problem science!
Natural is the only science you need, look at where these fish come from in nature… ponds lakes streams that have thousands of plants..
There’s your science I think we have all had enough of so called science
@@Saxonwomen I get that, that's biology (and I'm a biology nerd), but nature is also built on chemistry. Without proper chemistry there wouldn't be life and we can't make sustaining aquariums.
I just wanted to emphasize how important it is
@@SaxonwomenThen dont go to the doctors if you're sick in the future. Enough of science!
Grazie.
Bam, thank you for THE both compact & accurate guide!
Fair enough, that also experienced aqua scapers have to rewatch all the information you provide.
👍🙏
Ok Green Aqua. Out with the end-all be-all aquarium chemistry video. This is so well done!
Gonna show this to so many clients, friends and people who ask me about how this stuff works.
Super intéressant 👍 Merci pour cette vidéo !
Green Aqua's videos are fantastic! A hug from Portugal 🙂
Hugs, thanks, brother.
Absolutely wonderful. So clear and insightful. Thank you.
Wow! A lot of useful info! I found it very informative and probably watch a few times, I have the attention span of a flea! Awesome video and thank you Balazs for breaking it all down!
Thanks for dealing with this delicate topic, you guys are Masters and play a great role for spreading the knowledge.
Bardzo pomocny filmik . Dziękuję 🙂
Nice video guys, as always!
Only one thing ...
TDS meter in fact mesure water conductivity (EC) and then convert it in TDS using a conversion factor.
This factor value in usually 0.5, called "sodium factor" - assuming that all hardness is due to NaCl.
But there are other conversion factors like 0.7 called "442" (40% Na2SO4, 40% NaHCO3 and 20% NaCl).
So, is better to refer at EC instead of TDS.
Love this, thanks for the clarification! We do refer to TDS because that is what everybody does in the hobby. But you're right, EC would be better.
Thanks for the video! You are the best guys
Thank you for spreading your knowlege 👍💐
Thanks for taking the time to help educate!
You're welcome! Thanks for the view and for the comment.
Great to learn!
Excellent video and simply explained. I hadn’t considered temperature in my thinking about minimising algae - will knock it down to 24degC (currently 24.5degC).
Well, I don't think 0.5 degrees difference would mean a lot, but maybe it's the last push to full stability. :) Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers.
In the long run, it's generally easier to adapt your fish and plants to your tap water than adapt your tap water to your fish and plants. Stability is important and chasing parameters up and down and all around will create stress for your livestock and stress for you.
Yes, right! I was actually thinking a bit when talked about cooling the water with slightly cooler new water when the temp raises, as that is a change that would stress fish, but I left it in.
This is true. Users vary the amount of additive and water they take out. I accomplish my water conditioning by mixing it all in a separate container. A 36 gallon trash bin which I fill up to the same mark each time. Then I add in my water conditioners that I’ve measured out.
Repeat the same until it’s all very stable. Ideally I’d have a huge 2000 gallon external clean tank and do all my water work in there. That will be the most stable. But we each do what we do because it works!
Agreed but this video seems to be focused on using RO water.
@@joaorodrigues6526 Focus on aquasoil as well, inert substrate will be different
Hi guys. Thanks for the really good and informative video. I learned something again. But one question, why is such a high "K" value being aimed for? Shouldn't the value actually be 5-10? Thanks and greetings to Hungary. Mathias 👍🏻🌿🐠
I would like to know the same thing. Why so high K?
@@TheDenny188 I always thought the value for potassium was 50-10. You wrote 20-30. Why so much? Is it better for the plants?
Potassium is the only macro element that is not being produced by the fish and plants consume it in the same way they consume nitrate. Therefore, all hobbyists and manufacturers found (regardless of their rich or lean fertilizing style) that adding lots of potassium will benefit plant health, and not adding it will result in plant issues. Nitrate and Phosphate are also needed, but even if you measure zero, you should know that these elements are continuously produced by the filter and instantaneously uptaken by the plants, that's why you measure zero - or close to zero values - with lean fertilization.
@@GreenAquaShop Thank you and greetings to Hungary😘
You are missing an important point regarding oxygen. At night, or when the lights are off, plants consume oxygen. It’s incredibly important to use an air stone during this time or raise the outflow to create more surface agitation. I overlooked this for years and could never understand why my fish were gasping for air in the morning, even though all my parameters were perfect. Then I read about it in an ADA guide on creating an aquarium
Yes, you are right, thanks so much for clarifying. That is indeed important in most cases, and ADA does it too. We don't do it, and found no issues, but night-time oxygenation sure helps and is strongly recommended by Green Aqua too.
Eh, that's really only a concern if you have poor flow to begin with. Yes, autotrophs consume oxygen at night as they break down the sugars they made during the day, but the effect is much smaller than the O² produced during the day. Many aquatic plants also use Crassulacean Acid Metabolism to continue consuming CO² at night, storing it in vacuoles to use when the lights turn on (succulents also use CAM, but for a completely different reason, they use it so they don't have to perform gaseous exchange during the day when the heat would cause them to lose more water).
Anyways, the point is that if you have halfway decent surface agitation, good surface skimming, and good vertical mixing of the water column (all of which is easily accomplished with a set of skimming lily pipes), then aeration is unnecessary at night.
The one exception can be of you have a large algae bloom, particularly planktonic (green water algae/cyanobacteria). We cannot comprehend the number of individual algae cells floating in such a bloom, and they absolutely can deoxygenate the water at night.
You should airate at night if you grow plants in great quantities that produce lots of oxygen during the light period e.g. Riccia (they in turn can deprive oxygen at night to levels where not only fish start to suffer). The same is true when your tank does not reach 100% O2 saturation during day time hrs which is more likely with poor plant growth and/or heavy bioload (shrimp and fish). Also, you don't sense when your filter bacteria suffer from oxygen depletion (keep in mind that they are active at night as well). In general it is much better to err on the safe side and airate at night no matter the tank condition.
Just need the surface of the water to be agitated, my tanks are very heavily planted & have never had a problem with this..
if temperature is too high that can cause the fish to galp for air at the top on the water..
That's a really great video! Thanks for that!
@7:26, I have never heard that low KH caused plants to melt?
On point video 👌
You guys don't know how much you are needed for this hobby ❤
❤from india 🇮🇳
Cheers, thanks so much for your kind words!
Great video. I think it would be cool if you did a video on hydrogen sulfide building up in your substrate and how to deal with it. Also, a video on the various microfauna we could see in an aquarium like copepods and ostracods.
Köszönöm, hasznos videó volt! 🙂 Szeretem a kémiát, egyetemen is tanultam emelt szinten, de ott ez a biológiai része nem volt része az anyagnak.
Sajnos itt a Dunántúlon az 5-6 fokos vizet nehéz lenne megoldanom lágyító nélkül (mikor utoljára néztem a csapvizet, volt vagy 38😂), én örülök ha már kb 12-re csökkenteni tudom ioncserélt víz bekeverésével.😅😂 Remélem az is még jó keménység. Igénytelenebb növényeim vannak, pl ez a világos zöld jáva meg anubias nana.
Köszi, hogy nézel minket, igen, nem vagyunk könnyű helyzetben itthon. Egyébként nem szeretjük a csapvizet keverni az RO vízzel, bár működhet a dolog, de ha már egyszer megtermeljük a jó vizet, akkor inkább a megfelelő arányú visszasózást választjuk, ahelyett, hogy a fluktuáló vagy nem jó Ca / Mg arányú vizet kevernénk vissza részben. De működik sokaknál ez...
Great video ! Do you know the difference between GH+ for tanks and GH+ for ponds ?
Good vid, thanks
Very knowledgeable episode
Very difficult to understand
Very hard to master it
But very nice to know
Thank you 👍🏼
I only change water 😂
I love those
REPLAY CREW
How do you keep the GH in that range in scapes you use lots of seriyu stone? I have a nano tank with seriyu stone and i water change with RO of 7 GH. Within a few days my GH goes up to 13-16 and thats where it stays until I do my weekly water change. I cannot seem to keep a low GH at all
Yeah, we do have fluctuating GH (TDS) too, there's nothing you can do about that, except more frequent water changes if you have the energy. We don't but we found that after some time the amplitude decreases, when we start with TDS 120 after water changes we get to 170-180 by the end of the week, that's not very bad, at least that's what we found.
Hi Green Aqua. I have a question for you. I use reverse osmosis system and from the beginning I have a TDS of 120/140 without reminalize the water because I have seiryu stones inside. Have I to reminalize the water if I reach the desired TDS only with the rocks?
You should not have TDS 120 with seiryu stones "from the beginning" if you have made a 50% water change with TDS 7 RO water. You should see something like TDS 50 and then remineralize that to 120 and watch the TDS rise to 180 in a week or so, after which you do another TDS 7 water change, etc.
@@GreenAquaShop Thank you very much for your reply!
@@GreenAquaShop but if I’ll have 180 after a week and I change 50% water tds 7 I will have something like tds 90 or am I missing something?
🙌🏼 I’m taking notes from AZ, USA!
Should go back to AZ, love that land... ;) Thx for watching, glad you found this useful.
Will the app be available in the United States anytime soon?
what seachem prime is made of ? what is chemicals inside prime ?
Good content❤
You nailed it.. again.. keep pushing the hobby forward 🙏
Will do, thanks for the support. Cheers.
...why is ai scaper not available in the U.S.? Please please get it out I would absolutely love to have that at my disposal
Hey, great video! I'm amazed at how much I learned (and how it refreshed my university knowledge) in just 28 minutes. Thanks, guys!! I just tried the AI-scraper, which seems cool. However, is it normal for the chat to close in the middle? I was in the process of entering the lighting aspects of my aquascape (after entering my filtration details), and then the chat abruptly ended. The information wasn't saved. Should I be logged into my account when using it, or is there a better way to ensure the chat doesn't end prematurely? Thanks again!! Cheers!
We have a more stabile version up now, but there are still a lot of weird things going on with the AI. The issue you had has been fixed (I know which problem you had, I remember the issue). Cheers!
Thanks for the video. It was really useful. Could you tell me which way is better - set co2 round the clock (for stability ph) or when the light is set only?
We're not the fan of the 24hrs injection. Except when you have a pH controller in place.
@GreenAquaShop whatever, if you have a ph controller, you should set co2 24hrs for stability. You mean I should set the co2 when I got the ph controller only? I can keep under control by bubl counter. The question is, do I need to keep supply co2 24hrs or is it not necessary?
Some use the 24-hour method, but this is used for keeping sensitive species like shrimp. We do not see any advantage to it.
pH controllers are different, as you can set a pause period and hysteresis and monitor and turn off CO2 when it is too much. The manual method just pumps CO2 without real control.
Using the Seachem product to remineralize the GH, bringing it to a value of 6, it is impossible to maintain the TDS at 150, they contain a lot of potassium and at that GH value the TDS rises above 500, isn't it a good product?
Hello, thank you very much first of all for the valuable information that you provide us every week. I live in Spain and I am looking for AI-SCAPER but I can't find it. Can you provide me with the link please? THANK YOU VERY MUCH
Thanks for the support! :) Switch to the English site and you will find it in the lower right corner :)
I understand the use of tap water before the resin softener but in case of a RO System after the water softener system? or should i still connect the RO System before water softener (with resin) system?
Good question, and a bit complicated to answer. If you connect the RO before the Resin system it would work as usual, so that's what I would personally do. If you connect it afterwards, you are removing the salts that are produced by the central water softener so I see no point in the ion exchange when you are removing the result anyway... With that said, your central softener might have some prefilters too, which would keep your RO prefilters (and membrane) cleaner - theoretically, so that's a pro. But it sounds like a bit of waste to me. But it won't hurt the RO probably... One thing is sure: we connect RO-s before the waste water with clients.
@@GreenAquaShop yes i agree, in my particular case i can technically connect the ro before the central softener… but that would be in the basement and it will becaome cumbersome to carry the RO water tonthe 1st floor 😅 that’s why i have it connected after the softener since it’s closer to the aquarium, and was wondering if this might be an issue or not.
Wow great job with that AI tool, that's handy!
Hello. What to do if Amazonia ver-2 soil is "eating" all po4. Dosing 2-3ppm per week. Tested with JBL and Salifert tests. Should i continue dosing until i see some po4 in the test? Or just add 0.2pmm as you recommended and skip tests? Fertilizing aquarium by EI method. Thanks.
If you're on EI you do not need to worry about it. Most aqua soils take up the PO4 in the first few months not only Amazonia.
How can I prevent my seiryu stone problem that improve my KH without remove stone?
thanks
Great Masterclass 👍🏻 just a question: is sufficient the soil to have a stable PH, even if the KH is zero? We can increase KH at 2 also with soil? Thank you
Older soil can absorb and then relase carbonates after months, but I would not count on it.
Filtration is a tool to improve some of the water parameters
Nice! Well said. As far as PH my natural from the well is about 8.5-8.8. I have driftwood in my tanks brining it down by maybe .4 or so. as far as what I’ve found fish really only care about a stable PH so long as it’s not entirely extreme.
Cheers, thanks for watching, and thx for sharing your experience, yes, stability is key indeed. Wow, you have some very high pH.
Just saying. There are many beautiful planted tanks with 0 KH.
Just saying, while there are indeed many beautiful planted tanks maintained at 0 KH, they often have higher pH levels or other balancing factors that mitigate the risks associated with low KH. In our AI-Scaper's algae risk evaluation, we consider these nuances by using a percentage-based risk assessment rather than a binary outcome. Even with a 40% risk of algae, for example, there’s still a 60% chance that the tank will remain beautiful and algae-free. This approach was designed precisely to avoid such polarized discussions by providing a nuanced view of aquarium health.
I love how this video has sparked a vibrant discussion on aquarium chemistry, reminiscent of debates typically seen on other platforms. There's really no need for conflict; we’re all here to learn and share our passion for aquascaping. Peace.
I have a low tech planted aquarium and Discus fish. What should the temperature be? When I keep it at 28 degrees, algae form. What should I do?
More water changes. Check out our discus video with Tommy. That was fine at 28C for months - without algae.
There is something i don't understand about your parameters. I remineralize my tanks with Green Aqua Gh/Kh + at 150. But when i test, for me it's something like 3Gh/ 1-1.5Kh. Listening to you, it should be more.. Any reasons i'm not aware about it ?
Can you make a PDF of the ideal parameters chart?
What is the ideal temperature used in Green Aqua for Discus tank?
Usually around 27-28C 👍
@@GreenAquaShop Thank you.
love this
🙂💚
About adjusting the kh it can't work with technic soil until they re done no?
It works, but some of it will be absorbed by the soil, so you'll need to constantly monitor the levels. Cheers!
What I still don't understand and seems like a lot of other people don't either based on forums is how to have a healthy tank while using rocks like Seiryu stone. Stones like this make your water parameters out of whack. How do you keep stable parameters with rocks like this? It's the one thing I was looking for that wasn't touched on.
Biggest thing I would say is water changes are your friend. If it’s raising GH KH anything , you can always for example use RO water to “reset” those parameters. That’s why many people, especially those who want to grow more sensitive plants, or those who do more advanced things do. Since the RO would essentially be pure water , you can then start off at all 0 values , and pH being neutral.
Question: I have almost RO water (26 TDS out of tap), my tanks range 300-500 TDS. Is there a way to determine what the Dissolved Solids are that are being measured. I know salt spikes TDS, so my theory is it's brine shrimp salt, which I also add some Epson salt to. I know that pretty much blows the Green Aqua standards out of the water, haha.
My fish are happy, my tanks are beautiful and full of plants, so I've never stressed about the high TDS.
My secondary theory is that salt is good for fish for a number of reasons, so I don't want to rinse my brine shrimp. If you use a TDS meter on brine shrimp solution (2 tablespoons per liter salt and teaspoon of Epsom salt) it shows 9999 TDS.
I will answer my own question because I have salt meter test strips for my pool, but I'm still wondering if others have this high TDS issue they believe is brine shrimp salt.
Wow, so many numbers. :) Anything that changes the conductivity in the water also raises TDS!
So I’m not crazy for reading 0 ppm Amm, 0 ppm No2 & 0 ppm No3. Could someone explain exactly what is happening in this process? What if my No3 never fluctuates or rises above 0?
Sir, I am your subscriber from India 🇮🇳 and want to know if I can use Chira stone is also known as laterite stone in English. Laterite is a type of soil and rock that is rich in iron and aluminum. It is commonly found in tropical areas that are hot and wet ( Ratnagiri sindhudurg , Karnataka ) . . Will it effect my Fish or plants ?
It depends, no experience with that stone, but if it leaches too much iron, you can have issues with the iron reacting with phosphate and precipitating in your filter. So I would avoid it.
There are a few scientific errors in the video. I'll address some and provide more information on others.
1. Silicon is a beneficial plant nutrient. It promotes plant growth, improves cellular structure and increases disease resistance. This may be part of the reason why plants grown using tissue culture are small and weak, bc the nutrient solution lacks silicon (amongst other essential and beneficial nutrients).
2. Potassium does not need to be 20-30ppm. This is likely far too much as aquatic plants don't need it. It's primary function is osmoregulation, as is sodium (which was not addressed in the video) which is more important for animal health. If sodium is lacking, it can lead to poor health and premature death of fish and shrimp.
3. Nitrate excess can prevent certain types of alga (e.g. filamentous types) from growing. That's why aquariums with high amounts of NO3 tend to not have these alga. When nitrate is excessive, plants (and alga) stunt and grow deformed due to a molybdenum deficiency. Molybdenum is required for nitrate reduction so fertilizing exclusively nitrate nitrogen can result in molybdenum deficiency sooner. The reason filamentous alga die under high nitrate is due to insufficient Mo . Fertilizing Mo under high nitrate will allow plants (and alga) to grow.
4. Phosphorus should be balanced with nitrogen. An N:P ratio of approximately 10:1 is optimal for healthy plant growth. 0.2ppm of phosphate = 0.067ppm of phosphorus. Using the 10:1 ratio, that means nitrogen would be 0.67ppm, which is ~3ppm of nitrate. Increasing the amount of P can signal to plants (e.g. Anubias and Bucephalandras) to flower.
@26:41 the filamentous alga's wiry and clumped growth indicates a molybdenum deficiency. Under sufficient Mo, the alga grows straight and thick like hair.
Vas részt is bele tehettétek volna :) vagy annak nem fontos a mennyisége?
A makrotokat használom. 5-6mlert kap naponta így tartom a 10-15ppm nitrátot és 0,6-0,8foszfátot plusz foszfát adagolással. Akkor elkelle kezdenem csökkenteni?
Poproszę o link do Ai scaper ponieważ nie ma takiego narzędzia w Google
AI-Scaper lives in the bottom right corner of our website.
The Discord link in the socials doesn't seem to work. Is there a Discord?
Thanks for the notification. This is a mistake we will fix it shortly. The server was shut down a while ago 👍
Can you please always mention the units when measuring TDS? Most use ppm, but in my local store they measure uS/cm (which is technically conductivity). It is the TDS x 2. This can lead to confusion. Anyway for any parameter that is mentioned, units should always be specified. In school our teacher would add “bananas” if we forgot the units 😂
It only makes sense to measure TDS if you use RO water, which is their case. In Brazil, water is normally very soft and it is not common to use RO water in planted tanks. So measuring this will make no sense at all.
Yes, you are right, this is why I said in the video, that knowing what you have matters, and it doesn't hurt to check sometimes, because values can shift with time - we know that from experience. But there is no need to get "all-chemist". LOL.
The numbers aren't of particular interest for most plants but you should explicitly tell folks which units you are talking about concerning TDS. Do you mean ppm (dissolved solids) or microS/cm (conductivity)?
You are absolutely right, that's what my father told me on the phone after he watched the episode. :D Yeah, TDS is measured in ppm but the test itself measures conductivity and then converts it.
@@GreenAquaShop
Just to make it clear for once and for everyone :)
The numbers given by Green Aqua are ppm (ppm x 2 equals microS/cm). At least this is how I grasp your reply.
Where can we find the ai-scaper
Nvm only in Europe. 😢
What happens when the KH is higher than the GH?
Waiting the IA SCAPERS in Mexico 🇲🇽 😢
I cant find the ai-scaper (im european) Thanks
If you have an adblock it will hide the AI-Scaper
aquascape - arts of water treatment
LOL, right. It is an art.
В мене на сойлі Амазонія kh завжди падає в 0, яку б воду я не лила в акву)
Лию зі значенням kh 6, міряю в акваріумі- там 0. Сойл поглинає солі kh
And where do i find the AI-Scaper, google is not my friend in this case. (yes i'm european
Yes, I didn"t find it
It lives on the bottom right corner of our website. 💡
check if you have the adblock on. This will hide the AI-Scaper.
I always love your videos. I appreciate the difficulty in attempting something like this, and I'm always on the lookout for good water chemistry videos to recommend to beginners. I think this one comes the closest to what I've been looking for in the decade or so that I've been helping others in the hobby, but I have just a couple nitpicks. Now, I totally get the point early in the video that you can see success with different parameters, but that this is just what you've found works well. I totally understand and respect that, and while there are lots of little details that could be added, you're trying to not make a 3 hour long video 😂
That being said, there are just two reasons I can't recommend this video:
1. The Redfield Ratio just needs to die, lol. It's very misunderstood. It's the ratio of C:N:P (160:16:1) in marine phytoplankton, as determined by a guy named Alfred Redfield in the 30s. It's not relevant to freshwater (which varies much more in nutrient levels) and it's not relevant to macrophytes (which tend to resemble terrestrial plants more with an average ratio of 2-12:1... yes, several aquatic and terrestrial plants have been shown to contain a 2:1 N:P ratio). Finally, those amounts are representing atomic N and P, not NO³- and PO⁴+. The regular Redfield Ratio (16:1) as calculated for NO³- and PO⁴+ would be 23:1, which isn't even close to anything people actually do
Keeping N and P low is a good strategy for nature-style aquascaping, which is usually heavy on hardscape. Rich fertilization is really only for Garden-style tanks, with >80% of the substrate planted with fast-growers. So as a strategy that works for you, that totally makes sense.
The other point is the KH thing. If 2 dKH works well for you, that's great, but 0 dKH does not cause wild pH fluctuations or melting plants. That's a myth that's based on a misunderstanding of some real concerns in natural systems. The whole pH crash thing isn't really a thing either, unless you're talking about an aquarium that goes >1 year without a water change. To explain it fully requires a *lot* more detail than I'm going to put into a RUclips comment, but I'm happy to talk about it any time. I speak as someone who has run a very happy and productive tank breeding hundreds of Neocaridina shrimp with a baseline pH of 5.5, down to 4.5 with CO² injection. But also, Dennis Wong (2 Hr Aquarist), Tom Barr, Gregg Zydeck, and many others use 0 dKH to grow plants that can't be grown in higher KH. The only plant I've *ever* seen that struggles in 0 dKH is Rotala ramosior. Every other plant I've ever grown is either indifferent or actively prefers 0 dKH. I think Marwen was harsh in his assessment, but this is very well known among the best plant growers in the hobby (many of whom are quite poor at aquascaping, lol)
If not for those two details, this would become another go-to video for helping people understand water parameters. As it is, the only source that I've been able to recommend unreservedly is Dennis at the 2 Hr Aquarist
Generally, love your videos, cheers!
Sorry man, but you can not discredit other people’s experience on the topic and their learning from decades on the field. For example, from their experience and myself we can observe that no KH on new setup tanks does melt plants. It is also fact that the PH will fluctuate as crazy if you are injecting CO2 at day. That is chemistry, not opinion.
@@fabioprata9539 That sounds great and all, but in this case, to do so discredits the experience and expertise of people like Tom Barr, Marian Sterian, Xiaozhuang (Dennis) Wong, Sudipta Shaw, Joe Harvey, Winston Sumogod, Omid Niavarani, Vin Kutty, Gregg Zydeck, and many others. If you don't know who any of those people are, you should google them. Given your placing in the IAPLC (congrats, btw), surely you're familiar with at least some of them. Some have placed in aquascaping contests, some have judged, some have PhDs in argology and enzyme biochemisty, some of them just grow plants that no one else in the world can grow (or can grow to their highest form).
Now, as far as the chemistry bit, I'm sorry but you're right, there is no room for opinion there. It's science. We can go about it two ways:
1) the scientific method. Have you ever run a 0 dKH tank? if you haven't, how do you know? I have, and many others have, and we don't see pH swings.
2) we can understand the science behind it, and where the misunderstanding comes from, because it *does* have a basis in real science. It's just misunderstood.
I have a bit more time on my hands today, so I'll go ahead and write a little chemistry lesson.
So, a conjugate acid/base pair is a pair of molecules that differ by a single proton (Hydrogen is the simplest atom, consisting of a single proton, so in this context proton and hydrogen, as in "potential of Hydrogen", are synonymous). A unique characteristic about conjugate pairs is that they don't destroy each other. So you can add a ton of both of a pair to a solution, and the acid neutralizes any bases, and the base neutralizes any acids, and they naturally reorganize to an equilibrium with each other, so the pH doesn't move. That is a "buffered solution". That's what we use to calibrate pH probes.
Now,
carbonic acid > bicarbonate > carbonate
H₂CO₃ > HCO₃⁻ > CO₃⁻⁻ (Or CO₃²⁻)
Each minus represents a missing proton, because it can accept a proton from the water. That's what makes it basic. They are a conjugate trio.
Now, carbonate hardness is supposed to represent the total bicarbonate+carbonate in solution. Those are a conjugate pair, so that must mean KH=buffer, right? Well, every buffered solution has a target pH and a useful range (where you can tweak the recipe to target any point in that range). For example, pH probe calibration solutions are buffered solutions, that way, minor cross contamination during calibration doesn't throw the whole thing off. But there's a limit to how much acid and base a buffer can neutralize before it is exhausted. These are Acid/Base Neutralizing Capacities (ANC/BNC), and the total buffering capacity is always equal to the lowest of the two.
You can make a bicarbonate/carbonate buffered solution. Its main target pH is 9.6 and its useful range is 9.2-10.6
If your pH is
Oh yeah, one red flag from the video is that they specifically say that the only time they recommend measuring KH is when plants are melting. But if you only measure a parameter when conditions are poor, how do you know that the parameter has actually changed? If you want to try and correlate parameters, you need to test frequently so you have a baseline to compare it to. Even then, instability of *any* sort can induce melting in more finicky plants. This includes KH, GH, nutrients, CO₂, temperature, etc. I just really struggle with the KH section
If you're growing easy plants, like Green Aqua does, then you have a much wider range of tolerance. For those of us growing Eriocaulon, Lachnocaulon, more challenging Syngonanthus, Hygrophila araguaia 'Chai', Paepalanthus, Tonina, Centrolepis... this won't cut it. And that's fine, they're speaking within their experience. The KH thing is the only really big issue I have because it's increasing work and cost, increasing the toxicity of ammonia, and making the tanks less forgiving than they would be if they just left out the KH
Oh, well... my super long comment explaining the science behind it has disappeared 🤷♂ Not sure if it was a some automated filter or what, but oh well. That's why I don't usually bother with youtube comments for that kind of thing. If you want the actual science behind it, you'll have to find me on a different platform, or spend a significant time researching it. If you want a head start: learn about conjugate acid-base pairs, buffered solutions, and the useful range of a carbonate buffered solution. If your pH is less than 9.2, there's no buffering, just alkalinity, which is *not* the same thing.
Thank you,@@christopherfassett9973, for your detailed explanation about the role of carbonate hardness (KH) and its buffering capacity in aquariums. You emphasize that below a pH of 9.2, the buffering capacity of bicarbonate/carbonate systems is essentially exhausted, rendering KH ineffective at resisting pH swings in that range.
However, the situation is a bit more complex than it might appear at first glance. I discussed your comments with my father, (who is a chemist, as I mentioned in the video) and he points out that all conjugate acid/base pairs, including the bicarbonate/carbonate system, do exhibit buffering effects, and this buffering capacity is influenced by the metal ions present-such as sodium (Na⁺) or calcium (Ca²⁺). Specifically, when calcium ions are involved, the buffering effect occurs at a lower pH range compared to when sodium ions are present, due to differences in how these metal ions interact through hydrolysis, which affects the resulting pH.
Carbonic acid (H₂CO₃), being a weak acid, only slightly acidifies the environment. However, in the presence of calcium bicarbonate (Ca(HCO₃)₂) and calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), the pH can increase because the hydrolysis of these salts produces calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂), a base typical of slaked lime. These processes are part of equilibrium reactions, and the buffering capacity depends on the concentrations of these dissolved compounds. The solubility of CaCO₃ and Ca(HCO₃)₂ plays a crucial role here, as does the addition of CO₂, which shifts the equilibrium towards more carbonic acid and bicarbonate, affecting the pH balance.
While it's true that the buffering capacity has its limits and can be overwhelmed - especially with significant additions of CO₂ - the KH does contribute to buffering within the typical pH ranges found in aquariums (usually between 6.2 and 7.5). The effectiveness of this buffering is governed by the concentration of the buffering agents and the specific chemical equilibria in the tank. Overextending this capacity can lead to pH fluctuations that might affect aquatic life, but it doesn't mean that KH has no buffering effect below pH 9.2. Therefore, your view seems a bit oversimplified regarding the buffering role of KH in aquarium settings.
I appreciate your insights and the opportunity to delve deeper into this complex aspect of aquarium chemistry. Understanding these nuances helps us better manage our aquariums for the health of both plants and fish.
I know this has nothing to do with this video, but what do you do when the snails (Cliton, Zebra) leave empty egg shells all over the aquarium? It’s impossible to clean off and it looks awful😅 but they are great algae eaters so it’s a struggle!😂😅
We endure. :) Really.
The part about low/zero KH being bad in planted tanks is a myth that has been debunked countless times. There are many amazing planted tanks and aquascapes running on zero KH. Low or zero KH is great for plants under CO2 injection. (The bit about zero KH causing plant melt in a new tank is also nonsense.)
The part about phosphate being above 0-0.2 ppm causing algae proliferation in a planted tank is another myth that has long been debunked.
Your knowledge on water parameters for planted tanks seems quite outdated. Please do your research before spreading such old myths to new hobbyists.
Come on, guys, did you hear me saying in the first part of this video, that sticking to these values is only something we found works for us and many aquascapers throughout the world that we are in contact with, and that other values might also work for people? I see no reason for using words like myth, nonsense, and living in the past in comments. I'm 51 and I read too many forums and comments that were separating the people in the hobby into groups that fight each other over nothing. Thanks for watching the video, you are great! Peace
@@dnoop_sogg where💀
@@GreenAquaShopthe most beautiful planted dutch/garden style tanks at the moment are with 0kh even the brands like 2hr and Masterline use it. Maybe good to try in the future. Most used for those kind of tanks at the moment, a must have Aswell with rare plants, i understand with all those store aquarium store easy plants tap water is fine.
@@GreenAquaShopI think that's a fair response, but some of the top growers in the world have been banned from TPT in the last couple years for saying 0 dKH was fine. One particular moderator (username: somwhatshocked) went on a whole power trip about it, even though the whole thing is a (very complex) misunderstanding. 0 dKH is not harmful. If it was, we would have virtually no plants/fish from places like the Rio Negro, the Pantanal, or from 90% of South and Southeast Asia, where pH ranging from 3.5-6 are totally normal. Yet these places have some of the highest aquatic plant diversity in the world.
The point being, people are upset because you've (inadvertently or not) fed one of those issues that is actively ripping TPT apart as we speak. It was a huge loss when Gregg Zydeck's 200+ page, 4,000+ post journal was deleted, all because in several years of running 0 dKH, he never saw a pH fluctuation. It's just one more entry in the long-running category of "wildly unnecessary drama", lol
I understand both sides of this. Maybe some things were stated wrong , but they did also say that swaying from these parameters would not cause a problematic tank. As for Dennis , he did create a statement , which I really like. Here is the statement:
There is no need to test boundaries if all they do is grow easy plants. As a business, selling scapes with easy plants is the way to go, no client tank with limited servicing is gonna grow a Hygrophila chai or Erios. Their focus is on hardscape and low maintenance. Why have higher than 0.2ppm PO4 if you're just growing Java fern and mosses. Why have low KH if not growing any picky soft water plants, they could use Seiryu rock on every tank and it'd work out the same. Their advice reflects the expertise with the type of scape they do (hardscape focused, easy plants). Looking to them to in-depth chemistry advice, is like looking to movie celebrities for nutrition advice.
Why Potassium so high?
I live in brazil, our normal temperature is 30-34• 😅
And yet you guys make the best layouts. This only proves that science is not everything. :)
i live in australia. underwater temperatures outside reach almost 40C, measured near the water surface, still water. Plants were fine.
Best video ever!
Thanks for watching. Cheers.
When the AI-Scaper will be available in Mexico 🇲🇽 😢
such an informative video! you guys outdid yourselves here. cheers.
Thanks so much for watching and for the kind comment too!
In my opinion, water quality parameters are only a part, the most important thing is still the temperature in the lake or outside the environment 20-22 degrees is a beautiful tree.
Absolutely, water quality parameters are indeed just one part of maintaining a healthy and visually appealing aquarium. While temperature is crucial, with 20-22 degrees Celsius often being optimal for many plants, it's important to recognize that no single factor can be deemed the most important in isolation. In aquascaping, every element from lighting and substrate to CO₂ levels and water chemistry contributes to the overall balance.
That’s exactly why we developed AI-Scaper-to provide a more holistic view of aquarium health through its risk percentages. This tool helps aquarists understand that while one parameter might not be perfect, the overall balance can still support a thriving, algae-free tank. By looking at the bigger picture and managing risks collectively, we can achieve beautiful results without getting bogged down in specifics. Let's enjoy the diversity of methods and views in this hobby. Peace.
is there a meter to test gh and kh just like ph and tds Or is that not yet invented😂
Vivement un testeur électronique multi paramètre abordable 😂.
how to determine kh? is there any way of testing gh and kh
Please caption persian is on
Fixed, thanks for the patience. Cheers.
Please caption persian turn on
It is on now. :) Only human.
This is too difficult. 😅😢
Nitrit😂
Vost fr please 😂
You got it, thanks for watching!
I’m a biologist but did not learn it at school I learnt nothing at school, the parameters of the water will be perfect after a few weeks if you plant lots & lots of plants they do all the work for you.. all my tanks are heavily planted I have no algae no disease’s in the tank all fish happy healthy & having babies like no tomorrow.. one tank full of fish overstocked & been going for a year I’ve only ever done 3. 20-30% water changes it’s thriving never had to clean it, it’s also opposite two windows & I don’t even get algae on the glass now if that’s not proof enough that plants are the answer then I don’t know what else to tell people.. it’s how it works in natural ponds there’s no one cleaning those bodies of water & testing it everyday I never test the water no need I know it’s perfect..
Also I never use chemicals in my tanks no way am I going to put man made chems into my little people’s environment….
also I have fantails beautiful flowing tails one had fin rott when I got him half the tail eaten I put him in a hospital tank & treated him for 9 days with organic Celtic salt no food for the whole time your treating he was cured in 9 days that was months ago & his tail has grown back he’s as greedy has ever happy & spawning… now he’s in a planted tank & no problems at all, try it put lots of plants & leave it a loan to do its thing
I also put dead leaves in my tank from the bottom of ponds I’ve also got plants from ponds & planted them in my tanks straight from the pond no problems if there’s fish living in the pond then no worry of toxins coming from that pond otherwise the fish in that body of water would be dead.. I also take moss from the side of a water fall & glued it to the wood it’s dark green & looks awesome it had little organisms on it straight in my tank.. 😂😊 I sit back & watch my tanks evolve
good luck 🤞 people just look to nature there’s your answer
What happened to the Spanish subtitles? Don't forget about the Latin community that follows you. 😢
Now there are Spanish subtitles.
@@markush1122 yes, I see!
We do sometimes post the subtitles a bit later after release, luckily not many times, but thanks for kicking us to do it, LOL. Our bad.
Where is indonesia translate 😅
you got it, thanks for watching!
@@GreenAquaShop can you make video toleran plant with tropic temperature(high)
qualification is not necessary for hobbies so don't show off what you have studied and dont try to make hobbies more complex
It’s more that there are lots of people online who are js dead wrong, especially in the aquarium hobby, so it’s actually important to know you can trust someone
Also the science behind it makes this one of the most complex hobbies at the highest level. Don’t click on a video titled ‘masterclass’ and be surprised it’s an expert talking in detail
I had no idea, that explaining my bkgd gets through like showing off, I think that knowledge is something that is required for everything, from psychology through communication and hobbies. Thanks for watching and commenting, you are great.
As stated before , qualification is what technically makes everyone a good source for information.
In most cases , trusting someone who has been in the hobby for the longest time and has had a lot of experience , along with experience in biology , chemistry , physics , etc., DOES create people that you can rely on , rather than some random comment.
Yes of course , there are many people that can seem to have more knowledge than those who have no degree , but all information should be checked , and ideally be challenged, in experiments. Experiments , in every field , is what advanced those fields. Not many understood why some plants were stunting in high tech tanks ; come in Vin Kutty researching this and finding Lythraceae was stunting because of high column dosing and lower root feeding.
So any labels in our names or papers all have people find our research more credible. Plus , they have worked for those labels , if it’s in an applicable category, it should work. If I am working with the water parameters and how they affect flora , I should show off my phD in biology and chemistry to in some way show I should hold some credibility to my knowledge