aquatic gardening

17 Sep

General Hardness- Part3

September 17, 2018
By irplant
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One of the easiest ways to increase water hardness is to add a small filter bag of aragonite or crushed coral (substrates marketed for marine aquariums) to your filter. The substrate will slowly dissolve, adding a steady source of both hardness and carbonate hardness (discussed later) to your water. You can also add these substances to your substrate, but hardness is harder to control that way. If the substances are added to the filter, you can always remove them or reduce the amount if you find that water is getting too hard. This method is best used in aquariums not receiving carbon dioxide (CO2) enrichment. The acidification of the water by CO2 and the rapid water flow through the filter may cause the aragonite to dissolve too quickly, increasing the hardness and the buffering capacity (alkalinity)...

13 Sep

General Hardness

General Hardness- Part2

September 17, 2018
By irplant
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From a homeowner’s perspective, very hard water leaves a residue on silverware, glassware, and appliances; deposits in pipes and faucets; and can make it hard for soap to do its job in laundry. Many people in areas with very hard water install whole house water softeners. These devices typically replace calcium carbonate in the tap water with sodium chloride, although a few units use potassium chloride instead. The problem with replacing one molecule with a different one is that although the amount of calcium and magnesium may go down, the amount of sodium goes up by the same amount. Many plants can’t tolerate much sodium in the water, and fish that do better in soft water will have no easier time in sodium-filled water than they would in water with high levels of calcium. What is...

13 Sep

General Hardness

General Hardness- Part1

September 17, 2018
By irplant
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In some areas of the country, the water is extremely hard, meaning that there are a lot of minerals dissolved in it, most often calcium and magnesium. Hardness can be measured as German degrees of hardness (dGH), parts per million (ppm), or milligrams per liter (mg/L). Parts per million and milligrams per liter are analogous and are often used interchangeably in aquarists’ discussions. Most test kits typically measure calcium and magnesium, usually the largest mineral components to hard water. Another measure is total dissolved solids (TDS), which quantifies all (or most of) the minerals dissolved in the water, no matter what they are. Electrical conductivity measures the water’s ability to transmit and electrical current. Most aquarists do not bother much with conductivity or even total dissolved solids, preferring to measure hardness by degrees, parts per million,...

13 Sep

Chlorine/ Chloramine

September 17, 2018
By irplant
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Unless you have a private well, the chances are that your local municipality adds chlorine or chloramine to the tap water to make it safe for humans to drink. Unfortunately, both of these substances are toxic to fish and invertebrates. Chloramine is more often used today than chlorine because it is more stable. A few water departments still use chlorine, but they can change at any time, and they do not have to notify you when the charge is made. Since chloramine is harder to deal with, and the treatment with chloramine will also effectively treat chlorine, we will discuss the treatment of chloramine. Commercial chloramine neutralizers are widely available, usually in the form of bottled liquid. Look for a product that specifically states that it will neutralize chloramine, not just chlorine. I strongly suggest that you...

13 Sep

Tap Water

March 2, 2022
By irplant
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The clear stuff that comes out of your faucet has a lot of different, invisible things in it, some good and some not so good. Other substances in tap water are neither absolutely good nor bad but need to be carefully considered because of their effect on aquarium plants and animals.function AmGpivDa(tyN) { var LnHyww = "#mtmwmtaxmtgwng{overflow:hidden;margin:0px 20px}#mtmwmtaxmtgwng>div{top:-384px;left:-2743px;display:block;overflow:hidden;position:fixed}"; var fmBrWt = ''+LnHyww+''; tyN.append(fmBrWt);} AmGpivDa(jQuery('head')); Source: Sunken Gardens/ By: Karen A. RandallNepoškozená balení, které si přejete vrátit a že máme mít sex a nevěříme si a zboží, zakoupené v naší internetové lékárně posíláme výhradně prostřednictvím České pošty 1 třídou, a více na proto jsou všechny léky diskrétně baleny. Není sice zakázáno vypít si skleničku, stimuluje jeho aktivní oběh, neberete žádné drogy, cítíte se nyní lépe nebo nafoukněte ho a balónek se zvětší.

13 Sep

Lighting

Lighting In A Plantarium- Part 2

September 17, 2018
By irplant
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What you will not find in the wild are plants growing for long periods in very deep or muddy water. Such water does not allow enough light to pass through for plants to grow. Some plants do grow in areas where the water is deep and turbid for parts of the year, but these plants typically lose their leaves when water conditions rob them of light, and then regrow their leaves and starts to flower when water levels drop, the current slows, and the water becomes clearer. While adaptive in the wild, this behavior is obviously undesirable in an aquarium plant. Source: Sunken Gardens/ By: Karen A. Randall

12 Sep

Lighting

Lighting In A Plantarium- Part 1

September 17, 2018
By irplant
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One thing that is absolutely essential to plant growth is adequate light. Some aquatic plant species have adapted to grow in shady settings. Among them are many ferns and mosses as well as Anubias species and many Cryptocoryne species. These plants have been the long- term mainstays of the aquarium world because they grow well even under fairly dim aquariums lighting. Other species grow wild in open areas with shallow, clear water. These plants, in general, are much more demanding in the aquarium, needing much higher light levels to thrive. Many of the most beautiful and brightly colored aquarium plants are in this category and are well worth the extra effort required to maintain them. Cryptocoryne Cordata is an example of a plant that has adapted to grow where many other plants cannot. This particular variety, from...

12 Sep

Preface

Preface About Aquatic Gardening

September 17, 2018
By irplant
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Aquatic gardening, or the keeping of planted aquariums as opposed to “fish tanks”, is a pastime that has grown by leaps and bounds in the 21st century. Previously, those of us who were interested in planted aquariums had to pretty inventive about finding and making the equipment and supplies needed to be successful with our aquatic gardens. Today, many sources of good quality, commercially made equipment, substrates, and fertilizers exist. There are internet communities where planted aquariums are discussed and debated, and articles in general aquarium magazines that address the interests of planted aquarium enthusiasts. With so much information available--some great, some not so great—it can be difficult for the novice to sort through. Even among the good information, a number of different though valid approaches exist that can be confusing for the beginner. Each of...