Joined: May 29, 2007 Posts: 2181 Location: Hyderabad
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 2:09 am Post subject: Re: Rotala Macrandra mini (Dark RED) - Not growing
Aquaguard is a UV and mechanical filter, it wont soften the water at all.
Test your aquaguard water by electrolysis, you'll be shocked to see such high quantities of dissolved salts and metals.
I currently get RO bottles locally, though quite expensive in my area but I have no other option. I mix it with my tap water 50% for the tank. My tap TDS varies throughout the year. In summers it goes very high(500+), as due to shortage municipal department is known to mix up ground water in supply and degrade it. And rest of the time I get about 2-300ppm from tap, quite good, but still a little on high end.
I am already fed up of poor customer service and performance of my aquaguard UV filter.
I am planning for a DIY RO Unit before next summers. You get the whole system, just that you need to assemble and maintain it yourself. 3-5stage systems are available. They cost 3times less than branded RO systems on initial cost and maintenance as well. You can do it as well.
@joealex
Man! you are advising something thats highly in contrast with Shelly's situation.
Go back and check the water parameters of those foreign guys put up in their journals. In most states(USA and other countries) municipal water has a TDS of 40-50ppm at max. Thats why they need to increase Kh and gH, unlike us. Shelly has a TDS of 800+ already, his gH and kH will be exceeding the desired level by a huge margin.
Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 12:06 pm Post subject: Re: Rotala Macrandra mini (Dark RED) - Not growing
@Hamza, sorry, didn't mean to confuse you/shelly.
To be clear on what Tom has suggested
1. Keep KH low
2. No dosing.
Based on my research, low KH can be achieved by using RO water and also by increasing CO2. I think that's what you and other members are also suggesting - "Use RO water". I'm also using RO water for my tank. Since I have the same issue, even though I use RO water, I did some search and found the Tom Barr's suggestion.
But the new thing that he has suggested is "No dosing" to increase the plant stress. Not sure whether our members have tried out this concept for the plant in question !
Joined: Aug 19, 2005 Posts: 4895 Location: Mathura, UP
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 1:09 pm Post subject: Re: Rotala Macrandra mini (Dark RED) - Not growing
@Joealex, the no dosing suggested by Tom Barr refers mainly to nitrates only, Nitrate deficiency in plants is said to bring out red in plants.
However it is not without risks.
Red colour in leaves is often a sign of stress, wither by way of high lights, high iron, high nitrates etc.
There is one another aspect I would like to point out, we are talking about TDS, TDS is not hardness, it is total dissolved solids.
Hardness refers to Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg) concentrations in water, and is measured by GH (General hardness), it is more relevant to plant growth.
For example If I take 1 lit of distilled water it will have TDS=0 and GH=0, now I dissolve 100 mg of common salt (NaCl), the TDS will be 100 ppm but GH or hardness will still be zero.
A water of TDS 800 ppm can have GH anywhere from 200 -500 ppm depending upon the minerals in water.
So If one is going to change water parameters, it better to have Gh measured.
Shelly, I already do it, but get a TDS meter, GH, Kh testing kit.
My source water has hardness of 1300, Gh 530.
I have bought it down to TDS 700, GH 300.
Seriously ?
1300 ? That might cause some serious health issues. Even 700 is too high.
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