Another thread about TDS and Discus??

[NTORIUSB]

Hi Ladies and Gents,

Thanks to all of you I am a lot more knowledgable about the care and maintanence of discus and aquaculture than I ever would've imagined!!! I get massive headaches from reading all of the posts every night!!!!

So, in order to save my bottle of Tylenol, I would like somone to explain the whole TDS testing procedure. What it means to the fish, how to modify, optimal TDS reading to induce spwaning, what is an abnormal reading, ETC.!!!!

I took a TDS reading of my 3 tanks last night:

120gl. BB Discus tank: 1070 TDS
55 gl. gravel based gourami tank: 330 TDS
10 gl. quarentine tank: 290 TDS

Why are they all different??? ??? All of them are filled with water from the same source, strait tap. All are treated with the same dechlorinating additive. The 120 and 55 are using the same type of filter system. The quarentine tank is on a sponge filter.

How much does an RO unit change the TDS reading??? Would it be 0-50?? What would the mixture of RO to tap be, like 80%-20%. How do you get your RO water to the tank?

Thanks everyone in advance. If there is anything left out, please feel free to add. ;D

Brian

[Ardan]

HI,
Tds measures the amount of minerals in the water.

IMO for growing discus 150 or more is good. (probably not more than 500?)

For spawning, from 70 to 120. approx.

RO water is about 25. SO experiment in a bucket for the proper mix of RO + tap to achieve the desired tds.


Different bio loads and foods and wc's affect tds. What is the tds of the tap water?

hth

If source water for all three tanks is the same....and you havent added ANYTHING to the water after it goes into the seperate tanks, I would say your meter is out of wack.
The difference between 290 and 330 could possibly be explained away....but not the difference between 290 and 1070.
Have you added any salt to the discus tank in the last while? Does the tank have any decorative rock or shells of ANY type?

Tony

[NTORIUSB]

In the 120 discus tank there were some big sand stone taken from the Vermilion River a few years ago. I just took them out about 2 days ago. Now it is BB with nothing other than a PVC breeding cone. I do roughly a 20-30% WC everyday.

The 55 has gravel substrate and a large plastc ornament, some plastic plants and a couple of pieces of the same sandstone.

When I put the TDS meter in a glass of water it reads 200 PPM. I did add salt to the 120 for about 2 weeks strait, and have now stopped.. About 2 days ago. I also added meth blue for a small breakout of fungus.


Thanks,
Brian :P

[Ardan]

the salt will really up the tds.

Keep doing wc daily to get rid of the salt and bring the tds down.

tds 200 should be good for raising discus

hth

[NTORIUSB]

Ok...

I've done about 3 WC a day for the past couple and I got the TDS down to about 380... I think it was most def. the salt...


If anyone has links to other threads about TDS please post the link here!!!

Thanks,
Brian ;D ;D ;D