Best TDS for growing on

[bosher]

Have 10 baby discus in a 50G Tank with TDS of 100-120 In order to gain maximum growth what is the best TDS level to have and how what sort of quantaty of Calcium Carbonate/addative do I need to add (what is best material to use in resepect of being able to keep the ph stable) I have very very soft water it comes out of the tap at 80 and whilst they are growing well I believe that it is better to raise the mineral content of the water for better skeletal growth

Your advice appreciated as always

:)

[steve.ryall]

Bosher, your water is soft, wow!!! My tap water is about 660-680 tds. I recently bought a fish from Paul Lucas in Southampton, and his water was at 220 tds, thats what I run my tank at, but I am lowering it at the moment to get my fish ready for the show, where the water is going to be about the 120 mark.
hth

Steve

[lhforbes12]

Bosher,
IMO your water is fine as is, don't play any more with it. Actually 80 mg/l would be fine too.

[bosher]

Erm so does that mean yes or no in respect of increasing the TDS?:confused:

[Dave_Discus]

I'd like a SOLID answer to this question...it seems as everyone dances around the answers. Share your knowledge pleae.

[Ed13]

I'd like a SOLID answer to this question...it seems as everyone dances around the answers. Share your knowledge pleae.

You won't get it and perhaps should not get it :confused: . why? Because every ones water along with their thoughts are unique. For example I live in an island(closed system) that only measures roughly 100miles X 35miles and we still get very different water parameters through out different parts of the Island. You should work with what you got!;) So I agree with Larry and not play with it, unless you what to find out the different growth rates in fish with harder water(the result will be larger discus faster grown in harder water ). That being said mine is 240 and I like that!:D

[bosher]

You won't get it and perhaps should not get it :confused: . why? Because every ones water along with their thoughts are unique. For example I live in an island(closed system) that only measures roughly 100miles X 35miles and we still get very different water parameters through out different parts of the Island. You should work with what you got!;) So I agree with Larry and not play with it, unless you what to find out the different growth rates in fish with harder water(the result will be larger discus faster grown in harder water ). That being said mine is 240 and I like that!:D


So if I want faster growth the answer is to increase the hardness - what is the most effective way I am not talking in the realms of hundreds just maybe a figure of 150

[dandestroy]

I find it hard to believe that you would get faster growth on harder water.

Since TDS is sort of a mesure of purity, it wouldmake more sence to me that softer water would be better.

Again when we gowth cells in labs, we use PBS or Hanks bablance salt solution, since putting pure water directly on cell would kill them by oosmosis.

So I'll stick my TDS in a PBS solution tomorow and will let you know what are the reading like. (not sure that it matters much since Aquafina water shows TDS of ~008 and we drink them without dying)

[Ed13]

Read the entire thread, but the most important part is the little experiment carried by Gabriel Posada from Jack Wattley's hacthery post #24
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//showthread.php?t=21311&page=3