Planted Aquarium WATER PARAMETERS & TESTING Masterclass

Aquarium water chemistry for planted tanks is a complex topic in Aquascaping. In this Green Aqua Masterclass, Tommy will explain the different water parameters and water tests in detail, including their meanings and their impact on your tank's water quality. Get ready to learn everything you need to know about maintaining a healthy and thriving planted aquarium.
What You'll Learn:
Types of Water Tests: Discover the different tests available for aquariums, including test strips, drop tests, digital tests, and photometric tests.
When and Why to Test: Learn the best times to test your water, from setting up your aquarium to regular maintenance checks.
Interpreting Results: Understand the significance of GH, KH, pH, TDS, and other crucial parameters in maintaining a healthy aquatic environment.
Fertilization Insights: Get insights into lean versus estimative index fertilization and how it affects your water chemistry.
Troubleshooting Tips: Find out how to address common issues like algae growth, nutrient imbalances, and animal health in your aquarium.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced aquarist, this video is packed with valuable information. Remember, understanding your water chemistry is key to a thriving planted aquarium.
👍 Like this video? Give it a thumbs up and share your thoughts in the comments below!
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📌 Check out our other videos for more guidance on creating and maintaining beautiful aquariums.
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CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
01:09 Test types
02:30 When to test?
10:01 Ideal water parameters
23:13 Why You shouldn't test
26:14 Measuring our tanks
30:11 Conclusion
32:40 Nutrient ratios
34:28 Outro
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#greenaqua #aquascaping #watertest #aquarium, #plantedaquarium, #waterchemistry, #waterparameters, #watertesting, #aquariumhobby, #fishkeeping, #aquaticplants, #aquariumcare, #aquariumtips, #aquariummaintenance, #aquaticlife, #fishtank, #aquariumlife

[@ravscape]

A very detailed guide. Whole Green Aqua good job. 4 years ago my adventure with aquascaping started from your films. When I started, my knowledge was based on my childhood memories, i.e. cryptocoryne gravel and guppy. Now I build a few tanks a year and I want to say Thank you guys for knowledge end inspiration.❤

[@RealRick_Sanchez_C137]

Dude! 3-6 units if WHAT? ppm? mmol/L? Potatoes?

[@mikesfishtanks5944]

Welcome to the beautiful world of aquasceping!

[@richardbunt2278]

This a good video. Watter testing and changing

[@dualquadable]

So lucky to find this channel...

[@FlavioChriste]

I’ve always wanted to listen to your detailed point of view in this matter. This is an endless debate online. I keep my tank with 5ppm Nitrate, 0,5ppm of P, 20+ ppm of K. Gh 6, KH 5 (injecting CO2) For a long time I’ve been a “Crazy Tester”… it’s important at the beggining of the setup as you mentioned. Now my tank is doing fine, so I just observe for possible problems (it’s a 3 year setup). And the two most important things you’ve said: stick to a form of fertilization and Be Patient! Nature doesn’t change things in 1 or 2 days. Patience, for me, is the key element in the hobby. Is a learning process that can contribute in all aspects of your life. Great video, thank you so much for this. Regards from São Paulo, Brazil.

[@Scott-hq3df]

This was THE BEST ferts video I’ve ever seen! I’ve struggled with my 125g/active bed sump, eco Complete, quartz sand capped set up using Seachem EI and this really helped! I’m about to tear it all down and redo with Dragon Stone, Amazonia v2! Getting that perfect balance has been elusive with 2-3 months of perfection in between. 😁 Thanks again from Arizona.

[@toxichris]

Every time Tommy does a video, you know its gonna get super technical. Great video. So much insight.

[@ionutsusan7145]

Aveti cele mai bune emisiuni si deasemenea comentarii detaliate despre întreținerea acvariilor .Felicitări pentru profesionalismul de care dati dovadă. 👍👏

[@Przemek-zi4pe]

Thank you. You make me smarter. I really like your publications, you present the information in an accessible way that is easy to understand for a beginner.

[@HeRo-qd6tk]

I love the technical aspects. Very well done. Bravo!

[@vargasandor7472]

Ez egy nagyon hasznos videó volt számomra! Köszönöm!

[@darrenderousse4804]

This channel is the way I discovered aquascaping! Came up as suggested video on KZbin! Blew my mind! Then I discovered George farmer, Jurijs and MJ aquascaping! I’m thoroughly hooked now, thanks guys 😂 keep up the amazing content and inspiring others to get hooked on this hobby!

[@claymossterrylee]

This is exactly the information I’ve been looking for regarding water parameters, water testing, and fertilizing planted tanks. All in one place!! I’ve finally been able to create a target set of water parameters and a fertilization schedule that reaches those targets. Now I feel I have a confident baseline to use when there are problems with my plants or “tenants” to be able to confidently identify and correct the problems. THANK YOU!

[@levemsan]

Very interesting and detailed video! Even though it was running for more than 30 minutes, I watched it in its entirety, without skipping any part. This proves how well you explained things and I am very grateful to you! Keep up the good work! 💯

[@juanitabolster2483]

Wonderful, thankyou. Totally engaged for the whole video.

[@tomcrossan8263]

A great informative video. Very easy to follow and understand.

[@setesuper4611]

Best Tommy's vídeo! Realy very revealing and usefull!

[@yuryvershinin462]

Thank You a lot, that is the best video on GreenAqua Chanel.

[@salavussalavuswalroos7579]

This is the most helpful video I have been able to find. Thank you so much!

[@casparwelting9740]

A really detailed guide for water parameters, I learned a lot from this video. 🌱😊

[@attilaszasz8778]

Nagyon hasznos, szemlélet formáló videó! Sok dologra a saját káromon már rájöttem, amiket most jó tanácsként elmondtál, de így is tanulságos volt. Kincset érő tippek, köszönöm! Lassan fél éves a low tech 60p akváriumom, amihez a legtöbb dolgot Tőletek vettem, és most már szépen beállt végre. Egy apró észrevétel: a magyar feliratban az elején a csepptesztet (drop test) véletlenül tartóstesztnek fordítottátok.

[@u_s_scaper]

Awesome Video @Green Aqua team thank you for sharing 🙏

[@hanief.borztr6819]

Love green aqua. Best information give these guys.

[@chloechauvel1900]

Really helpful video, thank you so much for this one 🙏

[@tetraguytx1705]

Clear, useful, level-headed presentation.

[@texfish]

Great vid ,your best yet. Totally agree,if the tank looks right and is running right without algae issues, relax and leave it alone. The only test i do is my tapwater every month or so because it can vary occasionally and i like to know whats going in the tank .

[@theviolentone]

Perfect..easy to understand

[@williammcdowell6257]

The information on levels of macro nutrients is exactly where my experience has by clumsy trial and error taken me. This is the best, the very best video on water parameters I have seen, and maybe the best item I have encountered from all sources - books, articles on this topic, and yes drop tests every time for me. Overall this video is simply outstanding. I don't use RO water and don't hit such low KH figures but then I don't grow the full range of really challenging plants. But I do maintain my tank water at least 50% less in KH than my tap water supply and keep KH below my GH and things are good. I have also sadly killed shrimps by unintentionally lowering my pH too fast. Nothing but wise information in this video, well done Tommy, I didn't even get to sit chemistry as a distinct subject so don't beat yourself up about a modest pass. One little aside but relevant, in the summer sometimes, my Nitrate levels rise in my tap water and I do have to keep an eye on them, I find that Nitrate is best kept below 20 ppm but then I don't always hit my Phosphate target of

[@lindapeppin2441]

Thanks Tommy, very informative.

[@Krishore_Aquatics]

Wonderful video these kind of indepth water Parameters and testing videos are not easy to get in KZbin, Green Aqua has done an extraordinary job on this video given us tons of details in this video I have downloaded this video for my future reference hats off to Green Aqua Keep it up

[@liaml9992]

Fantastic video. Thanks Tommy 👍

[@vidmusic88]

Good sharing on this video. I've been testing my tanks a lot even though it looks to be working fine. After watching I will now test less and learn to enjoy my tanks more from now on.

[@lionheart1019]

Thank you I learned a lot.

[@fabioprata9539]

Great video, thanks a lot. Nothing like learning from your experience. 😉

[@griffynmester]

Szuper videó! Köszönöm!

[@KenCrawford1]

Thank you! I am starting this journey coming from Hydroponics and I happy to see there is some crossover of information about water parameters that cause nutrient lockout similar to the hydroponics root zone.

[@rowanwhite3520]

Awesome video, thank you!

[@fusefoes9000]

Great video as always!

[@bilen911]

Thanks for the lesson Dr. chemistry

[@ChristosD]

Great one !!

[@Dekraakjes]

Great lesson in water parameters Thanks love this channel

[@Casey_Ezaziel]

Brilliant thank you!

[@ivopintomegamonstro8667]

Excelente explicação. Obrigada 🇵🇹

[@abi5739]

To me this is at least one of the best videos I watched for green Aqua, and the best without a doubt on youtube explaining in details about these parameters, and it make a lot of sense to me. One of my aquariums its water for about 1 month or more is cloudy with white color. I think this might be a result of fluctuations in ph due to low kh. This is just an assumption. I may be wrong but I'm going to measure kh tomorrow.

[@Largo1981]

Excellent video, the material is complex, but it was interesting to listen and write down the details 😀

[@nabokovfan87]

Incredibly helpful video. Thank you.

[@GreenAquaShop]

You're welcome, glad you found it useful.

[@SW-MOTO]

Excellent material as usual. Greetings from Costa Rica.

[@dorsaquariums4343]

Great video!

[@ladislavhlohinec2814]

Nice video. I don't want to argue, but I am adding my experience. I started with the aquarium 3 years ago and I use the tests regularly. They helped me set the values ​​and I had no problems with the algae. I used the same procedure for a 240 l hi-tech aquarium as well as for two 35 l low-tech aquariums. I use JBL tests and I think they are OK. I also compared the results with the laboratory test and they were very similar. So the conclusion.....the tests definitely helped me.

[@SalvatoreScordamaglia]

You’re so wise Tommy!! :D Grazie per i preziosi consigli

[@GreenAquaShop]

You are welcome! Cheers!

[@adammikoajczyk4902]

it's very interesting and value material

[@cristi862009]

Hi friends! I am glad to hear from you about this topic. I am new in the RO topic and all my previous tanks i used tap water (no issues there). Regarding RO however i do not understand TDS…. My RO has also a re-mineralisation filter. So my RO has 90 TDS but in the dennerle water test 6in1 GH bellow 3 and KH bellow 3. I use Dennerle Osmose Remineral+ . If i want to have GH about 5-6 and KH about 5. Perfect.. now i have TDS 276 .:) why? I know you tend yo have TDS arrount 120 . Thank you in advance for your feedback and hope to see you all soon at the greenaqua gallery ! Cheers!

[@jasonaksnes]

Great video Tommy

[@Aquagold.goldysingh1313]

thanks fort amazing information legend.

[@dddmmm21]

There is too much ego online with people claiming “this is the RIGHT approach”! This vid was very balanced, very good.

[@arthurboritzka]

Thanks for the video mate! Made me sub and comment :) This video has tons of value and has helped me a lot. I hope you know how much you impact our lives with your efforts. Thanks again!!!

[@npg4339]

I've only been in the hobby for a few months and I haven't been having a great time; as a beginner, I'm starting the battle against algae, even though apparently all the parameters are in order and I only use ADA fertilizers. However, thanks to this excellent video, it's clear to me that there's a lot, a lot to learn and improve. Thank you very much and congratulations!

[@mofish3601]

Rewatched this while doing my tap water test! Kh 1, gh 4, ph 6.5 with tds 56. My neocardina need a little extra minerals but my corydoras love my tap water!

[@chevabubz]

This was perfect! I've been stressing about all this, I do outdoor landscape maintenance (art) for a living. So when I got laid off this year I got into aqascaping.. it's a whole different world and the video is exactly what I was looking for..I was already subscriber ad this gem popped up💯

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks so much for the feedback, glad to hear the video was helpful in some ways 👍

[@bokomusik884]

Thank you so much

[@greenmacaroons5673]

Excellent video. The interacción the nutrients is true but not the no3-pho4. The potasium - calcio y magnesium yes, but they have a big margin.. Completely agree in this video.

[@quadzilla26b]

Thank you king! 👑

[@myaquaexperience5332]

Thank You🙏🙏

[@thierryfelix7796]

😀Very precise as usual. Thank you Tommy for your sincerity and your very simple words. What we have to consider is what we see, be very patient and rigourous with CO2 levels and water changes. Much of the time, too much CO2= Algae, less CO2: Algae.

[@aquaplantapflanzenmasse9116]

Very cool

[@detlefh.7090]

Very well done Tommy, I wish the topic would have been broken down the way you have done it some twenty years ago when lean (ADA) and rich (EI by Tom Barr) popped up about the same time. Thanks for an easy to understand lesson. Even Vicky with glasses on her nose added up super nicely 😊 to the quality of this video. Thanks again and keep the good things rolling...

[@LukaszTiiger]

THANK YOU :))

[@greenecospace]

thats was important ! nice video

[@GreenAquaShop]

Cheers!

[@VictoriaLeeCreates]

GOOD MORNING FROM CHICAGO ILLINOIS 💙💛💚💙💛💚

[@tomocimalica7494]

Tommy is legend. So simply explained Top TOP TOP

[@GreenAquaShop]

Cheers, Tomo, thanks for the kind comment.

[@christopherfassett9973]

Great video, but a few notes: Not everywhere has hard tap water, I've lived somewhere that did (18 dGH, 15 dKH, 370-420 TDS), but right now, where I live, I have 2* dGH, 0 dKH, and 37 TDS. Literally, the only thing in my water is the slaked/hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide) that my water company uses to avoid plumbing corrosion. There's no magnesium, so the GH test actually isn't accurate since it assumes a certain ratio (3:1), the GH test reads artificially high. The pH out of my tap is 8.7-9.5, but the hydroxide is very unstable and offgasses within an hour or two, and my pH afterward is usually around 6.1. I don't bother aging the water. It really doesn't affect anything except ammonia toxicity, so I dose Prime a little heavy, no other adjustments for the pH. I use a Python to fill my tanks directly and keep many sensitive fish and shrimp with no issues. I do use a GH booster in CO²-injected tanks or shrimp tanks. It's usually not a big deal in "low-tech" tanks. Anyways, one correction: KH doesn't affect how quickly the pH drops from CO² (carbonic acid), it only affects the starting point. A 1-point drop is still ~30 ppm CO², the difference is, are you starting from say 6.8 and dropping to 5.8, or are you starting at say 8.0 and dropping to 7.0? The only case where KH might affect the pH drop is when there are non-carbonitic sources of alkalinity that are mucking up the test. This isn't really a concern below about 5-10 dKH because other sources of alkalinity would be quickly destabilized and offgass (like the hydroxide in my tap water). Things can get a little wonky when KH truly hits absolute 0 and other salts/TDS are low enough, pH meters can, in rare instances start reading strange, etc. That's not because the pH is actually fluctuating but rather it's a deficiency in our ability to *measure* the pH. Measuring the pH of pure RO/DI water often requires lab-grade equipment, the pH pen or test simply becomes unreliable. Once the TDS increases, even if KH remains at 0, most of these issues go away, so while measuring the pH or RO/DI water can result in false readings, once it's mixing with all the impurities in the tank, we shouldn't have any trouble measuring the pH. Running at 0 dKH, but with enough other salts/TDS that my pH meter functions, I have one tank running at 6.1 offgassed, 5.0 with CO². I have another tank running at 5.4 offgassed, 4.2 with CO² (and Neocaridina, Caridina, Boraras brigittae, Microdevario kubotai, and Sundadanio goblinus are all happy and breeding/spawning). That tank used to run with crushed coral in the filter and ran at 7.8 offgassed, and 6.6 during the day (with the same CO² settings, nothing changed on the regulator). The big thing a lot of people don't understand is that CO² injection is linear, but we're measuring it with pH, which is logarithmic. So the first 0.5 pH drop is only 25% of the target CO². The first 0.8 and 0.9 drop are only 63% and 79% of the 30 ppm CO² target. So people will say that it's really hard to get that last 0.1 or 0.2 drop. That's because if you're at a 0.8 drop, you still need to increase the CO² flow by 1.5x of what it already is, because you're only 2/3 of the way to the target. Anyways, hope that's helpful As always, wonderful video, you guys are hands-down the best aquascaping channel on KZbin and such a great resource. I may have had a nitpick or two with the hardness/pH/CO² etc. thing but the final conclusion is spot-on for people who have gone into a thing deliberately with good info. Often I help people who have no idea what's going on, are just getting into live plants as an afterthought, etc, and in that case I often recommend switching (or starting) fertilization, adjusting to testing, etc, but that's not the same thing as a deliberate scape. Wonderful stuff

[@lolame323]

Thank you for explaining this so beautifully Tommy, I never liked testing kits and as you said if the tank is working fine and the fish are healthy then there is no reason to test it, it's reassuring to know this. Great videos as always

[@Bryzle1]

Lola, don’t listen to this fool when he said not to test. The whole video is about testing!!! The reason for testing is to prevent and detect problems early….before things die. Unless you really don’t care, then go ahead. Don’t test. When something goes wrong, you will become upset, frustrated, then like most….you will leave the hobby. TEST THE WATER. It won’t hurt and you’ll get to enjoy a great and rewarding hobby for the rest of your life. I am thinking this guy really didn’t mean what he said.

[@TailWaggyDog]

Hi Lola, I disagree with Bryan. Your tank won't be a disaster if you don't test constantly, or perhaps he misunderstood the message of this video. The point was that if you keep your tank clean, free of debris and maintain good tank/fish management (not over feeding), the tank will find it's own natural centre/homeostasis. I have had aquariums/fish for most of my life, and I strongly believe that "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" applies very strongly. I've long realised that every aquarium has it's own 'sweet spot' that it will return to despite our efforts to make the tank 'fit' testing parameter lists. I've had tanks that particular fish have refused to survive yet other types flourished. Nature has a way of balancing itself and better to go with the flow than to fight. Sometimes nature gives us a gift of a more beautiful tank than the one we imagined by working with rather than against. Of course you need to check from time to time, know what your tank's 'normal' is, so you know what your baseline should be especially if something seems wrong. For example, I had a second hand tank very early in my fish keeping, where a previous owner had put shell grit into the gravel, probably thought it was pretty, but kept throwing the hardness/pH everything up. Then I saw the shells and realised that was the problem and get rid of that gravel. Testing and adding pH down did nothing to help. The problem was something else. I found that the greatest proponents for testing were my employers who wanted me to sell kits and all the paraphernalia rather than educate. Constant attempts to keep parameters 'perfect' are more traumatic to the fish than to just leave well enough alone. Besides, if you feel that you need to test in a crisis, you can always take your water to the local specialist aquarium store/centre.

[@ytphillip]

I have been struggling with water parameters and found a rid but I didn’t know. That the GH should be higher then the KH! I had changed my kH to 4 and GH to to 3 to try and keep TDS down. So after watching this my target will be GH 4 and KH 2. When I demineralized my weekly exchanged I did this and my TDS was 149 perfect! I have been keeping a planted aquarium for several years and still learning thing all the time. I love these videos you guys rock! I am in the USA and would love to come see your gallery and meet you guys!

[@ytphillip]

Update: I came to visit you in September and Tommy was so gracious, spending his time answering my questions. I wanted to give some updates. I had a huge hair algae problem. I made some of the changes we talked about, added another external filter with 8L Matrix, 500 mls Pueigen, lowered water temp to 72’ F, lowered light intensity and added Seachem Flourish Tabs. About two months later my Hair algae is almost non existent. GH is 3. KH is 1-2. ​​⁠

[@nvelopestudio]

Dear Tommy, again we have here a very detailed video which helps and provide good information! I really like your videos from Green Aqua! Keep it up! In addition, I would like your advice in order to clarify something that's bothering me and that you happened to mention in this video. It's about KH/GH and CO2 injection. I do know that we prefer to start injecting at least one or two hours before the lights turn on, or during the ramp-up sunrise style (let's say 8:30 to 10:00). As you said hard water tends to make one drop more difficult. I have only managed to do it if I start 2,5h before even the lights start and at a rate of 3 bubbles/sec. Lighting is 11 hours with 8 hours of my maximum desired presentence. I use low and medium-demanding plants. Water is kind of hard unfortunately 😢 The big question is: Should I keep injecting this much CO2 or not? And if yes, is it ok to start even before my ramp-up sunrise? I am a bit afraid so I reduced it a little (both bubble and timer) but now I missed my one-point drop. And lastly, is the Seachem Flourish, (+ Potas. Phosph. and iron) in the lean category? And if yes, should I use it more than twice a week? Thank you in advance and in any case, keep providing us with quality material!

[@TheKawasakiz]

Video molto interessante, grazie

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks for watching 👍😀

[@aquagreenart369]

Tanks

[@niassaful]

thx LOVE you

[@mostafajafari760]

Thank you for your great video. is it useful to turn off the light and Co2 in order to fix the algae?

[@ordln4ry]

was about to buy KH and GH tester but right now the tank has no issues yet (3 months old) i guess i will follow Tommy's advise. Dun buy unless it has issues

[@erikfotyi736]

De teljesen érthető és egyszerű volt:)

[@denza025]

Nice video guys! Pleasure to watch it! I'm sure its gonna help a lot of people! I would have a few questions regarding this (and "critics" if I can call it like that lol). - Your thoughts on PPS pro method? It hits "lowest" suggested concentrations from EI if I got it correctly. - Doesnt ADA lean method works only with ADA soil and powersand? I read on several places that this kind of fert scheme starts to "crash" once soil "wears out". Never used it, so I have no clue about that. - Dont you think that ratios do matter at some point simply because some elements react and percipitate? For example you cant keep Fe:Mn ratio at 1:1 if you know what I mean :D - "Critics" would be on pH range/fertilization. Some people may find problems with iron deficiency if their fertilizer is using EDTA chelating agent. You are using DTPA in your mixes (I think?). So, basically, pH higher than 6.5 will really lower your iron fertilizer efficiency if you have EDTA in it. Same goes for your mix at pH higher than 7. If you have pH 7.5, your chelate will "break down" quick and plants wont have enough time to use it. Of course, you got CO2 (as most people who prefer plant based aquariums) so you're never going to have this issues. I didn't know how to call these few lines of text, thats why I said "critics" lol Anyways, awesome video, awesome info! Keep it up!

[@chevytoothelevy9800]

That you so much. looks lots of notes. My number one take-away was that KH's only purpose is to buffer PH.

[@dimitarsimidchiev866]

Great video as always Mark! 🎉 I wanted to ask how you prepare the branches and stones before you put into aquarium. Disinfection process is very interesting for such setups.

[@GreenAquaShop]

We don't really disinfect anything. We use hardscape from reliable sources with no chemicals.

[@karelyou2]

This is a very comprehensive guide on water parameters. Love it! In one part Tommy argues that pH swings of ~1 are OK, but then mentions that fluctuating CO2 (and therefore pH) is a problem. What would be the reason such fluctuations to occur? Are plants really most vulnerable at lights-on where CO2 levels need to be up already?💚

[@TailWaggyDog]

Plants photosynthesise when lights are on, not in the dark. Take up CO2 when photosyntesising.. I'm a newbie here and to aquascaping, so this is only basic biology, extending your question, hoping also for an in-depth answer..

[@SlickNick3]

Great video I currently have really hard tap water and my plants and fish are nice and healthy but I’m moving into a house that has a water softener which sucks, but it also has RO which I plan to use and re mineralize. Do you think my fish and plants will be able to make the change from hard tap water?

[@SifiFan]

Loved this info. Can you do a video on the different hardscape effects on ph? You mentioned some in this video about a rock type effecting ph.

[@Bryzle1]

All naturally wild aquascape items will affect the parameters of the water. All rocks and woods are different. It is trial and error. Especially if I use rock that I pick up from the ground. Same goes for river driftwood. Even the wood you buy from the pet stores meant for fish tanks! Boil it. Change the water. And boil it again until the water stays clear. I’ve boiled and changed the water a dozens of times before the water stays clear. Boiling the wood releases most of the tannins that will turn your tank water brown for months after adding it to a tank even with frequent water changes. I boil it first to kill any unwanted bacteria that can immediately destroy a tank. You don’t want any nasties found naturally in nature to contaminate your water. You can test the rock with vinegar. Put a few drops on it. If it fizzes/bubbles…do not use it. It has too much carbonate. If the rock is highly acidic, it will fizz if you put watered down baking soda on it. This is also very bad. Do not use it. I submerge the rock it for several weeks testing the water before and after. Look for changes in the chemistry of the water. Then test the rock again. Do not use limestone. I’ve had luck with pure solid gray colored granite and shale and most petrified wood. If the granite is multi-colored, more often than not, it cannot be used. While it may be pretty, all those different colors means it has different chemical compositions. Don’t use it. Over time it will poison the water. As a rule, I stay away from all above ground rock. I’ve had the greatest success with river rock after thoroughly boiling it. Gotta kill all the nasties! And, never ever put natural/wild sea shells, starfish, sand dollars in a tank! The nasties are reactivated when wetted even after decades of being dry. Did that once only to have all the fish dead within an hour. Just don’t do it. Real pain to throw everything out, clean the tank and start from scratch again.

[@PedroCL]

Great video! I agree with all your points. However, I found very low your lean fertilization values, are you sure these were weekly dosis?

[@nikfury37]

Encore une belle vision de l’Aquascaping Vouloir tout tester et tout contrôler n’est jamais bon La nature ne se contrôle jamais Elle fait ce qu’elle veut Observons là et adaptons nos comportements c’est la seule chose à faire Hi from France 🇫🇷

[@HelderKeyla]

Good afternoon, for 3 months I started again with the subject of aquariums. I love your channel very much. After a long time having Guppys, now I would like to start with a community with many plants and fish of South American origin such as Angel Fish, Ramirezis, Otocinclus and Coridoras and Tetra Neon. What TDS parameters do you recommend?

[@vdka2136]

I’ve been researching this online for a while and not once heard about kh needing to be lower than gh. I hope this solves my issues

[@jarul7]

Hey tommy. I think it's now good idea to make new video when u r showing for us beginners, on examples, how we can recedniz when we have for example too low iron,too much nitrate, etc without using tests. Like your video when u walk through the shop en talk about "what is not good with this aquarium". This wil be video of "what is going wrong in this aquarium".

[@nath9233]

Amazing video. What would you say the best temperature range is for a planted tank?

[@AquaBenyStyle]

Man can never be infallible, he can always make a mistake. Small aquariums mean more work and large aquariums forgive a lot because it can be corrected. Everyone approaches their aquarium individually, but we try to take care of their aquariums as well as possible. The most important thing in aquarium hobby is patience and never do anything by force as it leads to bigger problems. The material is very nice and I greet the whole Green Aqua team.

[@VictoriaLeeCreates]

Water testing topics 🤟🤟🤟

[@garrios1566]

For frodo stone? GH/KH+ or GH+? Thanks Green Aqua!

[@pierro33480]

Hello Tommy , I did not understand for ada fertilization, on the instructions it recommends 1ML for 20L of water per day and you fertilize once a week?

[@dHeybmendoza]

Hi Green Aqua, very informative topic. Question, when i test our tap water with api freshwater test kit the result is 7.6 pH. Is there any other way to lower the pH? Or can i use the mineral water?

[@bogusawdanda6850]

Hello. And what to do when in fact GH is lower or equal to KH despite the use of RO for water substitution and the use of a mineralizer. After substitution I have 120-150 TDS and GH I KH 1-2

[@MrVili83]

Bonjour d'avoir bravo pour cette video, elle es très bien expliqué merci a Tommy pour son talent pour bien nous faire comprendre l'aquascaping. Et je suis tout a fait d'accord avec vous sur tous les points que vous avez expliqué. Surtout pour la fertilisation chaque bacs sont différents et demandent plus ou moins les nutriments que demandent les plantes. Mais la meilleure façon de garder un équilibre ses de comprendre les plantes et leurs besoin mais surtout prendre le temps s'observer le bac et l'évolution. En tous cas super vidéo. Félicitations a toute l'équipe Aqua green 😊

[@chunghangsiu8714]

Hi, how can I increase the GH/ TDS with ADA product? Many thanks👍🏻

[@Ruby-ex7wu]

Thank you Tommy. You explained super well. Very helpful video.