Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
I've been at this hobby for a second time round for a little over a year now. With the help of this forum and copious amounts of research I'm finally at a place where I am happy with my tanks.....no more stress! Yippee!
Anyway, there has been one topic that has been playing on my mind for quite some time. Total dissolved solids.
We all know about the osmoregulatory system to a certain extent. Not so much the nitty gritty as far a how certain things in our tap water effect out fish. Without being scientists we are never going to know how boron for example effects the fishes physiological well being on a cellular level but we know TDS is there and it IS important.
This is why we acclimate fish so they have time to adjust so that the effect of Change in water is not say sudden one overwhelming the fishes cells etc.
We try to achieve certain water chemistry for certain fish and are happy that farm bred fish can be quite hardy and can adapt to most water chemistries if we adjust them slowly.
What my worry is forever rising TDS. With the things we put in to our aquarium such as food, fertilisers etc and the obvious slow evaporation it is inevitable that TDS WILL rise. This rise will vary for everyone's aquarium. The things we add, the amount we lose and the amount we change.
Now even if this change in water chemistry is ever so slight and may take a long time to rise the fact of the matter is is that it is still rising. Correct me if I am wrong but if the TDS of our water is always changing (rising) then this must be having a slow effect on our fish. Even though they are always adapting would it not make sense that this change is costing them small amounts of energy day by day in order to compensate for the new change? Could this be causing underlying physiological changes to our fish that will go unnoticed until the fish becomes ill?
Could this be the reason why some fish become ill or die for no apparent reason. Some fish no matter what species will feel this more than others just like you or me react differently to temperature.
I want to hear your thoughts on this topic and if you share this worry.
Thanks
Anyway, there has been one topic that has been playing on my mind for quite some time. Total dissolved solids.
We all know about the osmoregulatory system to a certain extent. Not so much the nitty gritty as far a how certain things in our tap water effect out fish. Without being scientists we are never going to know how boron for example effects the fishes physiological well being on a cellular level but we know TDS is there and it IS important.
This is why we acclimate fish so they have time to adjust so that the effect of Change in water is not say sudden one overwhelming the fishes cells etc.
We try to achieve certain water chemistry for certain fish and are happy that farm bred fish can be quite hardy and can adapt to most water chemistries if we adjust them slowly.
What my worry is forever rising TDS. With the things we put in to our aquarium such as food, fertilisers etc and the obvious slow evaporation it is inevitable that TDS WILL rise. This rise will vary for everyone's aquarium. The things we add, the amount we lose and the amount we change.
Now even if this change in water chemistry is ever so slight and may take a long time to rise the fact of the matter is is that it is still rising. Correct me if I am wrong but if the TDS of our water is always changing (rising) then this must be having a slow effect on our fish. Even though they are always adapting would it not make sense that this change is costing them small amounts of energy day by day in order to compensate for the new change? Could this be causing underlying physiological changes to our fish that will go unnoticed until the fish becomes ill?
Could this be the reason why some fish become ill or die for no apparent reason. Some fish no matter what species will feel this more than others just like you or me react differently to temperature.
I want to hear your thoughts on this topic and if you share this worry.
Thanks