Question about TDS

[Ingen]

Finally went about getting a TDS meter from china site and tested the reading on my tanks. All my tanks uses the same aged water during weekly water change.

1. Low Tech 1ft Tank, dose fertilizer once a week - 130 PPM - (two pieces of driftwoods with some lava rocks)
2. 2ft sort of heavily planted, EI with seachem products: 400ppm... (Mainly wood scape)
3. Wall mount mainly moss tank, low EI with seachem: 430ppm!!! (Mainly Rock Scape)

I'm keeping low grade CRS in my wall mount, saw some berried crs and shrimplets recently, but starting to be worried about the high TDS as I read online its best to keep within the range of 100-150.

My question is, does dosing fertilizer and co2 affects the TDS so significantly?

[Shadow]

Yes it does. Hydroponic farm using TDS to determine when to dose fert. It does not work in scaping tank though because the rock hardscape effecting the TDS reading as well.

[Naraki]

Yes it does. Even Seachem prime will increase TDS. Basically everything you put in contribute to TDS.

[Ingen]

I see... I guess, as long as those shrimps are alive and breeding, it shouldn't matter much?

[Urban Aquaria]

I've been testing TDS in my tanks too (got a TDS meter from Amazon a while back) and it seems that TDS is not a major issue for most shrimps as long as the change in TDS is slow and gradual. I've had shrimps breeding in tanks with 150ppm TDS, and also in tanks with 350-400ppm TDS.

If the shrimps are not dying and breeding, that means they have already successfully adapted to the water conditions, therefore its best not to do large water changes that drop the TDS too fast as that will shock them and may result in mass die-offs. At most only do small water changes to gradually reduce the TDS and allow the shrimps to adapt to it over an extended period of time.

[Ingen]

I see, cause I got shock when I first dipped the TDS meter in and it shows 400+, I thought I was using it wrongly until I dip it in my low tech that shows 100+. I reckon that could be one of the reasons why my cherry shrimps from low tech did not survive in my 2ft tank.

Does it mean that the current CRS that I have MAY adapt to my 2ft which is also TDS at 400+?

[thebaldingaquarist]

in my opinion, the TDS readings only warrant need to investigate. high TDS means alot of soluble inorganic substances are in the water.

If the inorganic substances are naturally occurring, (better if naturally occurring in the fauna's natural habitat) that leaves little for concern.

However, the substances to worry about are things like mercury, copper, fluorides.. these are not naturally occurring (ok ok.. some may argue chlorides also should be in the list..)

All I know is.. very low TDS reduces chances that shrimp might not survive.. as low TDS means low concentrations of the substances. so even copper at very low concentrations are ok.

When high TDS is detected, we need to find out what is in the water before saying for sure that the water is safe for sensitive fauna.

[Ingen]

Meaning more test kits to purchase haha? What's a good kit to measure copper and such?

[thebaldingaquarist]

Meaning more test kits to purchase haha? What's a good kit to measure copper and such?

if you really want to keep/breed sensitive shrimp in the long run and your water source/regime is not constant.. you might want to consider test kits.. like...
1. PH
2. GH
3. KH
4. Nitrates
5. Nitrites
6. Copper
7. MG
8. Chlorides
9. TDS

tetra has a good range of the above, except for TDS.

When i tell this to my friends, the first response is always .. "Siao ar" (english translation : mad bro?)

If your water source and regime is constant, then... probably can trial and error until you find a water regime that works.. but that may involve some deaths of shrimps..

I have a friend who buys distilled water from commercial source and hauls the 20 gallon container home every 2 weeks for water change.. he is into King kongs and CRSes..