Strohmeyer article

[chillipop]

Aquarium Chemistry | Calcium & KH & GH & pH & Electrolytes (ions)

Aquarium Chemistry; The Most IN DEPTH internet article on the subject of pH, GH, KH. The need for positive mineral ions such as calcium. Freshwater or marine aquariums. Researched article from fish keeping guru Carl Strohmeyer

www.americanaquariumproducts.com

I found this, seems sensible, plausible to me. I am very new to this hobby however. My worry, it's a site selling a product. Then researched a bit, the author appears well thought of. Do you think this is phooey or good sense ?

Read it all, found it all interesting, the bit that stood out to me under

FRESHWATER TANK SET UP SUGGESTIONS FOR WATER CHEMISTRY​

was :

Basic Widely Mixed Community, including Tetras, Gouramis, Catfish, Loaches, Danios, Livebearers, many Cichlids, etc;

I've read a lot of very strident views on water parameters for certain fishes which this has made me question.

All thoughts welcome

 

[Colin_T]

too much to read but the first 1/4 of the page seemed accurate, so presumably the rest is.

I don't really care for SeaChem products but lots of people use them.

 

[Uberhoust]

I quickly read it through. Overall from my point of view it is pretty blatantly using some chemistry and your concern over your fish to sell buffering components. Nothing is particularly wrong but really too general. There are conditions where buffering can be important, but if you keep fish suitable to your tap water chemistry and do a 40 to 50% change of water weekly then there really isn't much time for your water to change significantly.

Fish of all types and locations have developed means of dealing with the particular issues associated to the water chemistry in which they live, ie their natural environment. The article also fails to indicate that a lot of the minerals they say fish require can be obtained from their food.

Marketing departments always like service type products, such as buffering chemicals, because they provide a steady stream of sales.

Just my two cents.

 

[chillipop]

Colin T & Uberhoust thanks for your time and thoughts.

 

[Byron]

I too did not read every word, but along the way I spotted some good (= correct) advice but also some bad (= detrimental to the fish if followed). One also has to put this in context; the author began in 1978 when thinking about the keeping of fish in an aquarium was rather different than it is today. Even with his continual research (his words elsewhere) there are still some premises here that are not supported by the science.

As @Uberhoust noted, anyone sponsored by a commercial business (the individual is also a "business manager" of one of these) has to be carefully critiqued with the proverbial fine toothed comb.

 

[chillipop]

Appreciate your thoughts.

Turns out there's a lot more to keeping fish than I'd thought before I began .. and a lot of fine tooth combing ! I'll carry on enjoying the fish and the researching