Tds Testers

[australia]

hello everyone, i am going to buy a tds tester so i am wondering what the tds tester should measure? eg: what should be the reading on the tds tester in my tropical tanks?

 

[Tolak]

TDS= Total Dissolved Solids, it will measure more than just salt, it will measure anything dissolved in the water. This includes minerals, declor additives, anything.

What it should be depends on the fish you are keeping. It also depends on your water supply. Folks who breed more sensitive fish are often the ones concerned with TDS, they reconstitute ro, TDS, or conductivity, is one of their concerns.

Generally, fish that like softer water with a lower pH like lower TDS, while fish that like harder water with a higher pH like a higher TDS.

This gets into the area where folks who add peat to their filtration, or blackwater extract to their tank, in an attempt to lower pH & perhaps soften the water, which it will often do. They are also raising their TDS unknowingly, which is going to have the opposite effect of dropping the pH & softening the water.

 

[BigC]

What was the main reason you are thinking of buying a TDS meter?
There are conductivity converters on the internet which will convert your TDS readings to dGH.
http/www.aquarticles.com/articles/manage...mbi_Water2.html
Regards
BigC

 

[australia]

What was the main reason you are thinking of buying a TDS meter?
There are conductivity converters on the internet which will convert your TDS readings to dGH.
http/www.aquarticles.com/articles/manage...mbi_Water2.html
Regards
BigC

okay the main reason i want one is to test my water and to make sure the reading are correct.i like to have healthy fish , i just need to know the correct tds readings for my fish? , eg what should be the readings for african cichlid, american cichlids, etc

 

[backtotropical]

Unless you are keeping marines, you dont need it. Just wasting your money IMO.

 

[Tolak]

Unless you are keeping marines, you dont need it. Just wasting your money IMO.

Tell that to folks who breed discus, they consider TDS one of the more important water parameters. Anyone who reconstitutes ro should have one.

 

[BigC]

Tell that to folks who breed discus, they consider TDS one of the more important water parameters. Anyone who reconstitutes ro should have one.

and us Killphiles.
Specifically useful to determine when you RO membrane needs replacing.

 

[backtotropical]

I stand corrected. My RO unit has one built in. I wasn't thinking about using RO for freshwater because i dont.

I agree that if an RO unit is being used, they are very useful.

I meant that for the cichlids it is intended to be used for, and for most tropical fish, i dont think it is necessary (other than maybe discus as said).