I'd like to start a glossary of terms and abbreviations here. This is both for beginners and for the feeble minded like me who don't always remember stuff. I'll start, please add/amend. This is also a good place to ask what terms mean, so that they can be added here.
CEC = cation exchange capacity, the ability of the substrate to absorb and hold nutrients, making them accessible to the plants when the plants need them. Plain gravel has a low CEC. High CEC substrates include porous gravel and clay such as SoilMaster, Flourite and Eco-Complete, to name a few.
Equipment
ADA = Aqua Design Amano
diffuser = Usually a ceramic disk, which creates a fine mist of CO2 bubbles which easily diffuse in the water column.
Drop Checker = A small glass or plastic bell that goes in the tank and houses control solution to get accurate CO2 level readings.
high pressure relief valve = a valve in your CO2 system (usually built into the regulator) that will dump CO2 to the atmosphere if the pressure coming out of the tank suddenly increases. Can help prevent end of tank dump.
needle valve = fine tuning of CO2 flow on pressurized setup.
reactor = 1. a filter or pump into which CO2 is fed. The impeller on the pump breaks up the CO2 into fine bubbles. 2. a container/tube/pvc filled with media, into which CO2 is injected so that it will get broken into very fine bubbles. Water is usually pumped downward so that CO2 bubbles trying to rise will stay in the container longer.
regulator = larger valve on pressurized CO2 setup, with 2 gauges to monitor pressure to/from valve.
SMS = Soilmaster Select, a commercial turf substance used as a plant substrate
solenoid = an electronic controller on your pressurized CO2 setup that can be plugged into your light timer to cut off CO2 at night.
Chemistry
Ca = Calcium
Cu = Copper
dH = degrees of hardness
Fe = iron
gH = general hardness
Glutaraldehyde = a sterilant sold by medical supply companies, used as an alternative to Seachem's Flourish Excel, an organic CO2 source, which also doubles as an algicide.
H2O2 = Hydrogen peroxide - used as an algaecide. Also used to clean equipment, especially good for cleaning ceramic disks of CO2 diffusers.
K = Potassium
kH = carbonate hardness
KH2PO4 = Monopotassium phosphate (supplies K and P when dosed)
KNO4 = Potassium Nitrate
KPO4 = Potassium Phosphate
KSO4 = Potassium Sulfate
Macros = The big three, nutrients plants use most of. Potassium, Nitrate, Phosphate.
Micros/Trace = All the other minerals plants use less of, often fertilized together in an encompassing mix. Copper, Boron, Manganese, Magnesium, etc... One sort of exception being Iron, which needs to be heavier than the normal micro, but not as much as the macros.
Mg = Magnesium
N = Nitrogen
NH3 = Ammonium
NH4 = Ammonia
NO3 = Nitrite
NO4 = Nitrate
NPK = Nitrogen/Phosphate/Potassium mix
PO4 = Phosphate
Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) = a disinfectant that has been used to sterilize plants prior to adding to an aquarium. Can kill algae, fungus, and snail eggs, for example.
S = Sulfur
TDS = total dissolved solids
Light
°K = Kelvin. A number (degrees) representing the color temperature of light. The number does not represent power consumption or output. A 20,000°K bulb will appear blueish, 10,000°K looks white, 6500°K looks like daylight sun, 5000°K looks more red like sunset. The number is not entirely reliable since colors vary a little depending on bulb manufacturer. Plants generally do best with lights close to 6700°K and 10,000°K.
actinic = a light bulb that gives a very blue light. Not appropriate for freshwater aquariums - great for marine reefs.
NO = Normal Output, old standard florescent tube bulbs T8, T12
HO = High Output
VHO = Very High Output
CF = Compact Florescent, higher light output per watt than NO bulbs
PC = Power Compact, higher light output per watt than NO bulbs
T5 = Higher light output per watt than CF/PC bulbs.
T5HO = Currently the most efficient lights available at a reasonable price.
MH = Metal Halide, the brightest lighting, but very inefficient. Only appropriate for very deep aquariums.
LED = perhaps the future standard of aquarium lighting, currently too costly.
Plants
Aroid = a member of the Araceae or Arum family of plants containing a flower consisting of a spadix and a spathe. Examples of aroids include Anubias, Cryptocoryne, Aglaonema (Chinese evergreen) Anthurium, Arum, Dieffenbachia, Philodendron, Spathiphyllum (Peace lily), and Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus).
Bract = a modified or specialized leaf, usually associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower or inflorescence axis (stem). Examples of bracts include the spathe on aroids such as Anubias and Cryptocoryne, and the colorful “flowerâ€
Planted tank Glossary
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Cristy Keister
- Posts: 2215
- Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2003 6:52 am
- Location: MD
Planted tank Glossary
Last edited by Cristy Keister on Tue Sep 29, 2009 10:22 am, edited 8 times in total.
Drop Checker A small glass or plastic bell housing control solution to get accurate CO2 level readings.
Macros The big three, nutrients plants use most of. Potassium, Nitrate, Phosphate.
Micros All the other minerals plants use less of, often fertilized together in an encompassing mix. Copper, Boron, Manganese, Magnesium, etc... One sort of exception being Iron, which needs to be heavier than the normal micro, but not as much as the macros.
Macros The big three, nutrients plants use most of. Potassium, Nitrate, Phosphate.
Micros All the other minerals plants use less of, often fertilized together in an encompassing mix. Copper, Boron, Manganese, Magnesium, etc... One sort of exception being Iron, which needs to be heavier than the normal micro, but not as much as the macros.
Dave
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Cristy Keister
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- Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2003 6:52 am
- Location: MD
Great idea Cristy! Here are a few more:
diffuser - Usually a ceramic disk, which creates a fine mist of CO2 bubbles which easily diffuse in the water column.
KH2PO4 - Monopotassium phosphate (supplies K and P when dosed)
H2O2 - Hydrogen peroxide - used as an algaecide. Also used to clean equipment, especially good for cleaning ceramic disks of CO2 diffusers.
diffuser - Usually a ceramic disk, which creates a fine mist of CO2 bubbles which easily diffuse in the water column.
KH2PO4 - Monopotassium phosphate (supplies K and P when dosed)
H2O2 - Hydrogen peroxide - used as an algaecide. Also used to clean equipment, especially good for cleaning ceramic disks of CO2 diffusers.
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DonkeyFish
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- Real Name: Jen Williams
- Location: Alexandria, VA
- Contact:
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Cristy Keister
- Posts: 2215
- Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2003 6:52 am
- Location: MD
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chris_todd
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- Location: Catonsville
Awesome idea, Cristy!
end of tank dump - when a CO2 tank approaches emptiness, all the liquid CO2 will vaporize all at once, flooding your tank with CO2, probably causing distress to your fish. (NOTE: someone with a better understanding of this phenomenon please validate that what I have here is correct)
high pressure relief valve - a valve in your CO2 system (usually built into the regulator) that will dump CO2 to the atmosphere if the pressure coming out of the tank suddenly increases. Can help prevent end of tank dump.
BBA - black brush algae
GDA - green dust algae
Algae in the aquarium article - http://www.guitarfish.org/algae
Potassium permanganate - KMnO4 - a disinfectant that has been used to sterilize plants prior to adding to an aquarium. Can kill algae, fungus, and snail eggs, for example.
rhizome - the horizontal stem of a plant from which roots and shoots extend. Can be found underground in some aquatic plants (e.g., cryptocorynes) or above ground (e.g., ferns and anubias).
epiphyte - a plant that can grow attached to rocks, trees, or other hardscape items, e.g. anubias, ferns, and mosses.
end of tank dump - when a CO2 tank approaches emptiness, all the liquid CO2 will vaporize all at once, flooding your tank with CO2, probably causing distress to your fish. (NOTE: someone with a better understanding of this phenomenon please validate that what I have here is correct)
high pressure relief valve - a valve in your CO2 system (usually built into the regulator) that will dump CO2 to the atmosphere if the pressure coming out of the tank suddenly increases. Can help prevent end of tank dump.
BBA - black brush algae
GDA - green dust algae
Algae in the aquarium article - http://www.guitarfish.org/algae
Potassium permanganate - KMnO4 - a disinfectant that has been used to sterilize plants prior to adding to an aquarium. Can kill algae, fungus, and snail eggs, for example.
rhizome - the horizontal stem of a plant from which roots and shoots extend. Can be found underground in some aquatic plants (e.g., cryptocorynes) or above ground (e.g., ferns and anubias).
epiphyte - a plant that can grow attached to rocks, trees, or other hardscape items, e.g. anubias, ferns, and mosses.
gH - general hardness
kH - carbonate hardness
dH - degrees of hardness
TDS - total dissolved solids
CPD - Celestial Pearl Danio aka Galaxy Rasbora
CPO - Cambarellus patzcuarensis sp. Orange aka Orange Dwarf Crayfish
Spirogyra Ghazanphora - a bright green filamentous algae only effectively treated by placing in tiny jars with low doses of Excel.
kH - carbonate hardness
dH - degrees of hardness
TDS - total dissolved solids
CPD - Celestial Pearl Danio aka Galaxy Rasbora
CPO - Cambarellus patzcuarensis sp. Orange aka Orange Dwarf Crayfish
Spirogyra Ghazanphora - a bright green filamentous algae only effectively treated by placing in tiny jars with low doses of Excel.
