Is the Hagerty Silver Jewelry Cleaner Liquid safe to use?
January 30, 2012
Is it dangerous health-wise?
safe to use on what? there are many things it should not be used on like pearls, coral, opals, etc
What brand is the best colloidal silver spray?
January 30, 2012
I can go to the nature store but I don’t know that they will actually work the way it would if I bought a unit etc. My ear is infected, and had been for months. Which is the best brand?
I use Silver Biotics and works great for me, I like it because they say the concentration is the right one and you won’t need to stop taking it as with the other brands.
Colodal Silver is a natural antibiotic but for bets results you wil need to start taking it at the onset of the symptoms, have a ood luck with your ear!
Basic Freshwater Aquarium Principles; Filters, Heaters, Bio-cycling, Live Plants, Feeding, Cleaning and Chemistry
January 27, 2012
AQUARIUM:
Start with as large an aquarium as you can afford. There is a very BASIC priciple (this only applies to beginners), that is to have 1-2 inches of NARROW bodied fish per FILTERED aquarium gallon. Goldfish are dirty and fatter, so I would triple this with them (3″). This also only applies to a standard rectangular aquarium.
Obviously longer fish need more tank width and length. I would decrease the amount of fish proportional to the gallons in a tall aquarium or hexagon aquarium.
Remember, many fish purchased can grow much larger than your original purchase size (ex: goldfish), so keep this in mind too.
FILTERS:
I always recommend two filters minimum per aquarium for redundancy and for improved biological (denitrifying) filtration. For a small aquarium, a combination of a hang on the back and a sponge filter. Or a sponge filter and an internal power filter. You want to make sure and rinse your sponge or cartridge out in used aquarium water to maintain your beneficial bacteria for bio filtration.
Other filters of note include canister, wet/dry, under gravel, and fluidized bed.
There are four types of filtration:
Biological; the removal of nitrogenous waste (ammonia, ECT), which is the most important type.
Mechanical; the removal of larger debris (organic and inorganic) before it can go through the nitrogen cycle (organic)
Chemical; The removal of chemical contamination via carbon, zeolite or many other products. This becomes less important in a healthy, established aquarium.
Germacidal; The use of UVC or ozone to kill disease pathogens and control the Redox potential.
HEATER:
Most tropical fish do well at a temperature between 76 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. (Discus prefer warmer).
Goldfish do not need a heater.
I recommend 25 watts for every 10 degrees of ambient temperature you need to raise your aquarium temperature. EX: If your home is 68 degrees and you h
ave a 40 gallon aquarium, to reach a temperature of 78 degrees you would need a 100 watt heater.
BIO-CYCLING:
Your aquarium will not be at peak biological filtration for 6 weeks (or more). To start your biological filtration, there are many cycling products available, such “Cycle” by Hagen. My success with these products is mixed at best, it is very difficult for the aerobic bacteria that are needed for cycling your aquarium to live in a sealed container kept at room temperature, as they die very quickly without oxygen.
I prefer to add gravel and/or used filter sponge or cartridge from another aquarium.
This method of adding media is much faster (you still have to take it slow), and provides all the necessary bacteria, the only negative is adding disease pathogens to your aquarium, but I have rarely encountered this problem.
We used this method for our Aquarium Maintenance route for years and never lost a fish to Ammonia or nitrite poisoning.
Another method is fishless cycling where un-scented ammonia is poured into the aquarium (3-5 drops per gallon pure ammonia) so as to bring your ammonia level to 4-5 ppm. Then it takes about 3-8 weeks for the aquarium to cycle. Although this method is growing in popularity, I do not recommend it, not because it does not work (it does), but because human nature is to want to add fish sooner than the 3-8 weeks it takes for this method.
The method of adding media is much faster (you still have to take it slow), and provides all the necessary bacteria, the only negative is adding disease pathogens to your aquarium, but I have rarely encountered this problem.
Cycling is what is referred to as the Nitrogen cycle. Waste (nitrogenous) from the fish is broken down first from ammonia (NH3, the most toxic) to nitrites (NO2, less toxic) to nitrates (NO3, least toxic- but high amounts can stunt fish growth and lower disease resistance).
At a pH of 6.5, NH3 (ammonia) converts to NH4 (ammonia) which is basically non-toxic to most fish (many ammonia removing chemicals to a similar ion change, as they do NOT actually remove ammonia). If you have plants in your aquarium they will directly consume the ammonia (especially hornwort), thus rendering the NO2 (nitrite) part of the nitrogen cycle null. The danger here is if your pH climbs above 6.5 the ammonia can change to much more toxic NH3 and the aerobic bacteria needed for nitrite consumption will be sparse.
For more about th nitrogen cycling, see this article: AQUARIUM NITROGEN CYCLE
LIVE PLANTS:
Live plants are desirable in my opinion, but many artificial plants can look quite realistic when properly arranged or used in conjunction with live plants. For a beginner live plants are more difficult, but not a lot.
The benefits of live plants are they are great at nitrate removal and keep a natural balance to the aquarium, removing CO2 and adding oxygen (only during daylight). Hornwort is an excellent plant for nitrate removal (even ammonia removal), and is relatively easy to grow. Banana plants (when available) are also a very easy plant.
Here is a list of “easy” beginner plants:
Compacta swords, hornwort, Red wendtii, spiral valis, dwarf subulata, Hygro, Java fern regular or lace.
Be careful with many fish that will “mow down” your plants such as: Silver Dollars, most African cichlids, and even goldfish.
For healthy plants I suggest a substrate of #00 sand mixed with laterite about 3-5 cm deep with a layer of #3 gravel on top about 2 cm deep. This combination works well for plant roots, ease of vacuuming the top layer ONLY (where plant roots are), and for better bio filtration. You can substitute laterite with a sandy top soil (although usually not as good a source of iron), by preparing the soil thus; Gather sandy top soil, add water with a 10/1 bleach solution, mix for a couple of minutes, then rinse (with a de-chlorinator for first rinse) until the water runs relatively clear. The sand that is left is what you mix with your plant roots.
FEEDING:
I recommend feeding high quality fish and plant based foods. Quality ingredients include: spirulina, fish meal, FD Brine Shrimp, shrimp meal, Vitamin C & E, lobster shell.
Fish cannot digest proteins from beef well, and fish get most their energy requirements from fats. Some quality foods include: Omega, Spirulina 20, Ocean Nutrition, Hikari, Sanyu.
Feed you fish two to three times per day what they will consume in three minutes.
Feeding foods high in poor quality proteins can increase your nitrate levels, as an essential ingredient in protein is nitrogen, and if unusable by the fish, it is excreted, entering into the nitrogen cycle.
CLEANING:
You should try and have a schedule of changing 20% (or more) of your water every week. I recommend using a gravel vacuum, you need not remove the fish while using a gravel vacuum. Make sure the water you add back in is the same temperature and ph, and has no chlorine or chloramines.
CHEMISTRY:
Keep your ammonia level at 0, your nitrite at 0, your nitrates below 20-30, and your KH above 80 ppm. Ph depends very much on the fish you are keeping. Discus prefer under a ph below 7.0, while Mbuna African cichlids prefer above 8.0
A very general ph of 7.2 -7.5 works for many community fish. Crushed Coral and/or Wonder Shells can help maintain a high pH when you desire an aquarium with a higher pH, KH, & GH, especially where tap or well water is very acidic (Wonder Shells are much faster at dissolving to the desired KH and add electrolytes crushed coral does not!).
For a lower pH in aquariums where the tap water used is very high (usually 7.8 or above), I have used blends of RO (Reverse Osmosis) water and tap water. The ratio varies with the tap water pH, KH, & GH and the water conditions I want to achieve. With Discus it can be as high as 75% RO. Then to maintain these conditions I use peat in my filters. Note that GH does not affect pH, and magnesium (a major ingredient of GH) is important to fish metabolism. Also note that calcium which is the main factor in KH (which does affect pH!) is also important for fish metabolism and fish health and healing. With the above method of using RO (or DI) water in a blend with tap water and peat, I have still been able to maintain a KH above 80 ppm (for proper calcium absorption), sometimes with additives such Wonder Shells or Calcium Polygluconate.
CONCLUSION:
This is only very general information, there is much more in depth articles about each of these subjects and more available. But these are sound principles to follow, based on 27+ years of aquarium maintenance experience. As new and better methods become available, I regularly update my information to reflect this.
For my more in depth full article:
Carl Strohmeyer
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/basic-freshwater-aquarium-principles-filters-heaters-biocycling-live-plants-feeding-cleaning-and-chemistry-69589.html
Does anyone know how to make a Silver Water Generator?
January 19, 2012
I’d like to make my own and know it’s not that complicated but I’d need some plans or directions at least.
Colloidal silver is extremely dangerous. see my blog on Yahoo 360.
Ingestions of silver can lead to a permanent skin concition called argyria.
Would a cube of solid silver sink or float in liquid silver?
January 19, 2012
How do you know?
A Yahoo answer from 4 years ago says liquid silver is less dense, cube sinks.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080419175021AAX2URH
my dog has conjunctivitis and i have just ordered colloidal silver online did it really work?
January 19, 2012
my pup is 11mths old bichon frise she has conjunctivitis and i have ordered colloidal silver to see if this gets rid of the problem.she also has staining by her tear ducts most bichons get this has anyone got any solutions once i have treated the conjunctivitis regards julie
I agree with your choice of colloidal silver. It will help with conjunctivitis and also
help with the staining problem. Colloidal Silver is gentle and kind.
EDIT. There are problems if Colloidal Silver is injected in VAST amounts. I have investigated this and there are no known adverse effects from topical applications.
What is the difference between ionic silver and colloidal silver?
January 19, 2012
I realise both are suspensions of silver as a mineral supplement – but are they the same thing?
You know, I was wondering the same thing when a co-worker of mine, also into the healty lifestyle mentioned to me the wonders of Collodial Silver.
I started searching the web and came across this site:
http://www.silver-colloids.com/Reports/reports.html
It explains in full detail the differences between ionic silver solutions , silver protein, and true colloidal silver. If also gives you the results of scientific trials ran on several brand so that you can make an informed decision on which brand to buy.
Where Old is New Again
January 19, 2012
To believe in anything requires a leap of faith. At Modern Tea, a new restaurant and tea shop , a former tea purveyor to Chez Panisse and Zuni Cafe, the belief seems to be that tea can drive a full-service restaurant. To take the leap means overcoming the fact that many of the teas are too fragile to stand up to the food, namely the desserts.
But in almost every other respect, Modern Tea delivers a singularly unpretentious and pleasing experience. The dining room is small yet spacious. The east-facing windows let in far more light than the exterior awnings and shady trees suggest. In fact, once seated, it becomes apparent that Modern Tea has created one of the most comfortable rooms in the city.
The tables are solid, made of reclaimed Douglas Fir, decorated with miniature flower pots. The water is served in sleek carafes. Wispy glass mosaics float overhead in kaleidoscopic colors, and the one brick wall sports a lime green paint so ethereal it makes you wonder if all bricks shouldn’t look that way.
Teas are steeped along a copper-topped bar by the entrance. Some, such as the Osmanthus Silver Needle ($5), a white tea, the green Lu Shan Clouds & Mist ($5), or the unctuous and earthy, almost fishy, Seven Sons Beencha Pu-erh ($6), come in a pot so diminutive it could be cradled in the palm of the hand. There is a little bowl to drink from and an extra pot of hot water for replenishing.
Other teas, such as the Assam Breakfast ($4), the color of a rich consommé, or the Fresh Local Herbs ($4), which was chocolate mint on our visit, are served in a more traditional teapot with a cup and saucer. Lift the lid and encounter the whole leaves in all their unusual shapes and colors. On both of our visits we had the same server, who was generally very good, enthusiastic, and educated about the tea list.
In the afternoon, many guests seemed to be meeting a close friend for tea, when the dessert list seems a natural place to look for something to nibble on (the lunch menu is mainly soups and salads). Desserts here are, in general, impeccably executed, and exude a kind of regional London charm — unfortunately this charm can also include a touch of county fair sweetness that will steamroll right over the delicacy of the teas they are presumably intended to support.
The Texas sheet cake ($1 per square inch), is toothsome and cute.
Simple tea and cake ($7) includes any tea, and on our visit was a butter cake with a wonderful crumb that was cloying even before spreading on the house made peach jam. It pairs better with a black tea. The sugar seared fruit ($6) was a nectarine whose sugar coating fell off like a piece of sheet metal, though it was well contrasted by loose mascarpone and crunchy walnuts. The most popular dessert is the citrus buttermilk pudding cake ($5), light, creamy and served in a glass jar.
There were more blissful moments, but they came at a price. The summer tomato sandwich ($8) was more cucumber and chevre spread than Early Girl tomato, though the side salad with its playful whiffs of orange oil was a lesson in balance. And the tortillas that came with the cast-iron sheared eggs ($8) were so hard the knife slid off the table, at which point we ignominiously gave up. And our server informed us that we would receive store-bought salsa instead of the chili Colorado sauce, which made us realize why a young dishwasher carrying a plastic bag had almost run us over on the sidewalk before we came in.
However, Modern Tea excels in cast-iron cookery. The antiquated-sounding sheared eggs are blackened on the outside but tender and runny within. The textured and rich corn meal Civil War waffles ($9) are cooked over an open flame. The cast-iron custard corn bread ($7) was firm and tasty. The salmon hash ($10), also served with sheared egg, is sinful.
All in all, if the future looks anything like Modern Tea, with its slow food brunches and light-filled afternoons, then San Franciscans might just have something new to believe in
shailendra
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/where-old-is-new-again-93755.html
How exactly does silver purify water?
January 12, 2012
My mom adds silver spoons to our water pitchers…..
Hi WhiteRaven: Your Mom is not crazy: she is removing the hydrogen sulfide from
the water. My guess is that you have well water and it has a sulfur smell due to some H2S in it (hydrogen sulfide has the smell of rotten eggs). The tarnishing of silver in air is caused by the silver reacting with H2S in polluted air to give Ag2S that has one of the smallest Ksp values known (8×10-51)[1];
Ag2S(s) <=> 2Ag+ + S2- Ksp = [Ag+]^2[S2-] = 8×10-51
So do the spoons turn black? It they don’t I’ll have to give you your money back.
Astute chemists will note that Ag is oxidized to Ag+ but I could not find what the oxidizing agent is (O2 in moist air?).
Cheers, drp
Is there a website that I can buy the supplies and equipment to make colloidal silver at home?
January 12, 2012
I was reading some questions about herbs and some one said they found a way to make colloidal silver for about a $1.00 a gallon,appreciate any help or websites.
thanks priscilla
yes undern yahoo groups theres a site that sell supplies and generators to make colloidal silver for about a dollar a gallon