Acronyms (abbreviations) Used In Fish Keeping

A lot of terms we use in fishkeeping are in the form of acronyms (or abbreviations) which can be confusing for those new to the hobby. Here is a list of common ones.

BN - bristlenose, a type of plec
BS/BBS - brine shrimp/baby brine shrimp. BS is for adult fish, BBS is for very small fish and fry.
BW - blood worm
CPD - celestial pearl danio, also known as galaxy rabora
CRS - crystal red shrimp
DGIV - dwarf gourami iridovirus, a disease
DP - dwarf puffer
GH - general hardness (actually a measure of the amount of calcium and magnesium in the water)
HITH - hole in the head, a disease
HOB - hang on the back, a type of filter
IAL - Indian almond leaves
Ich - whitespot, a disease
KH - carbonate hardness (a measure of how well a given water will resist changes in pH)
LFS - local fish shop
LPS - local pet shop
MA - Maidenhead Aquatics, a chain of fish shops
mg/l - milligrams per litre (the same concentration as ppm)
MTS -1) Malaysian trumpet snail 2) multi tank syndrome (the desire to own more and more tanks)
NH3 - ammonia (the more toxic form)
NH4 - ammonium (the less toxic form)
NO2 - nitrite
NO3 - nitrate
P@H - Pets At Home, a chain of pet shops which sell fish
pH - a measure of the acidity of water
ppm - parts per million (the same concentration as mg/l)
PWC - partial water change
QT - quarantine tank
RCS - red cherry shrimp
RO - reverse osmosis, a method producing pure water
RTBS - red tailed black shark
SF - sponge filter (powered by an air pump or powerhead), a type of filter commonly used in fish fry and shrimp tanks
TDS - total dissolved solids
w/c - water change
WCMM - white cloud mountain minnow








Would any suggestions for more acronyms be entered in this thread please. I will then edit this list, adding the new acronyms in their place in the alphabetical list.

Hmm, don't they just sell cod and haddock - in batter with a side portion of chips and mushy peas