WRR Aquatech - Water Conditions


		Water Conditions
		When it comes to aquariums water quality and conditions are very important. Some fish keepers have trouble keeping their water clear, and toxic free. In this section we tell you how to keep your fish alive and water clear for years to come. We also have some tips on how to solve certain water problems, and what to look out for. If you have any question about water quality or conditions, feel free to ask us. Testing Water <PROJECT: Aquatech 2001. This section available early 2001> Water Quality There are a few things to look for in your aquarium water. The most deadly is nitrates and ammonia. If these levels get too high, chances are your going to have sick, or dying fish. Not only that but your water may come cloudy or discolored. Below are factors that affect the water quality of an aquarium. Chlorine Chlorine is toxic to fish. This is a very easy thing to keep under control. Filtration and water treatments eliminate chlorine, chloramines, and other metals from your water. These levels should always be 0. Ammonia A biological reality in the aquarium. As fish waste, excess food and other decaying organic materials breakdown they are converted to ammonia which, even at low levels, are toxic to your fish. Ammonia should be maintained at 0ppm (parts per million). Fortunately, it is fairly easy to do that with a good biological filter containing a colony of a naturally occurring bacteria. Nitrites During the startup of a new tank, Nitrite levels will increase and can stress or even kill fish. However, even after an aquarium is initially "cycled", it is not unusual to go through mini-cycles from time to time. If a fish is ill, or dies, it's wise to test for Nitrite to ensure that is not contributing to the problem. The only way to reduce elevated Nitrite levels quickly is via water changes, however by having excellent biological filtration you can eliminate nitrites. Nitrates Although Nitrates are not as toxic as Ammonia or Nitrites, they must be monitored to avoid stressing the fish. Nitrates can also be a source of algae problems. Nitrates will rise over time and can only be eliminated via water changes. With good filtration these levels can often be kept as a low level for an extended amount of time. This is why water changes are necessary. pH The one bit of aquarium chemistry that almost everyone has some familiarity with is pH, which basically is the measurement of how acid or base a given solution is. pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. The pH scale runs from 1 (acidic) to 14 (alkaline), with neutral pH 7 in the middle. The pH scale is logarithmic, which means, for example, that pH 5 is ten times more acidic than pH 6. In nature, tropical fish might come from waters with quite low pH values (e.g. Discus and Tetras from the Amazon River Basin might be collected at a pH of 5.0) or very high values (some African Cichlids might be found at pH 9). Since pH is a familiar concept and is easily tested, many beginning hobbyists overemphasize its importance and go to great lengths trying to achieve some "Optimum pH Level", most often aiming for the neutral value of 7.0. This is quite often unnecessary, and can cause problems. Water with a pH value between 6.5 and 8.0 is acceptable to keep and even breed most common tropical fish. And in the cases of the few fish that require lower (Discus) or higher (certain unusual African Cichlids) pH levels, other factors such as Water Hardness and Total Dissolved Solids appear to be much more influential than the pH itself. Sudden changes in pH, on the other hand, can be very stressful to fishes - even if the values remain in the recommended range. Since many local fish stores make the fish adjust to the local pH, the aquarist who artificially adjusts his pH may actually be causing undue stress, rather than relieving it. In addition, tap water is sometimes heavily "buffered", meaning it contains chemicals that resist pH change by "absorbing", in a manner of speaking, acids and bases. The addition of a pH adjusting chemical will change the pH for a few hours or days, but it snaps right back, frustrating the aquarist and stressing the fish. If the pH value of your tap water is between 6.8 and 8.0, it's probably best not to adjust it - especially if your local dealers do not adjust the pH in their aquariums. However, it is still valuable to check pH periodically, to make sure it is staying near its original value. Falling pH usually means that water quality in general is declining, usually because of inadequate water changing. Rising pH is often the result of calcium-based gravels or decorations slowly dissolving. Amount of Fish Having too many fish make it difficult or even impossible to maintain good water quality so it is very important that you avoid overstocking your tank. The rule of thumb is that you can keep one inch of fish per gallon of aquarium water. Although you can actually put a little more than that, this is simply a guideline and you should keep in mind when buying or adding fish. For larger fish, you defiantly want to follow the rule, and actually add a little more space. Feeding A major problem with feeding is that if you overfeed them you will notice that water quality becomes more difficult to maintain as uneaten food accumulates in the tank and decays. Fish have small stomachs and can't eat much to begin with. Also, in nature most fish tend to nibble all during the day rather than consuming one large meal. More frequent but smaller feedings are better for the fish and minimize the likelihood of overfeeding. The rule of thumb is to feed only as much as the fish will consume in five minutes or less at each feeding. Bottom-dwelling fish need to have enough food reach them, so we have found that leaving on your filtration will move the water and fish food around, which will cause some of the food to fall to the bottom. Although some catfish are sold as scavengers that will consume uneaten food, they will only eat small amounts themselves, leaving most of the food untouched. Water Changes Making regular water changes are the key to maintaining successful aquariums. They dilute the concentrations of organics and compounds and as an added benefit any unwanted debris can be siphoned from the bottom of the tank while performing the water change. We recommend changing between 20-30% of your tanks water. For more information on a maintenance schedule for your aquarium, check out our maintenance section. Cloudy Water You may notice a whitish cloudiness during the first 2 weeks after setting up a new aquarium. This is normal, do not restart by changing the water, it may make it worse, or the stage will just start all over again. Give it time, and it will clear up. If you have any other type of cloudy water, with a greenish or brownish color, it is probably time to maintenance your tank, which means performing a 20-30% water change. Visit our maintenance section for more information. If you find yourself changing your water constantly, then it is probably a lack of filtration. You may also be over feeding, or there may be too many fish in the tank. Using our recommended filter configurations, or When choosing a filtration system for your aquarium, try to buy something that does more filtration than you need. You could never have too much filtration, and it keeps your tank maintenance low.