GypoCichlid
10-05-2005, 7:33 AM
Hey All...
I am sure all the members of MFK utilise their abilites of fish-keeping in a way that allows them to constatnly monitor their water parameters...
Your temperature, pH, water hardness, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels are the most important parts of your fish's health along with a proper diet and sound knowledge of your fish's needs and habits...
Temperature
The temperature of the water in your tanks will greatly affect the health and vitality of your fish, the can however be a cause of stress and disease. Cool waters will allow for more dissolved oxygen to be retained in the water and can be used to induce spawning, but may lead to the deveoplment of Ich and other parasites clinging to your fish.
Warmer waters will allow for faster healing of wounds and a hasten the life cycles of common ailments and diseases. They do however lessen the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water and can cause your fish to become lethargic and lose appetite.
Levels of pH
pH refers to the level of Hydrogen Ions currently charged in your water. The more Ions there are, the lower it is on the scale...We call this Acid
When there are less Ions charged, the pH rises on the scale...We call this Alkaline or Base...
The pH scale is numbered from 0 to 14, each level is 10 times the strength before it. eg: pH 1 is 10 time stronger in acidity than pH 2, contrastingly pH 8 is 10 times weaker in alkaline value than pH 9...
There is a neutral rating to the pH scale, this is set at pH 7...
pH comes into play for all fish keepers due to their fish's native habitats relative pH.
Fish from Asia and South America have generally evolved to thrive in waters with a low pH. This has occured due to native waters of Asia and South America having been formed upon soils low in minerals such as clay and forest soil. pH levels commonly used for these fish range between pH 5 and pH 7.5
Fish from Central America and Africa have generally evolved to thrive in waters with a high pH. This has occured due to their native waters foriming upon mineral rick soils such as those that were formed by volcanic eruptions. pH levels commonly used for these fish range between pH 7.5 and pH 9.
Here are some sites that further explain this:
http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/en/manage/qual/e_ph.htm
http://staff.jccc.net/pdecell/chemistry/phscale.html
Water Hardness
One of the more difficult water parameters to control and modify. Water hardness refers to the compounds of calcium and magnesium, and by a variety of other metals. General guidelines for classification of waters are: 0 to 60 mg/L (milligrams per litre of these metals) as calcium carbonate is classified as soft; 61 to 120 mg/L as moderately hard; 121 to 180 mg/L as hard; and more than 180 mg/L as very hard.
One can test the hardness of their tap water by applying small amounts of soap to their hands and wetting them with local tap water. If the soap lathers easily and froths, then the water is relatively soft, if the water takes time to lather after rubbing then the water is most likely hard.
Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate
These 3 chemicals prove to be the most important factor in the setting up of a new tank or the most common reason for death in fish which have been in new tanks.
Ammonia is a very deadly chemical even to humans, let alone to fish which can suffer quickly and succumb to a quick death.
Although not as deadly as Ammonia, Nitrite is still a very potent poison in any aquarium.
Nitrate is not as fatal as the above two, but can affect your fish after prolonged periods.
The 3 above are linked by a concept known as the "Nitrogen Cycle". This is where bacteria present in the tank feed off ammonia let out by faeces, uneaten food and rotting matter.
Their excretion however is a form of Nitrite which is then utilised as a food source for another bacteria present. This bacteria however faecates a form of Nitrate.
Nitrate is one of the essential chemicals required by algea and plants to thrive.
If plant life is not present however, then the responsibility lies on the shoulders of the enthusiast to perfrom waterchanges to lessen the load of nitrate being formed.
I am sure all the members of MFK utilise their abilites of fish-keeping in a way that allows them to constatnly monitor their water parameters...
Your temperature, pH, water hardness, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels are the most important parts of your fish's health along with a proper diet and sound knowledge of your fish's needs and habits...
Temperature
The temperature of the water in your tanks will greatly affect the health and vitality of your fish, the can however be a cause of stress and disease. Cool waters will allow for more dissolved oxygen to be retained in the water and can be used to induce spawning, but may lead to the deveoplment of Ich and other parasites clinging to your fish.
Warmer waters will allow for faster healing of wounds and a hasten the life cycles of common ailments and diseases. They do however lessen the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water and can cause your fish to become lethargic and lose appetite.
Levels of pH
pH refers to the level of Hydrogen Ions currently charged in your water. The more Ions there are, the lower it is on the scale...We call this Acid
When there are less Ions charged, the pH rises on the scale...We call this Alkaline or Base...
The pH scale is numbered from 0 to 14, each level is 10 times the strength before it. eg: pH 1 is 10 time stronger in acidity than pH 2, contrastingly pH 8 is 10 times weaker in alkaline value than pH 9...
There is a neutral rating to the pH scale, this is set at pH 7...
pH comes into play for all fish keepers due to their fish's native habitats relative pH.
Fish from Asia and South America have generally evolved to thrive in waters with a low pH. This has occured due to native waters of Asia and South America having been formed upon soils low in minerals such as clay and forest soil. pH levels commonly used for these fish range between pH 5 and pH 7.5
Fish from Central America and Africa have generally evolved to thrive in waters with a high pH. This has occured due to their native waters foriming upon mineral rick soils such as those that were formed by volcanic eruptions. pH levels commonly used for these fish range between pH 7.5 and pH 9.
Here are some sites that further explain this:
http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/en/manage/qual/e_ph.htm
http://staff.jccc.net/pdecell/chemistry/phscale.html
Water Hardness
One of the more difficult water parameters to control and modify. Water hardness refers to the compounds of calcium and magnesium, and by a variety of other metals. General guidelines for classification of waters are: 0 to 60 mg/L (milligrams per litre of these metals) as calcium carbonate is classified as soft; 61 to 120 mg/L as moderately hard; 121 to 180 mg/L as hard; and more than 180 mg/L as very hard.
One can test the hardness of their tap water by applying small amounts of soap to their hands and wetting them with local tap water. If the soap lathers easily and froths, then the water is relatively soft, if the water takes time to lather after rubbing then the water is most likely hard.
Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate
These 3 chemicals prove to be the most important factor in the setting up of a new tank or the most common reason for death in fish which have been in new tanks.
Ammonia is a very deadly chemical even to humans, let alone to fish which can suffer quickly and succumb to a quick death.
Although not as deadly as Ammonia, Nitrite is still a very potent poison in any aquarium.
Nitrate is not as fatal as the above two, but can affect your fish after prolonged periods.
The 3 above are linked by a concept known as the "Nitrogen Cycle". This is where bacteria present in the tank feed off ammonia let out by faeces, uneaten food and rotting matter.
Their excretion however is a form of Nitrite which is then utilised as a food source for another bacteria present. This bacteria however faecates a form of Nitrate.
Nitrate is one of the essential chemicals required by algea and plants to thrive.
If plant life is not present however, then the responsibility lies on the shoulders of the enthusiast to perfrom waterchanges to lessen the load of nitrate being formed.