What happens to my water? Keeping track of Fish Tank pH Level
One of the hardest parts of maintaining your freshwater aquarium is to keep healthy water chemistry. I should know, since some of my early mistakes led to the sad death of the fish he had chosen and carefully cultivated. Let me teach a little on pH and water care in your tank, so they do not make the same mistakes!
The acidity of water is measured on the scale of "pH", which ranges from 0 (very acidic) to 14 (very alkaline). Neutral pH is right in the middle, scoring 7.0. Freshwater fish like water mostly between 5.0 and 9.0, but 'll need to consult with his books and fish store people to tell you more about what we need YOUR fish.
How do you know what the pH of your aquarium is? The most common test uses a chemical called bromothymol blue "(usually abbreviated" BromoBlue "). You just fill a small bottle with water to half of your tank, then add a drop or two of BromoBlue. Depending on the pH, water on the road to turn a shade of yellow, green or blue. Compare the color of a chart, and you'll know exactly where you stand. You can also get pre-processing of paper strips immersed in the tank, or even sophisticated pH meter, but the BromoBlue test is quick, simple and cheap.
So why is it so important to keep a close watch on the pH of your tank? You can drop lower when plant and animal residues begin to wane in the tank, and once the pH is below a certain point, all the bacteria that break down debris begin to die or go dormant, so the fish start to drown in their own ammonia. Do not let this happen to your baby! You can set a low pH, changing the water (so that the accumulation of waste is removed or diluted), or by adding regular bicarbonate (baking) soda.
Turning the other end of the scale, the pH may be too high if you have lots of fish and plants, such as exhaled carbon dioxide gets into the water. To lower the pH, obtain a chemical to lower the pH of your local pet / fish store – usually included in the kit that is used to measure the pH in the first place. Do not look at the ingredients well – if the product includes phosphates, could encourage the growth of algae in the tank. It is also more difficult to alter the pH in hard water, if your tank seems to be resisting change, can having to seek ways to soften the water first.
Love your little fish and studying their tank every day to get used to the way we normally look and act, and they can often detect symptoms of a problem as the pH imbalance all on your own!
About the Author
Together with Iszuddin Ismail, Mic Hudson is sharing his wealth of knowledge on fish tanks and aquariums. You can start with a free ebook on
decorating your fish tanks
. Download Fish Tank Aquascape at http://www.PetFishGuide.info
The House And The Aquarium And More
|
|
Precision Laboratories AMA-AQU500 500 5-Pad Aquarium Test Strips With Instructions $15.00 Aquarium five-pad system detects pH (6.4 – 8.4), nitrite, nitrate, alkalinity, and hardness. 50 plastic strips with five pads each in a polybottle…. |
|
|
Precision Laboratories AMA-AQU300 300 3-Pad Aquarium Test Strips $10.00 Aquarium triple-pad system detects pH, alkalinity, and hardness. 50 plastic strips with three pads in a 3″ x 5″ ziplock bag…. |
|
|
Jungle Labs Quick Dip Aquarium Multi-Test Kit 25 Strips $13.72 One Dip Tests for All 5 Levels in freshwater or saltwater aquariums: pH, Nitrate, Nitrite, Hardness, and Alkalinity… |
Leave a Reply