Testing Aquarium Water

Without testing the quality of the aquarium water aquarist cannot do. Everyone, especially as a beginner aquarist should be able to test the water. It is not difficult, and now and not expensive.

I guess we all know that if a child suddenly for no apparent reason of sick, then the best thing to put him to the thermometer. Rather, he has fever and he was not feeling well. Anyone can measure the temperature. And certainly there is a medical thermometer in the house at all. Temperature measurement – this is the easiest method of diagnosis.

And what aquarist, if the fish suddenly  sick: color and lost appetite, became lethargic, and even more so if they began to show more severe symptoms of distress, such as hemorrhage and the splitting of the fins, shortness of breath? Do not rush to make the aquarium any medications. To begin in diagnosing! After all, myself or my child to begin with you would put a thermometer, is not it?

Obviously, incomparably less than the aquarium room of most natural waters. That’s why the aquarium ecosystem is subject to rapid change. To maintain a steady state it simply is not enough internal resources. These are important for fish health parameters as acidity (pH), the content of ammonia and nitrite can significantly change not what a day – a few hours! The health of the fish it will be reflected very badly. And any medication you do not help them here, on the contrary will only aggravate an adverse situation, further violating the ecological balance in the aquarium. Therefore, the aquarist should be able to confidently manage the fragile ecosystem of the aquarium, and without the diagnosis is simply impossible. To benefit from interfering in the life of the aquarium, you must know what processes take place in it and what results they led.

In the same way as you have a medical thermometer in the house, if you’re a holder of an aquarium, you should have at least a minimum set of aquarium tests. Among them should be made a test to determine the acidity (pH test), the test for the determination of ammonia (test for ammonia / ammonium), a test for the determination of nitrite and nitrate test to determine. In addition, it is useful to know the total and temporary hardness (GH-and KH-tests). Taken together, these tests and are thus “thermometer” – the necessary diagnostic kit, with which you can find trouble in the aquarium ecosystem and promptly rectify the situation.

Using modern aquarium test is very simple. It should be a special measuring cup to collect the right amount of water and make the appropriate reagent drop by drop. Depending on the purpose of the test, it will be necessary either to calculate the number of drops needed to change the color of the sample, or vice versa to make a predetermined number of drops and compare the color of the sample with a special color scale, which, together with a drink included in the test. The instructions attached to the aquarium tests, explain which parameter specifies the test and what values ​​can be considered the norm, and which are dangerous to fish.

If you found trouble on some indicator of what to do next? In other words, what “medicine” needed to “cure” the aquarium ecosystem? First of all, an aquarium with disturbed biological balance needed influx of fresh water. But the trouble is, our tap water is not suitable for fish. From this it is first necessary to remove chlorine, ammonia, heavy metals, if necessary, to stabilize the pH in the optimum values ​​for the fish. In most cases, a simple defense of water for three days, solves this problem. But if you have defended the water there, and the ecological situation in the aquarium requires immediate action, what can you do?

There are several answers to this question.

You can use a good household drinking water purification filter (with no silver in the filter material!), Then heat the water to the desired temperature, at least one hour it and make the aquarium (required to measure the pH: Some filters are significantly change this setting, and then have to adjust the reagent pH + or pH).

You can use boiled water. Water should be boiled, cooled to the desired temperature, proaerirovat at least an hour, and then use it.

Water-cooked methods described above can be immediately replaced by a quarter or even a third of the aquarium.

If you are using cooked quickly tap water is always useful to use a special air-conditioned.

Not always but a Wiki is the ability to quickly prepare the right amount of water using the above methods. Then come to the aid of special reagents that can be used to neutralize the harmful impurities in the water and achieve the desired hydro-chemical parameters. With the help of these same chemicals can quickly “fix” the water and directly into the aquarium.

As you know, we live in an era of change. Now, these changes also affected the aquarium – it was the era of widespread use of aquarium tests and reagents.