Balance is a Vital Part of Aquarium Care
If you have ever ridden a bicycle or a motorcycle, then you know how important balance is. The same concept of balance applies to aquariums. You have to keep conditions at an optimum level. If one exceeds the limit, like leaning too far to one side on a two-wheeled vehicle, the whole thing fails. For aquariums, this means the death of fish. Monitoring the water’s properties and adjusting it periodically will maintain the balance needed for your fish. Different fish will have different needs, so make sure you know what they need beforehand!
Chlorination is the first factor to consider in aquarium care, after all, your aquarium’s water will most likely come from a tap. Tap water often has either chlorine or chloramines in it. While these kill bacteria and make the water safe to use, it has deleterious effects on fish. Make sure to dechlorinate your water. If it is chlorine in your water, letting the water stand for a day or two will get rid of it; chlorine is a gas and separates from water quite easily. Chloramines in the water are a different story. To get rid of chloramines (or if you are not sure of which is in your tap water), you will need to use dechlorinators. Dechlorinators are usually sold in liquid form. The concentration may vary, so read the labels. More often than not, only a few drops and a short period of time are needed to make the water chlorine- and chloramine-free.
Temperature is critical to fish health. A thermometer kept in the water will help you keep a constant watch on the temperature level. There are also digital thermometers that give you readings in moments, so there would be no need to leave it soaking. Going either too cold or too hot is detrimental to fish, in the same way it works for humans. Fish faint in hot water and their metabolic rates drop in cold water. Temperature is easily adjusted with ice and hot water. This, however, will change some of the following aspects of aquarium water.
Salinity is the measure of how salty something is. In the case of aquariums, it is a measure of how much salt is dissolved in the water. Seawater, or saltwater, has a rather complicated makeup. It does not just contain sodium chloride, but other dissolved minerals and salts as well. A few examples are potassium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, and fluorine. These will affect your fishes’ health, as well as the health of any aquatic plants you happen to have in your aquarium. Hydrometers or electrical conductivity testers are used to determine the salinity. Adjustments are usually made with table salt, but for the more intensely concerned saltwater concentrates are available. Again, make sure to read the labels for instructions.
There are two gases dissolved in the water you must be watchful of. Oxygen in the water is required by fish to live. Keeping the water aerated with an aquarium air pump will keep oxygen saturation above the minimum limit. Most of these air pumps will also have filters, adding a continuous cleaning effect. These filter pumps also need to be cleaned once in a while, so do not forget to do so. Aquatic plants also produce some oxygen, so they are also good for aquariums.
The other dissolved gas you need to watch out for is nitrogen. Nitrogen is released by the fish into the water as liquid waste. Over time, high concentrations of nitrogen can affect fish health negatively. Changing the water corrects this. Adding aquatic plants, which “digest” the nitrogen, is an aquarium care form which will reduce the number of times you need to change the water.
Keep these in mind when taking care of fish and you can keep the balance required for the fish flourish.