Water Issues FAQ's
Fish
continually release ammonia (NH3) directly into the aquarium through
their gills, urine, and solid waste. Uneaten food and other decaying
organic matter also add ammonia to the water. High levels of ammonia
quickly lead to fish death. Even trace amounts stress fish, suppressing
their immune system and thereby increasing the likelihood of disease
outbreaks and subsequent fish loss. Ammonia is easily measured with an
ammonia test kit.
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What causes an ammonia problem
A
natural mechanism exists that controls ammonia in the aquarium - the
biological filter. It is made up of nitrifying bacteria, which live in
the gravel bed. However, as with any natural process, imbalances can
occur. A newly set-up aquarium will not immediately have the right
balance of bacteria and ammonia will build up. Over feeding and keeping
too many fish in the aquarium will also cause an ammonia problem.
Testing for the presence of toxic ammonia is essential, so that once
detected, steps can be taken to remove it.
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In a
new freshwater pond/aquarium, the ammonia level may surge to 6 ppm
(mg/L) or more, and then fall rapidly as the biological filter becomes
established. The ammonia will be converted to nitrite (also toxic), then
to nitrate. This process may take several weeks. In an established
aquarium, the ammonia level should always remain at 0 ppm (mg/L). The
presence of ammonia indicates possible over-feeding, too many fish, or
inadequate biological filtration.
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I have an ammonia problem - what now?
Overfeeding is a common cause of ammonia build-up. Make sure that all
food is eaten within a few minutes. Sinking pellets and wafers should be
completely eaten in 30 minutes. Uneaten food decomposes, adding ammonia
to the water. To detoxify ammonia, use API’s AMMO-LOCK to instantly lock
up ammonia. AMMO-LOCK does not remove ammonia, it simply converts toxic
ammonia to a non-toxic form. Ammonia test kits will still test positive
for ammonia, even though it is non-toxic. The biological filter will
then consume the non-toxic ammonia, converting it to nitrite (Nitrite is
another toxic waste material which must be tested separately) and then
to nitrate. If the gravel bed is dirty from accumulated waste and
uneaten food, use a gravel siphon to remove the debris. Changing 25% of
the aquarium water will reduce the ammonia level. In an emergency, a
daily water change may be required over several days.
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Nitrite (NO2-) is
produced in the aquarium
by the biological
filter. Beneficial
bacteria in the
biological filter
convert toxic ammonia
into nitrite (also
toxic). The biological
filter then converts
nitrite into nitrate
(NO3-). Testing for the
presence of toxic
nitrite is essential, so
that once detected,
steps can be taken to
remove it. Otherwise,
nitrite in the aquarium
will prevent fish from
carrying on normal
respiration. High levels
of nitrite quickly lead
to fish death. Even
trace amounts of nitrite
stress fish, suppressing
their immune system and,
thereby, increase the
likelihood of disease
and subsequent fish
loss.
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What is nitrite?
In a new freshwater
pond/aquarium, the nitrite
level may surge to 10 ppm (mg/L) or more, and
then fall rapidly as the
biological filter
becomes established. The
nitrite will be
converted to nitrate.
This process may take
several weeks. In an
established aquarium,
the nitrite level should
always remain at 0 ppm
(mg/L). The presence of
nitrite indicates
possible over-feeding,
too many fish, or
inadequate biological
filtration
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General Hardness or GH
is the measure of
calcium (Ca++) and
magnesium ions (Mg++)
dissolved in water.
General Hardness is
measured with the GH
Test Kit. Carbonate
Hardness, also known as
KH, refers to the
concentration of
bicarbonate (HCO3-) and
carbonate (CO3--)
dissolved in water.
Carbonate Hardness is
measured with the KH
Test Kit.
Calcium and magnesium
carry a positive charge
and form "ion pairs"
with negatively charged
ions like bicarbonate,
forming calcium
bicarbonate and
magnesium bicarbonate;
Ca(HCO3)2 & Mg(HCO3)2.
Marine reef aquarists
interested in measuring
the calcium level in
their aquariums should
use a calcium test kit
made specifically for
this purpose. The KH
Test Kit can be used to
test the carbonate
hardness in saltwater
aquariums.
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How do I test for water hardness?
GH and KH are easily
measured with the GH &
KH Test Kit. This kit
measures GH and KH in
German degrees (° dGH &
° dKH) and parts per
million (ppm). Some
aquarium literature
refers to water hardness
in degrees while others
use ppm. Your aquarium
water may have a high GH
and KH, low GH and KH,
or a situation where one
type of hardness is high
and the other low, i.e.
low GH & high KH. If,
for example, you have a
water softener on your
tap water supply the GH
will be zero (or very
low) while the KH, which
is not removed by a
water softener, will
remain high.
In marine aquariums the
KH is supplied by the
synthetic seawater mix
used to make saltwater.
The KH level will depend
on the particular brand
of salt.
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What effect does water hardness have on the pond/aquarium?
Water with a GH will
contain a lot of calcium
and/or magnesium. This
is great if you are
keeping African cichlids
or other fish that like
hard water. While
excessive GH is not
dangerous to tropical
fish, many species come
from water with a GH
level of 35-ppm to
90-ppm (2-5° dGH). Most
aquatic plants also
prefer a GH level of
35-ppm to 90-ppm (2-5°
dGH). Excess GH also
contributes to white
scale build-up on the
aquarium lid and light
fixture. As aquarium
water evaporates calcium
and magnesium (and other
minerals) are left in
the water causing GH to
rise over time. Lowering
GH (softening) has no
effect on pH. Reducing
the GH level does
increase the
effectiveness of Proper
pH buffers (freshwater).
KH is important in
relation to pH. KH, also
known as alkalinity or
buffering capacity helps
stabilize the pH in the
aquarium. Carbonate and
bicarbonate ions give
water its ability to
resist increases or
decreases in pH. Water
with very low KH may
experience wide
fluctuations in pH
because the buffering
capacity is low. A high
KH level indicates that
the pH will be very
stable. High KH is
almost always associated
with a high pH. This is
not the case, however,
when Proper pH buffers
are added to freshwater
aquariums. Proper pH
products are true
buffers. They will raise
or lower pH to reach the
pre-set pH level. Proper
pH 7.0, for example,
increases buffering
capacity (KH) at pH 7.0.
This means the buffering
capacity is strong
specifically at pH 7.0.
The pH is "locked in" at
7.0.
KH can be adjusted in
marine aquariums with
Proper pH 8.2. Proper pH
8.2 increases KH by
adding a blend of
carbonate and
bicarbonate buffers to
the water. This adjusts
the pH to a level of 8.2
to 8.4 depending on the
existing buffer provided
by the synthetic salt
formula. Many marine
aquarists try to
maintain a KH level
around 140 to 178-ppm (8
to 10 ° dKH).
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Does evaporation increase water hardness?
Yes. When water
evaporates, it leaves
all the hardness
minerals in the
aquarium. When you add
tap water back to the
aquarium, it adds more
hardness minerals, which
remain as the water
evaporates. Partial
water changes help keep
the water hardness from
building up from
evaporation. The best
way to manage water
hardness levels is the
Tap Water Filter.
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How do I reduce water hardness?
Reducing GH can be
accomplished with the
Water Softener Pillow.
The Water Softener
Pillow only removes GH
and has no effect on KH.
The easiest way to
reduce GH and KH is with
the Tap Water Filter.
The Tap Water Filter
will make de-ionized
water with no GH or KH.
You can than adjust the
GH and KH with
Electro-Right and pH
Adjuster or use the
de-ionized water to make
water changes in your
aquarium. Water changes
with the Tap Water
Filter will gradually
reduce GH and KH through
dilution. Adding
de-ionized water to
replace evaporated water
prevents water hardness
build-up.
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Phosphorous is an
essential element for
plants and animals.
Phosphorus, measured as
phosphate (PO43-),
enters the aquarium from
fish and invertebrate
waste and decaying
organic matter, such as
dead algae and uneaten
fish food. Water
treatment facilities may
add phosphate to tap
water to prevent pipe
corrosion and reduce
concentrations of heavy
metals in drinking
water.
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While phosphate is
required by fish and
plants, too much
phosphate can lead to
cloudy water conditions.
In saltwater aquariums,
phosphate precipitates
dissolved calcium (Ca2+)
and magnesium (Mg2+)
ions, inhibiting the
growth of hard corals
and other reef-building
organisms
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What level of phosphate is safe?
While phosphate is not
harmful to fish, the
phosphate level should
be zero in saltwater
aquariums and freshwater
pond/aquariums,
including those
containing live plants.
The phosphate level in a
new aquarium will depend
on the purity of the
water used to fill the
aquarium. Phosphate
level in tap water can
vary daily depending on
the treatment process
used. Phosphate tends to
accumulate in
established aquariums.
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I have a high phosphate level. What should I do?
In a freshwater or
saltwater aquarium use API’s Phos-ZorbT.
Phos-Zorb is a
filtration material that
removes phosphate.
Making partial water
changes can also help
reduce the nitrate
level, especially if the
initial phosphate level
is very high. However,
because many tap water
supplies contain
phosphate, it can be
difficult to lower
phosphate levels by this
method. API’s Tap Water
Filter will remove
pollutants, including
phosphate, from tap
water, making water
changes effective.
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