The carbonate hardness CH is one of the most important water parameters in aquarium keeping and for garden ponds. The CH stabilises the pH-level and therefore prevents any dreaded plunge or sudden steep rise in pH levels, both of which are equally dangerous. In normal community aquariums and ponds, the CH should never drop below 4° GCH. Even if the initial water contained sufficient CH levels, the CH in the aquarium and pond may decrease. This may be the result of vigorous bacterial activity or a lack of CO2 – with plants and algae extracting the CO2 they require from the CH. Consequently the CH decreases and the pH-level is unstable. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Understanding... Read more»
Ever experienced the cloudy water problem in your aquarium? There is no single answer as there is no single cause. The colour of the cloudiness should give clue to a couple of basic causes which are highlighted below to aid your understanding. 1) White or Grayish Water Gravel Residue – Water could get cloudy immediately after setting up a tank with insufficiently washed gravel. Solving this problem is simle by rinsing the gravel and draining the cloudy water. Dissolved Constituents – If the cloudiness still persists even after washing the gravel, the next most likely cause of the cloudiness could be due to the existence of a high level of dissolved constituents such as silicates,... Read more»
In an aquarium, Ammonia (NH3) is produced from the waste of fish and invertebrates and released through diffusion from the gills of fish during osmoregulation as well as from bacterial decomposition of excess food, decaying plant material and decomposing animal material. Ammonia poses huge problem all living organisms in high amounts due to its toxic nature. The effects of continuous exposure to ammonia in fish can be lethal and will cause severe gill damage leading to suffocation, kidney damage due to inability to osmoregulate, and the increased inability to secrete ammonia from the body resulting in metabolic and physiological imbalance. Even at lower levels, ammonia can reduce growth rate... Read more»