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Water care
What does water need?
Most of the fish kept in the aquarium come from tropical regions. In the aquarium they need water parameters as similar as possible to those in their natural habitat. Limiting parameters for certain species are listed under the heading Fish World or may be learned from your specialised retailer.
An aquarist must become familiar with the main features of aquarium water and of the local mains water. The parameters of the water quality may be analysed with easy-to-handle test sets. Total hardness and carbonate hardness are determined by the substrata the water flows through. Limy soils harden the water severely while primary rocks produce soft water. In comparison to the total hardness, the carbonate hardness is determined by dissolved carbonates that are present in ionic form. As a rule, the CH value is lower than the total hardness. Carbonate hardness plays an important part in buffering the pH value.
The pH-value of mains water is around 7.3 - 7.8, i.e. it is slightly alkaline. However, most fish rather need acidy water. Feeding residues, particles from digestive action and dead organisms pollute the water with nitrogen products, which occur as ammonium (< pH7) or ammonia (> pH7) in their first stage of degradation. Bacteria - nitrosomonas - convert this matter into nitrite, which is then converted into nitrate by another bacterium: nitrobacter. Ammonia and nitrite are toxic and may not occur in more than a very low concentration. Regular water tests are recommended. In addition to ammonium, nitrate is an excellent plant fertiliser, which enhances plant growth if it is present in an appropriate concentration.
The plants themselves produce oxygen, thereby closing within the aquarium the cycle that has been perpetuated by nature for millions of years. The nitrification process happens inside the aquarium filter, which offers the necessary colonisation surfaces for the bacteria.
Most of the fish kept in the aquarium come from tropical regions. In the aquarium they need water parameters as similar as possible to those in their natural habitat. Limiting parameters for certain species are listed under the heading Fish World or may be learned from your specialised retailer.
An aquarist must become familiar with the main features of aquarium water and of the local mains water. The parameters of the water quality may be analysed with easy-to-handle test sets. Total hardness and carbonate hardness are determined by the substrata the water flows through. Limy soils harden the water severely while primary rocks produce soft water. In comparison to the total hardness, the carbonate hardness is determined by dissolved carbonates that are present in ionic form. As a rule, the CH value is lower than the total hardness. Carbonate hardness plays an important part in buffering the pH value.
The pH-value of mains water is around 7.3 - 7.8, i.e. it is slightly alkaline. However, most fish rather need acidy water. Feeding residues, particles from digestive action and dead organisms pollute the water with nitrogen products, which occur as ammonium (< pH7) or ammonia (> pH7) in their first stage of degradation. Bacteria - nitrosomonas - convert this matter into nitrite, which is then converted into nitrate by another bacterium: nitrobacter. Ammonia and nitrite are toxic and may not occur in more than a very low concentration. Regular water tests are recommended. In addition to ammonium, nitrate is an excellent plant fertiliser, which enhances plant growth if it is present in an appropriate concentration.
The plants themselves produce oxygen, thereby closing within the aquarium the cycle that has been perpetuated by nature for millions of years. The nitrification process happens inside the aquarium filter, which offers the necessary colonisation surfaces for the bacteria.
