The KH value also affects the amount of CO 2 dissolved in the water and its assimilation by the plants. By knowing the KH and pH values of your aquarium, you can work out the amount of dissolved CO 2 , thanks to the relationships that regulate these three amounts see the table below.
Ammonia is one of the products of protein metabolism of fish: the proteins ingested with food are hydrolysed in the gut and broken down into amino acids. The amino acids are then transported by the blood to the cells, where they are used for protein synthesis.
Those not used directly are broken down to produce energy; during this process, ammonia if formed, which, being highly toxic, is excreted directly into the water. It is found in two forms: ammonium, with a relatively low level of toxicity, and ammonia, which is extremely toxic.
Nitrates, NO 3 , are the final product of ammonia processing performed by filter bacteria and therefore tend to accumulate in the aquarium. Nitrates are a source of nitrogen for plants, which absorb them. However, except in the case of aquariums which are very rich in plants but have few fish, the rate of production is higher than the rate of absorption, and nitrates accumulate in the water.
A high concentration of nitrates causes stress to fish. The phosphates accumulated in the water derive in part from the processing of fish excrement, but can be contained in a variable quantity even in tap water. An aquarium also has several built-in limitations that work against the health of its occupants.
No matter how extravagant and no matter how carefully planned, any aquarium is an artificial environment. Natural aquatic ecosystems are much more complicated than the aquatic environment of an aquarium. The biological processes in a body of water have been finely tuned over millennia to become a complex, living system. This system includes weather patterns, geological and chemical processes, and countless interrelationships among plants, animals, and microorganisms. The lifeforms found in these systems have adapted to very specific conditions, and their ability to survive depends on their environment.
A closed system like an aquarium is a completely different thing. By definition, a closed system means that the environment consists solely of the tank and its contents. The natural processes that, in the wild, would provide food, protection, and a clean, uncontaminated environment for the fish are not a part of the aquarium.
As a fishkeeper, your primary responsibility is to see that these things are taken care of in the confines of your aquarium. Providing nourishment and a safe and comfortable habitat are essential. Maintaining the water quality, however, is something a bit less obvious to most new aquarists. Water quality refers to the amount of debris, pollutants, and other undesirable substances that appear in the water either naturally or through contamination, and more aquariums fail due to poor water quality than probably anything else.
Why is water quality so important? Approximately 80 to 90 percent of all fish diseases are due to physical stress. The most common source of stress is from living in polluted water. This stress, if persistent and unrelieved, causes the immune system of a fish to become less and less able to fight infection from disease-causing organisms that are always present in the water.
Some species of fish suffer from this problem more quickly than others, but all fish eventually become sick and die when kept in poor-quality water. Beginning aquarists may have a difficult time keeping their aquariums healthy not because they lack skill or motivation but because they lack knowledge. Keeping water clean is actually not difficult at all; it requires only a little understanding, a little effort, and the right equipment.
Aquarium water quality deteriorates for several reasons. As a part of their metabolism, fish produce various waste products that accumulate in the water, and other organic matter such as uneaten food decays into substances that can contaminate the water. Over time, these pollutants build up in an aquarium to a level that is dangerous to the occupants. In their native environment, fish are protected from this problem by a natural system.
The water in a river or lake is continually replenished with fresh rainwater, and different chemical and biological processes remove organic pollutants from the water. To keep a healthy aquarium, you simply need to understand this natural system and duplicate its effects for your fish.
Prior to the advent of filtration, hobbyists depended on their ability to maintain a balance in the tank. The number and size of fish, the abundance of plants, and the ability of snails and other scavengers to consume excess food and other materials in the tank were all taken into consideration.
It was, however, a balancing act that only the most skilled aquarists could maintain over time. The number of fish that could be kept in these balanced or natural aquariums was rather small. And yet, when measured against the natural environment of the fish, even these aquariums were rather overcrowded. Today, new hobbyists often believe that aquarium technology, particularly the filtration system, eliminates the work and the problems of keeping fish.
Up to a point, this is true. Certainly in comparison to keeping fish in a bowl, where all of the water must be changed at least once a week, an aquarium with a filter is more convenient and easier to maintain. Still, filtration systems have limitations. No matter how sophisticated, a filter can only slow down the rate at which the water in an aquarium becomes polluted.
No filter system can actually stop water quality from deteriorating. Filtration is important to maintaining good water quality for the fish, and filters do make it possible to keep more fish in an aquarium. Success with fishkeeping, however, requires more than a good filter. The true value of filtration is that it helps you maintain good water quality more consistently, but only if some easy-to-follow principles of aquarium care are followed.
The real key to success is found in three basic rules, each formulated to create a stable environment for the fish. Rule one is to not overstock the tank with fish. The more fish there are in an aquarium, the faster the water quality goes down.
As noted earlier, the filter only slows this process. The second rule is to not overfeed the fish. The accumulation of uneaten food in the tank will quickly contaminate the water.
Rule three is to do frequent partial water changes. This removes pollutants and adds fresh, clean water to the aquarium, helping to maintain a healthy habitat. If you understand these three rules and the reasoning behind them, you're well on your way to becoming a successful aquarist. What remains is to learn about the equipment you'll be using -- what you need and why you need it -- and then to learn a little about the fish that you'll be setting up house for.
Let's continue with learning where to shop for your aquarium on the next page. New hobbyists seldom realize how valuable a good pet store is to their success in fishkeeping. Value, in this case, has nothing to do with the lowest prices or shortest driving distance. When determining where to shop for aquariums, what you want is a store that can offer good advice, provide solutions to problems, recommend products that will best serve your needs, and handle warranties or repairs for equipment.
If you live in an urban area, you probably have dozens of pet and aquarium stores to choose from. The smaller the city or the more rural your area is, the fewer shops there will be. One of your first goals is to visit as many aquarium dealers as are convenient before you purchase anything. As you visit each store, there are certain things to look for. The shop should have a clean appearance. The floors should be swept and the carpets vacuumed. Shelves should be stocked with a variety of merchandise.
Dust, particularly on containers of food, means a low turnover of goods, increasing the likelihood of old or outdated products. The tanks themselves should look well kept. The water should be clear and the front glass clean -- no water spots on the outside or algae on the inside. The tanks should be clearly labeled with the names and prices of the fish contained within them. The fish should be healthy and active; that is, individual fish should display color and behavior that is typical of the species.
In a large store with many tanks, the occasional dead fish in a tank can happen. However, if many of the tanks contain dead fish, or if the employees seem uninterested when a dead fish is pointed out to them, you'll want to take your business elsewhere.
If the fish aren't healthy when you buy them, they are unlikely to become healthy in your own aquarium, and they could be carrying disease that will affect your other fish. Note whether the dealer has a good selection of nice-looking live plants. Water is pulled out of the tank into the filter and, generally, forced through a bag of closed-webbed floss that traps the larger solids. The bag is often filled with activated charcoal that adsorbs many of the dissolved substances as well.
Some biological filtration will also occur as the nitrifying bacteria grow on the floss bag. The bag, however, must be rinsed or replaced on a regular basis to prevent clogging, thus losing the bacteria.
Most of the biological filtration for this type of system occurs on the substrate of the tank. Although most power filters hang on the back of the aquarium, internal tank power filters are also available. A canister filter forces water through a variety of media and can incorporate mechanical, biological and chemical filtration. A trickle filter works in much the same way but water generally passes with less force. Since none of the media move, a thick bacterial film can quickly develop resulting in the need for frequent cleaning.
A fluidized bed is one which keeps the media, often silica sand or resin beads, "fluidized," or in constant movement through rolling water. This movement continually shears off excessive bacteria. Bead filters can incorporate both mechanical and biological filtration. However, sand filters must have a mechanical filter in line before it to prevent clogging the fine sand. Fluidized bed filters are one of the most efficient biological filters available. A rotating biological contactor RBC has a wheel that constantly rotates alternately exposing itself to tank water then air, which provides the oxygen critical for nitrifying bacteria growth.
The rotation of the media through the water removes excess and competing bacteria from the wheel. The state of Florida neither endorses links nor approves of links to external sources. External links are made available for the convenience of the internet user.
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