Water

Water is the most important and basic element in keeping a healthy, successful aquarium. There are many factors that affect the quality of water for aquarium use.

Chlorine and chloramines are added to water to eliminate harmful bacteria in drinking water for human consumption, but are very toxic to fish, beneficial bacteria and plants. When first setting up an aquarium and whenever partial water changes are conducted, always use aqua plus to make the tap water safe for fish. Aqua Plus also contains Pure Herbal Extracts that reduce stress in fish associated with handling. In specific areas around the country where chloramine is present in the water, always use a highly concentrated chlorine neutralizer such as chlorxchange as well as Ammonia Remover filter media to absorb ammonia. Chlorxchange is also recommended for preparing water for marine aquariums

Metallic Ions present in tap water are chelated by Chlorxchange and make available for consumption by plants

Tap water that originates from wells can be plagued with many other potential undesirable elements, such as phosphates, nitrates, extremely high levels, and many other organic and inorganic compounds. The use of aqua plus is mandatory and it may even be necessary to consider the use of special filtration devices located at the tap.

Plumbing replacement with new copper pipe can be potentially lethal, especially with soft water. It would be highly recommended to add double doses of Aqua Plus and use generous quantities of carbon to help remove copper. In marine systems containing invertebrates, this is a situation which would necessitate careful attention.

Water hardness and pH are two basic parameters that are easily measured with test kits and are important in providing an optimal aquarium environment. It is suggested to test tap water at least on a seasonal basis to make note of any fluctuations and adjust accordingly with effective products such as pH adjust and pH stabilizer. Source water may necessitate the use of certain filter media to help achieve favorable conditions for fish and plants. Peat is probably one of the most useful media for tap water that is hard and alkaline when plants, and/or acidic, soft water originating species of fish are being kept.

Water Hardness

Test Kits allow easy analysis of aquarium water and the resulting corrective action to be undertaken. They provide the information necessary for tailoring characteristics such as pH, Carbonate Hardness (KH), Iron (Fe), and General Hardness (GH) that are important for the particular type of aquarium being maintained.

Water conditioning & startup

When initially filling the aquarium, start by filling approximately one third. Carefully pour in aquarium gravel, then plant and decorate. Once this is complete, place a plate or bowl at the bottom and carefully fill the remainder. This will prevent the incoming water from disturbing the setup.

Install all support equipment, heaters, filters (inoculate bio-filter media with Cycle), lighting. Condition the new water with Aqua Plus and perform basic water testing, then adjust pH, KH, and GH to levels required for aquarium inhabitants.

After this is complete, dose with cycle and allow the system a minimum of several days before adding fish. This period will allow plants to initially root and allow for any re-adjustments of pH. For areas subject to chloramine, this period is highly recommended. It is possible to add fish immediately due to products such as Cycle and Aqua Plus, however, it is recommended to be patient.