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09 Dec 2014

Testing Your Aquarium Water

Posted By : Guest

Filed Under : Aquatics | Tropical Aquariums | Fish | Marine Aquariums

An essential part of owning a marine aquarium is the on-going testing and monitoring of the water that your fish, plants and corals grow and live in. The most successful fish keepers and aquascapers regularly check their water rather than waiting before a problem occurs.

There are plenty of things that need checking regularly in aquarium water; some of which can cause serious health problems if they fluctuate too wildly. Others may cause fatalities for your aquatic life even if the change is minimal.

It is of paramount importance to check your aquarium regularly for a number of reasons. Firstly it allows you to see what the conditions of your tank are like, which gives you a clear indication of the environment your aquatic life inhabits. Testing can reveal the early signs of problems within the tank, and this makes them much easier and quicker to deal with, than waiting for a problem to fully manifest itself. In addition testing will let you know if your tank has reached a critical stage and gives you the chance to make immediate necessary changes.

This is a list of the key things that need looking at regularly. It is by no stretch a full comprehensive checklist, but checking the following things will give you a clear advantage in maintaining a healthy tank.

Ammonia and Nitrite

Ammonia is produced as the bi-product of waste within your tank. It can come from fish and other aquatic animals and also from decaying plant matter. Ammonia is part of the nitrogen cycle of a tank and as such it is only very high and very low concentrations that will cause problems. High levels of ammonia in a tank are toxic to fish and aquatic life. Ammonia is converted to nitrites by ammonia oxidising bacteria. A sign of high levels of ammonia is the development of algae in the tank. The concentration of ammonia within a tank is easy to monitor using specialist kits. There are two types of test available; those that test for free ammonia and those that test for both free ammonia and ammonium (dissolved ammonia). In a naturally balanced ammonia tank the levels are controlled by nitrifying bacteria and ammonia loving plants. These can take a while to develop. For tanks that have seen a sharp increase there are shorter quicker methods for battling high levels. Firstly a water change is a good idea, and then also treating the water with conditioners and resins that soak up excess ammonia.

Related to ammonia is nitrite. Nitrite is the bi-product from ammonia oxidising bacteria. Whilst not quite so toxic as ammonia, high levels of nitrite can also be fatal to your aquarium life. Nitrites combine with the haemoglobin of your fish, causing Brown Blood Disease. This basically causes fish to suffocate. Nitrite can again be measured via a test kit. Upon discovering high levels of nitrite you can lower them by doing a water change, using a chemical treatment and cleaning out your filter. You can also add nitrifying bacteria from an established tank. Nitrite levels can be high if you have overstocked your aquarium; it is a good idea to remove some fish to another tank if possible.

pH

pH refers to how acidic or alkaline a solution is. A pH value of 7 is neutral, whereas 1-6 is acidic and 8-14 is alkaline. A marine aquarium typically has a pH of 7.9-8.5, slightly alkaline. Whilst species of fish do vary in their tolerance to pH changes, a rapid rise or fall can result in problems. There are plenty of kits available to test pH. The liquid tests are more accurate than the test strips however. For really serious aquarium keepers there are electronic meters to provide constant readings. As an aquarium develops over time the nitrifying bacteria used to convert ammonia and nitrites can lower the pH. If the pH drops too far, though, the bacteria will die causing the levels of ammonia and nitrite to increase.

Temperature

Temperature needs to be checked daily. This can be done either by a strip or glass thermometer in the tank or by an electronic meter. The temperature of the tank will fluctuate naturally over the day but sharp rises and drops in temperature can cause stress with fish. This in turn can cause disease and parasites. If the temperature does need adjusting this needs to be done gradually.

Salinity

Salinity is the measure of how much dissolved salt is in your aquarium. This is obviously more important for marine tanks. In order to measure salinity you will need to use a hydrometer or refractometer. As salinity increases the bodies of fish are put under increasing pressure. Natural ocean water has a salinity of approximately 35ppt. It is important to keep a roughly natural ocean environment for your fish, although if they originated in different areas they may require a different level. When salinity levels need to be raised or lowered they need to be done gradually to prevent osmotic shock.

Dissolved Oxygen

Dissolved oxygen refers to the amount of oxygen within the water. Oxygen can enter the water via two routes; from the atmosphere directly and from the photosynthesis of any aquatic plants in the tank. The best method for measuring dissolved oxygen is via an oxygen meter. Dissolved oxygen should be around 5-6mg/L. In a highly populated tank the oxygen levels may become depleted. To initially combat this it may be necessary to use an aerator to add oxygen to the water from the atmosphere. After this it may be necessary to remove some of the fish if the levels continue to deplete.

The following is a table on the suggested time frame for testing aquarium water and the levels you should expect for a healthy tank. With the majority of tests available there are clear instructions as to the procedure for testing. Do keep in mind however that no two test kits are the same and will vary in their instructions. Keeping an eye on these things and regularly testing can help to diagnose any problems early on and can prevent you from losing any fish, corals or plants. There are other tests that you may need to consider as well not covered in this article such as chlorine levels and phosphate and magnesium levels.