Re: Anti fungal or anti-bacterial?
#6
Hi
If you have recently moved, then yes, it will be a good starting point to test your new water for some results, so you know what you are actually dealing with.
Most keepers here use these two kits.
API Freshwater Master Test kit:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trk ... st+kit&_sacat=0&_from=R40API GH & KH kit:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odk ... h&_nkw=api+gh+kh&_sacat=0These last for a number of years and have more than 800 tests so are really cost effective long term.
OK, tests to try - this bit will make you feel like a mad scientist lol.
1.
Tap water pH (test immediately when drawn) and again after being left standing for 24 hours in a glass/mug. Any difference.
Your set up is a bit different, what with being farm fed, but local water boards generally add temporary treatments that gas off over 24 hours (nicer for us the drink) but then local water pH levels off to a 'true reading' after 24 hours. In some areas it goes up, in mine it goes down. My tap water reads pH7.6, after 24 hours it falls to pH6 - no good for fancies. Worth checking still, certainly.
2.
Tap water GH and KH - you can test these immediately. GH is the general hardness, KH is the carbonate hardness (what keeps pH stable long term).
Water Hardness (GH) : Terms and Conversionmg/l CaC03 / oDegrees of Hardness / Described as:
0 - 50 / 0 - 3 / soft
50 - 100 / 3 - 6 / fairly soft
100 ? 200 / 6 - 12 / slightly hard
200 - 300 / 12 - 18 / moderately hard
300 - 540 / 18 - 30 / hard
540 plus / 30 plus / very hard
Fancies generally like it slightly hard/moderately hard/hard.
3.
Tap water Nitrate - the end stage of the nitrogen cycle. Legally, this can be as high as 50ppm in the UK. Given fancy keepers try to keep nitrate at under 20ppm is tanks (seems to help with buoyancy issues), this too would be helpful.
You could then run the same tests on the tank water (no need to let the pH test sit for 24 hours - it already has, in the tank).
It's useful then to cross reference these so you know how much water to change each week when you do the partial water change, and if you should be modding the new water each week a little, before it goes into the tank.
For example, we often see tank substrate pushing up the natural pH and as in my case, I know I need to harden and buffer the new water before I use it.
Wish I'd paid more attention to science lessons at school LOL.
Someone once here said that keeping an aquarium was all to do with keeping water. Keep that safe and matched to the fish requirements, and the fish look after themselves.
Fire away with readings when you have them and we can then advise more if needs be
Apologies - bit war and peace - eek - but hope this helps.
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