Articles gillsmarine@yahoo.com

• 

  TESTING YOUR WATER (PART 2)

  The pH of a saltwater aquarium should be 8.3 and over time, the pH of your aquarium will fall and this can kill your fish. Biological processes in the aquarium will start to lower the pH over time. This is why water changes are so important as it will reset the pH to normal as you remove the waste from the bottom of the tank. Make sure to do a 20 percent water change every one to two weeks and test your pH every week. The pH can fluctuate minute amounts so a pH buffer may be a useful thing to use. It will help to keep ph balance consistent and add elements so coral need to they derive from higher pH levels, which will harm fish. If you find it dificult can maintain a pH above 8.1 - then you should re- evaluate your aquarium maintenance habbits and possibly filtration. In some cases an overstocked aquarium (too many inhabitants) can overwhelm the filtration system and even regular water changes will not help the pH. In this case, you will need to decrease the number of aquarum creatures living in your tank. The specific gravity of a marine aquarium should be between 1.018 and 1.026. The specific gravity is the measure of salinity in the water. The oceans are consistent but can be higher in some areas, so a small range is acceptable as long as it stays consistent. Purchase a hydrometer and follow the instructions for use to determine the salinity of your marine aquarium. The only time that the salinity will change is gradually over time - it will increase as the water evaporates, the salt does not. To keep your specific gravity consistent, add small amounts of fresh water, preferably reverse osmosis (RO) water to top off your aquarium as the water evaporates. Do not wait until the water level drops a lot before topping up or you might shock your fish. Add fresh water every week as it evaporates. Test the aquarium water regularly to keep your saltwater fish healthy. Purchase a pH test kit and test your water once a week. Purchase a hydrometer and test the specific gravity every week. Test for ammonia and nitrat - these results will let you know how well your filter is functioning. There are various types of testing equipment from tabs you dip in the water to kits where you mix liquids with your saltwater. Always follow the manufacturers instructions very accurately to prevent false test results. If you test for nitrate and find it high change 20 percent of the water or add denitrifying bacteria to your water. Sometimes, you might come across the practice of adding a solution of hair algae to solve nitrate problems as they devour this compound, but we strongly advise against it because it becomes an uncontrollable pest! If you have questions about the quality of your water, bring us a sample and we can test it for you, depending on the result - we will guide you to find the solutions you are looking for to make your aquarium spectacular.
  
  

Location:
41860 Enterprise Circle South, Unit D
Temecula, CA 92590

Call Us!
Ph (951) 296-3114

Hours:
Tues-Fri: 12-7
Sat: 11-5

CLOSED SUNDAYS & MONDAYS