Water

This is probably the most important aspect of aquarium keeping.  Nothing will have as great an effect on your fish as the water quality. Maintaining aqaurium water quality is an ongoing challenge  but not so difficult that you should be put off by it.  It is often said that if you are a fish keeper you are a water keeper first.

So What is Aquarium Water Quality?..........  When we talk about water quality we are talking about the physical and chemical attributes of your water, from water temperature and hardness, pH levels as well as Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite levels.  All of these will affect your fish and all of them need to be monitored.

What aqaurium water quality you need to maintain will depend on the freshwater aquarium fish that you want to keep.  We have put together a list of fish that can tolerate a wide range of water parameters to help if you are new to aquarium keeping. 

Make sure that you have done your research and that you know what water quality you are trying to achieve.  Ideally you want the optimum water quality levels for the fish that you are keeping.

Most fish can put up with a variety of water conditions but if you want them to thrive and look their best then you need to get as close to the ideal water quality conditions for that species as possible.  Fish will not breed for example if you are far outside their normal water quality levels and can get stressed, unwell and even die if you do not look after the water.

Unfortunately, just to make things difficult water quality is ever changing and this is where the challenge comes in.  Once you get to the level of water quality that you want the real test is maintaining it.  Your fish add pollution to their water on a daily basis, your plants use up nitrates in the water and the bacteria in your organic filter are changing the water quality on an ongoing basis so the only way to be sure of water quality is to test it on a regular basis.

You could of course trust to luck! The only problem with this is that your first indication of poor water quality will be when the fish start getting ill or dying.

Water quality is important but don't react to every little change by adding chemicals.  Water quality will fluctuate and most fish can tolerate some fluctuation in water quality as long as it is gradual.  As soon as you start to try to balance the water quality through adding chemicals you run the risk of distressing your fish through sudden changes in pH levels or water hardness.

If you have your aquarium filter system set up properly and well maintained the pH levels in your tank are unlikely to vary a great deal and any spikes can be managed through maintenance and regular partial water changes, the same ones that you do through your regular maintenance routine.

• The Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle
  
  The aquarium nitrogen cycle converts your fish waste products into less harmful nitrates but how does it work and why is it important
• Aquarium Cycle
  
  Knowing about the aquarium cycle is one of the most important things when it comes to setting up your first freshwater aquarium
• Household Ammonia Cycle
  
  The household ammonia cycle is the quickest and easiest way to get your biological filter established and ready for your new fish
• Aquarium pH
  
  Getting the aquarium pH right and then keeping it within the desired range is an ongoing challenge for the new freshwater aquarium keeper
• Aquarium Water Quality
  
  Oxygen, Temperature and Chlorine are three factors which influence your aquarium water quality but how do you keep them under control and why
• Aquarium co2
  
  Aquarium co2 levels need to be maintained to keep your plants growing healthily but do you need to add to it or is there enough naturally
• Water Testing
  
  What Water Testing to do and when to do it is one of the questions that everyone asks when they set up their first fresh water aquarium
• Aquarium Algae
  
  You are going to get Aquarium Algae, that is a simple fact but what do they look like and what can you do to control them
• Water Hardness
  
  What is water hardness and how does it effect the fresh water planted fish tank. How can you change the water hardness of your tank

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