Proper Water Condition in Freshwater Tanks

Creating the perfect water conditions for a freshwater aquarium deals with much more than filling your tank with ordinary tap water. It is vital to create and maintain a delicate balance that provides the ideal environment for your fish.

In their natural environment, fish are exposed to a natural cycle where the water is naturally filtered and wastes are swept away. In contrast, fish contained in an aquarium remain in contact with these wastes until they are removed. It is the responsibility of the fish owner to remove these wastes, maintaining a clean aquarium.

Maintaining clean and healthy aquarium water involves pH, hardness, and oxygen content. A fish owner needs to address all of these in order to keep the fish living in the aquarium healthy.

pH:

The pH scale measures acidity in water, ranging from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 is neutral, 1 is very acidic, and 14 is very alkaline. The beginner's aquarium should maintain a pH of 6.5 to 7. Test kits are very simple to use and are available at most pet stores. The pH level of a tank should be monitored every week or so to detect changes, as any drastic change will affect the fish.

Water Hardness:

Water hardness generally refers to the amount of mineral salts in water. Water with high concentrations of salts is referred to as "hard," and conversely, water low in salts is called "soft." The scale of hardness ranges from 0 to over 30, with 4-8 representing soft water and 18-30 referring to hard water. Most freshwater fish do well in water between 3 and 14 degrees of hardness. Kits can be used to test the hardness, though most water is usually okay unless the local tap water is excessively hard or soft.

Oxygen Content: