Transcript Aquarium Chemicals Notes

Aquarium Chemicals Notes
pH
 pH is a chemical component of a solution that
determines how Acidic or Basic it is.
 Neutral pH is 7.0
 pH above 7.0 is Basic and below 7.0 is Acidic
 Ideal pH of a saltwater aquarium is 8.2-8.4
Ammonia (NH3)
 Ammonia is a chemical that is created as a
waste product by living organisms.
 Animals urinate which is converted into
ammonia
 Ammonia is the most toxic chemical tested
for in Aquarium water tests
 Ideal ammonia concentrations should be
less than .25 ppm. Amounts over this can
stress fish and even cause death.
Nitrite (NO2-)
 Ammonia is converted into nitrite by Nitrifying
bacteria.
 Toxic to fish but less toxic than ammonia.
 Ideal concentrations should be less than 1 ppm
(Parts per million) once the aquarium is
established.
 New aquariums may spike to concentrations of 10
ppm until the bacteria concentration reaches
equilibrium and convert nitrite to nitrate.
 Too much Nitrite can indicate over-feeding, too
many fish or inadequate biological filtration.
Nitrate (NO3-)
 Converted from Nitrite by nitrifying
bacteria.
 Not considered toxic to animals in lower
amounts but can cause algae blooms in
excess.
 Ideal concentrations should be less than
40 ppm.
 Partial water changes will lower
Filtration
 The aquarium has several filters:
 Undergravel filter adds oxygen to water and pulls
the water through the crushed coral (buffer) which
gives the bacteria the ability to eat the ammonia
and nitrite.
 Canister filter pulls large particles out of the water
and cleans the water chemically with charcoal and
ammonia sponge (chemically removes ammonia).
 Protein Skimmer uses tiny bubbles to remove
protein waste.
Summary
 pH measures how acidic and basic a
solution is
 Ammonia to Nitrite to Nitrate. (most to least
deadly to fish)
 Multiple filtration techniques are successful
at keeping aquarium “clean” combo of
biological and mechanical is best.
 General Rule of Thumb: 3 gallons of
saltwater to 1 inch of fish.