Freshwater Aquarium Fish

In marine aquariums, it is not the salinity of water which is measured, but the density (often expressed as specific gravity, S.G.), which can be calculated according to the following formula:There are no units of measurements. The saltier the water, the higher its density. The density also varies according to temperature (it goes down as the temperature goes up). The table overleaf shows the relationship between salinity and density with respect to temperature, which is relatively constant (25-26 C) in aquariums. The density, expressed as specific gravity, a value which is easy to use, is all that is required to calculate salinity: it must range between 1.022 and 1.024. THE CH Unlike the general hardness (GH) which is used to describe fresh water, carbonate hardness (CH) is used in sea water, where it serves to measure the quantity of calcium and magnesium carbonates and bicarbonates present. This is crucial for maintaining the pH, and for growing corals, which have skeletons made of calcium carbonate.
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The main difference between fresh water and sea water is that the latter contains a great many salts which give it certain specific characteristics, and these must be understood by any aquarist who wishes to keep marine fish.TEMPERATURE The temperature of tropical sea water varies little over the course of a day, or even a year. Furthermore, marine fish are generally more sensitive to abrupt changes than freshwater fish. The temperature in an aquarium must, therefore, be fairly stable, remaining at around 25-26 C. SALINITY The most important salt found in sea water is sodium chloride (NaCl), widely used for domestic and culinary purposes, but there are plenty more. The salinity of water, i.e. the quantity of salts in the water, is expressed in 0/00 or in g/liter. The mean salinity of the Earth’s oceans is around 350/00, or approximately 35 g salts/liter. Whatever its salinity, sea water boasts one remarkable property: the proportion of each element is constant. Desalinated water does not therefore contain less of one or more salts, but the combination of salts is present in a lower concentration. The salinity of sea water varies according to longitude. It is at its highest in open seas in the tropics, it is lower near coasts and after heavy rain, and it is at its lowest near the poles (due to the influence of melting snow).
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Rainwater is soft and acid, so is useful for diluting water that is too hard. It should be collected in plastic containers; if these are put under a gutter, take care not to collect the first water, as this will have cleaned the roof. In urban and industrial areas, rainwater is liable to contain pollutants, and it is therefore not advisable to use it. Stagnant water (ponds) and still water (downriver) Such water can pose a microbiological risk, and it is not advisable to use it. Demineralized and distilled water Their pH is neutral or very slightly acid, with little or no hardness. Their high price means that they are only used for mixing with freshwater aquarium fish hard water, or for filling a small rearing aquarium. Do not forget that softened water cannot be used. Bottled water This is often referred to as mineral water - erroneously so, as some brands contain hardly any minerals and are quite soft. These are certainly not used to fill up huge tanks, bottle by bottle, as this would be too expensive and time-consuming, and therefore serve a similar function to that of distilled water.
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OTHER DISSOLVED SOLIDS A great many other substances are to be found dissolved in water. Their content is generally low and does not pose any problems, and some of them, such as micronutrients, are even very beneficial. This term covers a variety of elements including vitamins and metals, which in tiny quantities are indispensable to life. Iron, for example, plays a role in the composition of hemoglobin, the red blood cells which transport the oxygen taken in by the branchiae. It also participates in the photosynthesis of plants, which have a tendency to turn yellow if there is an iron deficiency. Manganese is equally important, as it is one of the components of chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants that allows them to absorb light and develop. There are, of course, other metals that are also naturally present in water, but their concentration hardly ever exceeds a few thousandths of a mg/liter, and some, such as copper, become toxic if it goes beyond this limit. Origin and quality of fresh water used in aquariums The simplest and cheapest means of obtaining water is turning on a faucet, but there are other possibilities, especially when it comes to obtaining natural water. Domestic water As long as water is drinkable, there is no reason why it is not suitable for fish. In some regions the water is sometimes too hard (general hardness above 11 GH), and so the option of mixing it with softer water must be considered.Domestic water must never be introduced in large quantities into an aquarium which already contains fish. It is also advisable to let it settle for 24 hours to eliminate any excess of gas (caused by the pressure). When filling a tank before putting it into operation, this step is not compulsory, as it will not be housing fish immediately. Natural water Natural water close to home usually shares many of the characteristics of domestic water, as it makes up a large part of the public water supply. However, it should be possible to find water with different characteristics not too far away. Spring water This is the most desirable water, as it is the purest, with no suspended material, little or no organic matter and a high bacteriological quality. Well water This is of a similarly good quality, although it sometimes contains an excess of gas. It can occasionally be slightly ferruginous (containing iron), which favors the growth of plants.
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Rarely found in open water (around 1% of the total count), bacteria colonize essentially the floor and the decor. They feed on nitrogenous compounds in the water, extracting the oxygen from them.When an aquarium is brought into use, bacterial colonization of the environment is a slow process, and so it is advisable not to introduce the selected fish until 2 or 3 weeks have elapsed. The toxicity of nitrogenous compounds The concentration of nitrogenous compounds in an aquarium is higher than in a balanced natural setting, and there are some limits which must not be exceeded (see table above). Ammonia is found in two different forms in water, and the sum of the two must not be more than 0.4 mg/liter. Dissolved NH3 ammonia gas is the most dangerous, although it only appears above a pH of 7 and rarely exceeds 10% of the total ammonia. The more common ionized NH4+ form is slightly less dangerous.
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The turbidity of water refers to the presence of suspended matter - either living organisms forming plankton (rare in an aquarium) or inert matter, such as animal or vegetable remains or particles of sediment, particularly mud. The size of this suspended matter ranges from a few thousandths of a millimeter to several millimeters. In calm, unstirred water it forms sediment at a speed in proportion to its weight. In running or turbulent water, some of the matter remains freshwater aquarium fish permanently suspended, giving rise to more pronounced turbidity. In aquariums, where the water is always in motion, systems of varying degrees of sophistication (see Filtration, page 237) allow fishkeepers keep their water clear. The effects of this are entirely positive: - the visual appearance is improved; - the light required by the plants penetrates the water and reaches them more easily; - there is less risk of disease, particularly in the fishes’ branchiae; - there is little sedimentation on the base of the tank, reducing both the possibility of any warping due to excessive weight and the decomposition of organic matter. NITROGENOUS PRODUCTS AND THE NITROGEN CYCLE Nitrogen (N) is one of the components of certain substances, largely derived from the excretion of fish, that are dissolved in water. These substances, of varying structural complexity, are quickly converted into ammonia (NH3 or NH4+), which is highly toxic for animals. At this point oxygen and bacteria intervene to convert the ammonia into nitrites (NO2-), which are also very toxic. Other bacteria, still accompanied by oxygen, transform them in their turn into nitrates (NO3-), slightly toxic for fish but which can be used by plants as nutrients. These transformations, taken as a whole, are referred to as the nitrogen cycle. In nature, land-based elements can also participate (see diagram). As plants are at the base of the food chain, they also take part in the nitrogen cycle. In an aquarium, the situation is different. Some fish partly feed on plants, but most of them are fed by the aquarist; sometimes there is a surplus of foodstuffs and the nitrogen cycle is altered as a result. It is very important to respect the equilibrium of this cycle. That is why you should not keep too many fish and you should not overfeed them. It is also a good idea to provide the aquarium with a sufficient amount of vegetation, and to enhance the development of bacteria, while ensuring that the water is well aerated. Partial and regular water changes make it possible to eliminate surplus foodstuffs, various types of organic matter, and any nitrates that have not been used by the plants. A biological filter enhances the development of the nitrogen cycle.
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Let us suppose we have two types of water, one hard and one soft, with which to “manufacture” an intermediate water: - water A, with a GH of 9 GH; - water B, with a GH of 3 GH; - target water, with a GH of 5 GH. Calculations: GH water A - GH target water = 9 - 5 = 4. GH target water - GH water B = 5 - 3 = 2.Freshwater aquarium fish combination of 4 liters of water B and 2 liters of water A results in 6 liters at 5 GH. Filling a 180 liter tank will require 180 (6 x 30 times this mixture, i.e. 60 liters of water A and 120 liters of water B). Another example with the same water: filling the same tank with water at 7 GH will require 120 liters of water A and 60 liters of water B.
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Modifying the hardness of water Sometimes the water available presents a hardness value inappropriate for its intended use in an aquarium. In most cases, the water will be a little too hard, and so the GH must be brought down for use in a mixed aquarium or a rearing tank. In other, less common cases, the water can be slightly too soft, and so the GH needs to be raised. Reducing the GH Water with a low hardness value can be mixed with water that is too hard. There are several alternative sources of water (see pages 21-23): - rain water; - spring and well water; - defrosting water from a refrigerator; - water from melted snow; - distilled water, available in bottles; - some brands of mineral water; - natural flowing fresh water. The volume of water that can be obtained, and its price, obviously depend on which of these sources is used. Filling a tank with a capacity of several hundred liters with water of a precise hardness can sometimes be a laborious process. A final piece of advice: avoid using water from a domestic softener, as the calcium salts are replaced by other salts. Osmosed water (see page 17) is an attractive option, but the equipment represents a substantial investment. Increasing the GH The water in question can be diluted with harder natural water, generally easier to find than soft water, or put some calcareous rocks in the aquarium, regularly monitoring the GH, or filter the water over oyster shells crushed into tiny pieces. Any modification in the hardness of water is matched by a modification in the pH: increasing the hardness of the water also increases its pH, and vice versa.
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Measuring GH A colored indicator is used: the number of drops needed to obtain a change in color indicates the degree of hardness. It should be noted that the degrees of hardness used in analysis kits may vary according to the country in which it was manufactured; in some cases French degrees are used. These can be converted as follows: 1 Fr=0.56 GH How can the degree used by a manufacturer in a product be identified? To confuse matters further, you may also come across Clark in older books on fishkeeping. The old-fashioned Clark system for hardness was somewhat laborious, being based on measurement of the foam created by a soap solution, and has now become obsolete. If you have any doubts about the units used by the manufacturer of an analysis kit, just measure a GH you already know, such as that of bottled water (see page 23). The relationship between GH and CH We have already seen that significant changes in the pH are prejudicial to aquaticlife, especially if they occur too abruptly. To compensate for this, nature has provided a screening device, the CH (carbonate hardness, i.e. the hardness due to calcium and magnesium carbonates and bicarbonates). The higher this is, the less the risk of any major variations in the pH. and vice versa. This phenomenon, known as buffering, can therefore only occur in acid fresh water. There is a relationship between the CH and the general hardness: the closer the CH value comes to the GH value, the more balanced the water. If the CH is less than 75% of the GH, you are likely to encounter a problem, and it is therefore not advisable to use water with these characteristics in an aquarium.
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Peat derives from the decomposition of vegetation in an acid environment lacking in oxygen. This process, which lasts several centuries, gives rise to a peat bog from which compact, fibrous peat can be extracted. It endows water with both a yellow amber color and acidity, which gives it slightly antiseptic properties. This means that some diseases are less common in acid water. The use of horticultural peat, which often has been enriched with various products, must be avoided in favor of the peat for aquarium use that is commercially available. Boil it for around 15 minutes before use. In the Amazon region of South America, the color of the water ranges from amber yellow to brown, due to the leaves and branches floating in it. In an aquarium, peat can be used in the filtering equipment to reproduce the characteristics of this type of water (low hardness, pH under 7, coloring).The hardness of water is expressed in German degrees ( GH or DH), not to be confused with Celsius degrees ( C) for temperature: 1 GH is equivalent to 17.9 mg Ca/liter, or 17.9 parts per million (ppm). The term most often used to classify hardness is general hardness (GH), although total hardness (TH) can also be used. There are three main categories of water in fishkeeping: - soft water, which is generally acid, at 3 GH or 50 ppm; - medium water, which is neutral or slightly alkaline, at 6 GH or 100 ppm; - hard water, which is highly alkaline, at 12 GH or 200 ppm. We will go on to discover that some fish families can adapt only to certain types of water.
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