Hello all I wanted to take a minute as Ive seen some conversations around here debating possible causes for fish issues. First I would like to encourage that all fish keepers should have a Master Testing Kit (possibly chlorine strips too) Additionally a readily available supply of Safe or Prime is an absolute must. Not only is it a fantastic water conditioner but it is also a vital tool for stopping crashes as they are happening. I figured I would provide a beginners guide to an Ammonia crash as these symptoms and issues are often missed (number 1 killer of aquarium fish) fishchannel/fish-health/healthy-aquariums/controlling-ammonia.aspx Also here is an excerpt based on common misconceptions by beginning Aquarists Basically put, the higher the pH and temperature, the greater the proportion of ammonia in an aquarium will be in the form of the highly toxic free ammonia (NH3). This has bigger implications if you have a hard water aquarium at 80 degrees Fahrenheit compared to a softer cold water aquarium at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. An ammonia reading in the first aquarium would prove far more toxic than in the colder one. A useful rule of thumb is that at a pH of 8 ammonia is 10 times more toxic that at a pH of 7, and at 68 degrees Fahrenheit it is five times more toxic than at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Saltwater aquarists are more fortunate, as ammonia is 30 percent less toxic in a saltwater aquarium compared to a freshwater aquarium at the same pH. But remember, the only safe ammonia target is zero, irrespective of pH, temperature and salinity!
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 05:02:16 +0000