Tap Water Filter

[ericamae04]

[glow=purple,2,300]Hello Wonderful HB Friends!![/glow]

I know this is a rediculous question but.... I just purchased Aquarium Pharms Tap Water Filter... it seems like it'll get rid of all the harmful stuff in tap water but I was wondering if I still need to use water conditioner? (I use Aqua Safe by Tetra) It says it'll (the tap water filter) remove chlorine and chloramine but I am still unsure.......

Also, does anyone own one of these? If yes, is it a good product?

Thanks in advance to anyone who reply.

Oh one more thing... I'm having a really hard time understanding the relationship between pH, gH & kH... I know all of these test go hand in hand but how? I have a five gallon aquarium cycling right now and I tested my tank last Sat. and my readings were this:
(I use Aquarium Pharm tests, btw.)

gH = 161.1 ppm or 9 degree
kH = 143.2 ppm or 8 deg.
pH = 7.2
Ammonia = .25 ppm
Nitrite = 0 ppm
Nitrate = 20 ppm

(Iwill test my tank again tomorrow and see if there are any changes... and I will report them here again.)

I know the relationship between ammonia, nitrite and nitrate i think.. its where ammonia turns into nitrite then to nitrate, which is okay to be present in an established tank but not too much... in a very short way of explaining it so to speak... (correct me if I am wrong)

In any case, if someone please kindly explain in simple English the relationship between pH, kH and gH, I would really appreciate it...

Thanks again!!

Erica

[amanichen]

ericamae04 said:

[glow=purple,2,300]Hello Wonderful HB Friends!![/glow]

I know this is a rediculous question but.... I just purchased Aquarium Pharms Tap Water Filter...

I'm not familiar with this product, and thus I can't really say anything about how well it works.

I was wondering if I still need to use water conditioner?

Regardless of what the tap-water filter does, using a water conditioner wouldn't hurt at all. Again, I don't know how well this filter works.

Oh one more thing... I'm having a really hard time understanding the relationship between pH, gH & kH...

Here's a quick and dirty rundown of water parameters:

pH = acidity/bascity of the water. This is a mathematical function of the the hydrogen ion concentration in the water. Lower pH is more acidic, higher pH is more basic.

GH = hardness also known as "general hardness." The calcium + magnesium concentrations are measured.

KH = carbonate + bicarbonate concentration. Sometimes also known as "alkalinity."

The most important measurement here is pH. The pH of the water directly affects the biological functions of fish, and thus it must be stable and within a certain range.

Because fish and other biological activity in an aquarium produces acids, we need a way to keep the pH stable (otherwise it would just keep going downward until the fish died.)

Fortunately, most commercial water supplies have carbonate and bicarbonate in them, and we measure this as the "KH." Much of the carbonate in the water just sits there and waits for acids (hydrogen ions) to come along.

As acids are produced, carbonate ions pair up with them, and thus the pH stays more or less stable. When you run out of carbonate
(KH = 0) you're in for very large pH changes, which is not good for fish.

Hardness, GH, is a measure of the calcium and magnesium in water. Both are absorbed by fish directly into their bodies, and it is an important chemical for them, especially whey they are still juveniles. Some fish prefer harder water, some fish prefer softer water.

While hardness is important, an improper pH will usually be much more serious than a hardness that's a bit off. Additionally, KH should be recorded and monitored along with pH. A declining KH is (one of many) indication(s) that you either need a water change on your tank, or you need to boost the KH because your tap water doesn't have enough carbonate in it.

[ericamae04]

Thanks for replying...

Okay, I think I get it now.. so the higher the kH, the likely the pH is stable? I just measured my pH, gH, and kH and they are the same readings as last weeks..

pH = 7.2
kH = 143.2 ppm
gH= 161.1 ppm

I am planning to have a tank of fancy guppies, but I don't know what kind of parameters they are most likely to thrive in.. Any ideas??

Any reply is appreciated... thanks in advance!

Erica

[amanichen]

ericamae04 said:

Thanks for replying...

Okay, I think I get it now.. so the higher the kH, the likely the pH is stable?

The KH tells you how many acids your fish can produce without significantly changing the pH. Over time, you'll see the KH drop, because the fish and bacteria in the water are producing acids. If it gets too low, you need to do a water change.*

As soon as you run out of carbonate (KH = zero) then you're in for very large pH changes over a very short period of time.

I just measured my pH, gH, and kH and they are the same readings as last weeks..

pH = 7.2
kH = 143.2 ppm
gH= 161.1 ppm

I am planning to have a tank of fancy guppies, but I don't know what kind of parameters they are most likely to thrive in.. Any ideas??

Guppies, and livebearers in general, usually live in a slightly basic pH, and in moderately hard water. Some livebearers live in brackish water, and as a result their preferred pH and GH are higher, but but guppies don't fall under this category.

Looking at your numbers though, your pH and GH should be fine for guppies. It's right around what's considered to be the optimal for them. I've also raised more than a few generations of guppies in my water at college which is around GH = 50ppm (according to my water treatment plant) and pH = 7.2 to 7.4 depending on the time of year (based on my own testing.)


*Of course there are other factors which determine when to do a water change, but I can elaborate on those at another time.

[ericamae04]

Thanks for replying again...

I will be looking for some guppies this weekend if i get a chance.

Wow, I am excited!! ;D

Thanks again Amanichen!!

Oh yea, one more thing... once i do get some guppies, i'll try to post some pics

[mitzy247]

I don't know if this will help, but this website has great information on the pH needs of your fish:

animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/fresh.htm