Water Chemistry

Water chemistry can seem intimidating at first, but once a few basic principles are memorised, it becomes quite easy. The parameters of prime concern are dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, alkalinity, hardness, and carbon dioxide. Everyone involved in fishkeeping should invest in water quality test kits. An excellent water quality management program will result in fewer fish disease problems, better growth and less use of chemical treatments. The cost of test kits will pay for themselves many times over; both in numbers of fish saved and increased enjoyment of the hobby. For aquarium keeping, the high precision of sophisticated analytical methods is not required to make informed decisions.