| An aquarium is not just a place where aquatic | | | | after these treatment methods may still be |
| pets can be displayed; it is their new home. It is | | | | unsafe for your fish. |
| your responsibility as their owner to make sure | | | | Another option, and probably the best one, would |
| that their new habitat is as close to their old one | | | | be to use an aquarium water conditioner. This |
| as possible, both in terms of the setup and the | | | | product contains sodium thiosulfate that reacts to |
| type of water they live in. There are several | | | | the chlorine, and even the chlorine part of the |
| ways to make it such. First, you have to know | | | | chloramines, to form chloride ions that are not |
| the things that don't work well for your pets that | | | | dangerous to your tank water. Many of the |
| may be found in the water. Next, you have to | | | | aquarium water conditioner brands sold in the |
| take the necessary steps to make sure that | | | | market also have chemicals that convert |
| these are eliminated, leaving your pets' aquatic | | | | ammonia into ammonium, which is harmless to |
| habitat livable for them. | | | | your aquatic pets. |
| Tap water in your aquarium | | | | Aquarium water conditioner |
| The water that we have, which is safe for us, | | | | Aside from removing chlorine, chloramines, and |
| may not be the best home for our aquatic pets. | | | | ammonia from tap water, some aquarium water |
| First of all, the temperature will be different if you | | | | conditioner brands also provide the added benefit |
| pour it in directly from the faucet. Second, the | | | | of inducing a protective slime coating of the fish |
| chemical compounds in tap water are definitely | | | | that helps it heal and protect itself from further |
| unlike saltwater or freshwater. Tap water has | | | | damage after an injury has occurred. Other |
| already been cleaned or filtered with the use of | | | | brands even add electrolytes as well as organic |
| chlorine to kill off any organisms in the water that | | | | herbs and vitamins that give extra boost to your |
| may be harmful to us. Oftentimes, chloramine, a | | | | fish. Some also claim to detoxify nitrate, nitrite, |
| combination of chlorine and ammonia, is used since | | | | and heavy metals from your tank water to make |
| it is more stable than chlorine. These are used to | | | | sure that it is truly safe for your pets. There are |
| make sure our water is more potable, but these | | | | a number of aquarium water conditioner brands |
| can actually be very toxic to fish. It can also | | | | out there in the market. Referrals from fellow fish |
| destroy the bio-filter bacteria that keep your tank | | | | hobbyists can be a big help when it comes to |
| healthy. This can result in the death of your pets | | | | purchasing aquarium products. If you have no idea |
| if you are not able to control it to the allowable | | | | at all which brand to use, better ask the store |
| levels. | | | | attendant. |
| Treatment methods | | | | The use of an aquarium water conditioner is |
| Since tap water is the only water source that is | | | | indeed very important, especially when changing |
| available to you, what can you do to keep it safe | | | | the water in your tank. This is because slight |
| for your fish and other aquatic pets? Your first | | | | changes in the aquarium's water conditions may |
| option would be to age and aerate the tank | | | | already have a significant and damaging impact on |
| water, if you have the time and the space to | | | | your fish and other aquatic pets. This is why aside |
| store water. Over time, the temperature would | | | | from using an aquarium water conditioner, it is |
| be close to room temperature and much of the | | | | also advisable to use aquarium test kits and other |
| chlorine will dissipate. Unfortunately, this doesn't | | | | aquarium products that would give you even |
| work so well with chloramines since it doesn't | | | | more information in this regard. All of these would |
| dissipate as easily since is more stable. The same | | | | give you further guarantee that everything in |
| thing is true with the use of activated carbon | | | | your aquatic pets' new home is as safe for them |
| filters. It usually just works on the chlorine, but | | | | as possible, and that you, as their owner, have |
| not the chloramines. In both cases, the water | | | | provided them with the best possible habitat. |