Values To Aim For:

Carbonate hardness (°kH) 2-5

General / Total hardness (°GH) 5-8

pH 6.3- 6.9

Carbon Dioxide CO₂ level 30 - 40 mg/l

To obtain the correct hardness levels some tap water may be mixed back with the DI / RO water or where tap water quality problems exist (i.e. nitrate / phosphate etc.) then hardness buffers should be used.

pH, Carbonate hardness and the CO₂ level are intrinsically linked.

When either the Carbonate Hardness or CO₂ level is changed then the pH will also.

A decrease in the Carbonate Hardness will in turn lead to a decrease in the pH and vice versa.

An increase in the CO₂ will lead to a decrease in the pH and vice versa,

If the carbonate hardness is set at between 2 and 5 and the CO₂ level at 35 mg/l then the pH will naturally stabilise between 6.3 and 6.9. This gives us an ideal starting point for establishing a harmonious environment for fish and plants.

Carbonate hardness, general hardness, pH and CO₂ can all be tested using simple test kits from your aquarium store.

Nitrite And Nitrate In The Aquarium

Nitrate is frequently found in tap water and in high concentrations is harmful not only to fish but to the aquarium as a whole. Nitrate is a primary nutrient source for algae and a growth inhibitor. Nitrate can however be removed from tap water with Reverse Osmosis but any Nitrate that develops in the aquarium must be controlled by the aquarium system and by water changes.

Nitrate develops in the aquarium from the conversion and decomposition by bacteria of fish waste and other organic matter. This waste is converted to ammonium/ammonia, then nitrite and finally to nitrate by bacteria in the Substrate and biological filter.

This nitrate can be converted biologically by "reducing" bacteria into gaseous nitrogen with AQUAPONICS Denitrate. The production of nitrate can, however, be kept to a minimum in the mean time by plant growth under favourable conditions. These conditions are as already described in the section "Values to aim for."

When the pH is below 7, a higher percentage of ammonium is found in the water than ammonia, than would be found if the pH was above 7. Ammonium is not only intrinsically safe compared to ammonia, it is a much preferred nitrogen source over nitrate for aquarium plants.

Nitrite and Nitrate should be tested for once every 2-3 weeks, If the aquarium is kept at higher temperatures, is heavily crowded or meaty foods are used then the Nitrate should be tested more frequently. Ammonium/ammonia need not be tested for as long as the pH is below 7.

Planting The Aquarium

Aquarium plants which are bought potted should have the pots, Rockwool and foam removed before placing in the aquarium. This is very important.

The roots may be trimmed back to 1-2 cm removing broken and old roots. This will encourage new more vigorous growth and enable the plant to re-establish itself to the new environment.

Before planting it is a good idea to remove the oldest leaves especially if in a terrestrial form.

The rooted plants such as Echinodorus, Vallisneria and Cryptocoryne should be pushed deep into the gravel and then be pulled partially back up ensuring the crown of the plant is not covered. This procedure will gently straighten out the roots and promote fast root growth.

Small compact potted plants such as Lilaeopsis, Glossostigma and Echinodorus tennellus are still best planted individually although this is time consuming. This is best achieved using some long tweezers or thin planting stick. However, if this is not possible it is sufficient to remove most of the Rockwool from the bottom and plant the rest with the roots into the substrate.