Water treatment
Here's how to make the right aquarium water from tap water
Depending on the country and region where you live, your tap water can be unsuitable or contain harmful substances for your aquarium dwellers.
These substances may be present and here’s how you can solve the problem
In tap water, depending on quality and place, various substances are present which are not always useful in the aquarium. Some water types can also be unsuitable for your aquarium fish, plants and invertebrates.
Waterworks sometimes or regularly use chlorine to sterilise (disinfect) the tap water. You can neutralise the chlorine with the help of a water conditioner ( JBL Biotopol , JBL Nano-Biotopol ).
Water pipes consist of metals which reach tap water as ions (charged particles). These can be lead, copper, zinc or others. A good water conditioner, such as JBL Biotopol or JBL Nano-Biotopol (for small aquariums) encases these heavy metals (chelates them) and makes them harmless.
Is also classified as a heavy metal and is deadly for invertebrates like shrimps. A water conditioner such as ( JBL Biotopol C encases and neutralises copper. Instead of JBL Biotopol one better uses JBL Biotopol C when keeping invertebrates.
If you live in agricultural regions there is a high probability that these problematic substances reach your tap water through groundwater. With good activated carbon ( JBL Carbomec ultra ) you can reliably and quickly remove both substances from your water. Unfortunately water tests to determine pesticide and herbicide content do not exist.
Some regions have very few minerals in the mains water. Low-mineral water is known as SOFT water. This is ideal for many fish, invertebrate and plant species. However, the pH value is often not stable. With water hardener salt ( JBL Aquadur ) you can harden the water to some extent and stabilise the pH level. If you want to keep fish from Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika you need medium-hard water. With the special salt JBL Aquadur Malawi-Tanganjika you can turn your soft water into harder water.
In some regions tap water can have a high calcium and/or magnesium concentration. Both substances increase the general hardness of the water, making your tap water hard. You often see this in the form of limescale in your bathroom or kitchen. With the help of a reverse osmosis system you can produce almost mineral-free water. You can mix it with your harder tap water until the desired degree of hardness has been reached. Ideally add a special reverse osmosis salt ( JBL Aquadur ) to precisely adjust to the desired hardness.
With the help of a reverse osmosis system you can produce almost mineral-free water. You can mix it with your harder tap water until the desired degree of hardness has been reached. Ideally add a special reverse osmosis salt ( JBL Aquadur ) to precisely adjust to the desired hardness.
Well water can be very suitable or not suitable at all for your aquarium water. Here you should carry out a complete analysis to check its suitability. It is important to check: GH, KH, pH, NO2, NO3, PO4, Fe.