1
2
Secrets To Setting U
Up
p
Your Freshwater
Aquarium
Successfully
The First Time
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4
Welcome to the
world of aquarium
keeping!
You are entering into one of the most popular
hobbies in the U.S. and the world! Keeping fish is a fun
and relaxing hobby when you have the right information. To save you from the most common and some
costly mistakes, we have created this consumer guide.
Follow this advice and you will be well on your way to
a very successful and rewarding adventure. This guide,
written for new fish keepers, will take you step by step
from setting up your new freshwater aquarium to
choosing your fish and introducing them into your
aquarium.
Welcome to the world of fun, no-stress fish keeping!
Laurren Schmoyer
Owner of one of the largest
Aquarium stores on the east coast
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Setup………………………………...7
Equipment Checklist
Step-by-Step Setup Guide
Chapter 2: Water Quality…….………………17
Water Tests
Nitrogen Cycle
Chapter 3: Choosing Fish………………...21
Starter Fish Selection
Releasing Fish At Home
Copyright © 2006 by Aquatic Experts
Printed exclusively for Aquamain’s Fish World, Inc.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including
photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published by Aquatic Experts
Chapter 4: Ensuring Your Success!…..…..30
Seven Keys To A
Successful Aquarium
Glossary…………………………..………..36
Definitions of terms within the
book that are colored brown and
underlined [example: term ]
Index………………………..……………...27
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CHAPTER ONE
Setup
This step-by-step guide to assembling, filling, and
starting your new freshwater aquarium system is complete with color photographs of each step in the process.
Go through the shopping list for your initial setup to
make certain everything necessary for your setup is onhand when you begin.
Here are some of the products you will need.
Test kits will be very helpful as you learn about your
aquarium. Check out the convenient list of testing and
cleaning products that every aquarist needs.
Watching fish
swim is proven
to lower blood
pressure!
A successful freshwater aquarium.
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Basic Equipment
Optional Products
Aquarium Products Checklist
Airstone
Light Timer
Air Pump
Aquarium Book
Airline Tubing
Action Ornaments
Aquarium Salt
Testing Supplies
Aquarium
Fish Food
Aquarium Stand
Driftwood
Top with Light
Plastic Plants
Filter
Decorative
Heater
Background
Thermometer
Bacteria Starter
Net
6-outlet powerstrip
Dechlorinator
Decorative Rocks
Gravel
Ornaments
pH Test Kit
Ammonia Test Kit
Nitrite Test Kit
Nitrate Test Kit
Syringe or dropper
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Setting Up
Your New Aquarium
STEP 1 Where To Place Your Aquarium
It is a good idea to keep your aquarium out of direct
sunlight as excess light can lead to an algae bloom.
Also, avoid drafty areas near heating and air conditioning ducts to prevent temperature fluctuations which can
lead to health issues in your fish. Be sure you have an
electrical outlet near the area you have selected.
STEP 2 Leveling Your Aquarium
Maintenance Supplies
Gravel Vacuum
Algae scraper
Algae Magnet or Sponge
Bucket Used Only For Water Changes
Water Conditioner
Aquarium Glass Cleaner
Towels
If you are using
an existing piece
of furniture on
which to place
the aquarium be
sure it is level,
sturdy and will
handle the
weight of the
aquarium when
full. Water
weighs appr-oximately 8.3 pounds per gallon, so a 10 gallon aquarium full of water will weigh at least 83 pounds! Add
that to the weight of the gravel, decorations and the
glass itself and your aquarium is very heavy.
If you have purchased an aquarium stand it also must
be leveled before you begin filling your aquarium.
Tip: Level the stand with shims between the floor and
the stand, not between the stand and the aquarium.
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STEP 3 Preparing The Aquarium
STEP 5 Adding The Filtration
Rinse the aquarium
with water to remove
dirt and dust. REMEMBER: NEVER
use soap or household cleaning agents
in or on your aquarium. Glass is porous,
and even a thorough
rinse may not remove
all of the chemicals left behind by cleaning products.
Hang a filter or
the hoses to a
canister filter on
the back of the
aquarium.
Assemble your filter
following factory
directions. (Do
not plug the filter
in at this time.)
Be sure your filter performs all
three types of filtration: mechanical, chemical, and biological.
STEP 4 Adding The Gravel
Once the
aquarium
is clean
inside
and out,
use tape
to attach
the background.
M o s t
substrates
today are
clean and
require no pre-rinsing. If the gravel you chose looks
dusty or dirty simply rinse it in a large bucket, 10 to 15
pounds at a time. Run clean tap water through it, stir
and drain it to wash away dust and debris. Add enough
gravel to create a 1/2” to 1” thick layer in a fish-only
aquarium, 3” to 4” in a live plant aquarium.
For wet-dry filtration systems please refer to the Freshwater Fish Keeping Manual 2.
STEP 6 Attaching The Heater
Follow manufacturer
instructions to attach
your heater. Do not
plug the heater in at
this point. Set the temperature between 80
and 82 degrees for the
first 4 to 6 weeks (until
the biological filter is
established). Once your
aquarium is cycled (see
chapter 2), set the temperature to 74 - 76 degrees.
Tip: Any electrical wire leading to a power source
must have a drip loop.
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STEP 7 Decorating Your Aquarium
Rinse plants and rocks. Smaller, shorter plants should
be placed in the front of the aquarium, and larger, taller
ones toward the back.
Attach your hanging thermometer to the aquarium on
the side opposite the heater, about three inches from
the top of the aquarium.
Recap:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Choose location
Level stand
Rinse aquarium,
Add background
Add gravel
6. Hang filter
7. Attach heater
/thermometer
8. Decorate
water from the
hose. There are
also
maintenance kits that
attach to your
faucet with 25
to 50 feet length
of tubing to fill
your aquarium.
They can also
remove water
from you aquarium while vacuuming the gravel.
Whatever method you use to fill your aquarium, it is
important not to stir up the gravel while pouring in
the water. Pour the water onto a large rock (if you
used one to decorate) or onto a dinner plate that you
place temporarily in the aquarium. If using a garden
hose, it is best to adjust the water temperature to
between 80° and 82°F by adding and stirring in some
hot water, but only after you have partially filled the
aquarium. If the aquarium glass is cold DO NOT
ADD HOT WATER or the aquarium may crack! Fill
the aquarium with water until the water level is just
above the bottom of the aquariums frame.
STEP 8 Adding Water To Your Aquarium
STEP 9 Start The Power Filter
For smaller aquariums (up to 20 gallons) a 5 gallon
bucket filled at the kitchen faucet or bath tub is all you
will need to fill the tank.
Rinse out the filter cartridge and fill the filter with water to prime it. Plug the filter in to an electrical outlet.
The water should begin to flow through the filter and
pour back into the aquarium. Your filter should turn the
water in the aquarium over between 5 to 8 times each
hour. This means a 20 gallon aquarium should have a
filter that pumps between 100 to 160 gallons of water
every hour.
For larger aquariums, carrying water back and forth
may take too much time and energy, and you may want
to use a garden hose. If you use a garden hose, let
water run through the hose for several minutes before
beginning to fill your aquarium to clear any stagnant
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STEP 10 Plug in the Heater
Once the heater is in the water, wait ten to fifteen minutes before plugging it in to allow the temperature of
the glass tube to acclimate to the temperature of the
water. This will prevent the glass tube from cracking
due to a rapid change in temperature.
STEP 11 Topping Your Aquarium
Cut openings for the
filter and heater in the
plastic parts of your
hood or glass tops. The
openings should correspond with the heater
and filter placement.
Place the hood/glass
tops on the aquarium,
plug in the light and
turn it on.
For aquariums with live
plants plant to have the light on from 10 to 12 hours
each day. If you use artificial decorations run your
light 6 to 8 hours each day. It is best to run lights during the day and turn them off at night. If the light remains on 24 hours a day the water will eventually turn
an unsightly pea green or even reddish which is simply
the color of free floating algae.
Light fixtures and bulbs that come with most starter
kits are designed to make fish look pretty not to grow
live plants. Some low light plants may do well, but
most plants require at least 2 to 3 watts per gallon of
water to thrive. If you have a standard fixture it is best
to use artificial plants and decoration.
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STEP 12 Add Water Conditioners
Add water conditioner according to the manufacturer’s
recommendations. Some freshwater fish need aquarium
salt and this is the time to add it.
(Note: If you are going to keep live plants, follow the
manufacturer’s recommendations when adding salt.)
At this point your aquarium is completely setup. Now
is the time to learn a little about water quality before
you run out and pick up some fish.
Tip: A light timer is useful to turn your lights
on and off at the same time each day.
Little will happen to your water until
fish are introduced.
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CHAPTER TWO
pH scale
Water Quality
Once your system has been running for twenty-four
hours, you have only one step left before introducing
livestock. You need to perform a water test.
Why test water?
Your aquarium is a “closed system” and unlike a
stream where water is constantly removed and replenished your aquarium will build up waste and organic
compounds over time. Testing the aquarium water
helps you know what is happening in your aquarium,
so you have no surprises.
What needs to be tested?
The basic tests to perform regularly on aquarium water
are pH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate.
A simple understanding of pH is helpful to keep your
fish healthy. The term pH refers to how acidic or basic
a substance is. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14; 7 is
neutral. A pH reading lower than 7 indicates an acid, a
reading higher than 7 indicates a base.
Fish require certain pH levels depending on where they
originally lived in the world. For example, tetras prefer
a slightly acid enviroment, while guppies prefer a
neutral pH. Discus prefer 6.0 pH while many African
Cichlids want a higher pH of 7.8. This is one good reason not to mix certain fish in the same aquarium.
0———4————7————–10———14
(acid)
(neutral)
(base)
Lemon juice, an acid, has a pH of roughly 2.4. Pure
water has a pH of 7. Laundry bleach, a base, has a pH
of 12.5 to 13.
Most community fish prefer pH between 6.7 and 7.0.
Test your water before adding fish. If necessary, adjust
your pH before adding fish. Most tropical fish prefer
gradual changes in pH but you can adjust an
unpopulated aquarium quickly. Should a change in pH
be necessary, a buffering agent can be added to your
water. Once your pH is at the level for the fish you
choose, you are ready to add fish.
The other test kits are used after the fish have been
added to your aquarium and are helpful in determining
how your tank is cycling. These test kits measure compounds that are harmful to the fish.
For the first few weeks it is set up, a new
aquarium is a stressful environment to fish.
Knowing this can be a key to successfully selecting your first fish.
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The Cycle
Understanding the cycle process can help you save
the lives of your fish. Once you add fish to your
aquarium water your tank will begin a process called
the nitrogen cycle, or cycle for short. The cycle will not
begin until there are waste products (from your fish)
present in the water. While harmful to fish, these compounds provide food to a beneficial class of bacteria.
The process is relatively simple. After fish are added
to your aquarium, fish waste (ammonia) begins to build
up. As the ammonia level increases it becomes more
toxic to your fish. Nature provides a natural ammonia
reducer, a bacteria called nitrosomonas, This beneficial
bacteria breaks down ammonia into nitrite. Nitrite is
also harmful to fish, but another bacteria called nitrospira use nitrite and give off a byproduct called nitrate.
Nitrate is less toxic to fish than either ammonia or nitrite and can be utilized by plant life or removed with a
simple water change.
It takes from 4 to 6 weeks for beneficial bacteria to become established with aquarium water at a temperature
of 80 degrees. This process may take longer if the temperature is lower. Because high levels of ammonia and
nitrite are stressful to the fish, no more fish should be
added once the cycle begins and it is wise not to
change the water during this time except in extreme instances. After the cycle finishes (when both ammonia
and nitrite levels are zero) a water change is recommended and more fish can then be added.
This chart illustrates the cycle process. Your actual levels of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate may go higher. There
are many factors that determine how high each of these
levels will go such as the number and size of fish, how
often and how much they are fed and how fast the beneficial bacteria get established.
Several bacteria starters are on the market today which
can shorten cycling time. These products contain live
cultures of beneficial bacteria and are added directly to
your aquarium water, supplementing the bacteria that
are already present.
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CHAPTER THREE
Tropical Community Aquariums
Choosing Fish
Add fish when you are certain the filter is running and
the heater is working. The temperature should be 80 82 degrees, the water should be clear and there may be
some harmless air bubbles on the sides of the aquarium
and decorations. (Wipe bubbles from the glass with an
aquarium sponge and shake bubbles from plants if you
desire. They will go away on their own and there is no
need for all the bubbles to be gone before adding fish.)
It makes sense to wait 24 hours before adding fish just
to be certain the heater and filter are working correctly.
It is not necessary to wait a week. Remember the tank
will begin cycling when fish are present. Beneficial
bacteria need a food source and fish waste supplies this
food source.
The cycle will stress your fish, therefore you will want
to choose hardy fish. In the fish industry these are referred to as starter fish. Starter fish provide waste
products that feed your beneficial bacteria and are generally strong enough to withstand high ammonia as
well as nitrite.
Many new hobbyists keep tropical or warm water
community fish. You can create a spectacular
freshwater aquarium using colorful schooling fish such
as tetras, danios, barbs, and gouramis.
The list on the following page contains a few hardy
fish perfect for cycling your aquarium, though it is limited to community fish (those fish with little or no aggressive/predatory tendencies). Goldfish also make
fine starter fish if you desire a goldfish aquarium.
(Note: Goldfish are coldwater fish and should not be
mixed with tropical fish.
Danios
Giant, Gold, Leopard,
Pearl, and Zebra
Zebra
(Danios are very active top-level swimmers. They comprise some of the more
hardy species of egg-laying fish available to
hobbyists. Danios prefer water with a pH
around 7.0.
Giant
Tetras
Serpae Tetra
Black Skirt
Black Neon, Black
Phantom,
Black or White Skirt,
Bleeding Heart, Bloodfins, Head &
Tail light, Glo-lite, Serpae and Rasbora Het (not a tetra, but very hardy)
Most tetras are schooling fish and are impressive when kept in larger groups of the
same species. They generally swim at the
middle level in your aquarium. Tetras prefer
a pH from 6.7-7.
Gouramis Blue, Opaline, Gold,
Moonlight, and any dwarf variety
Gold
Opaline
These fish are unusual in that they do not
breathe oxygen from the water through
their gills as other fish do, but get their oxygen by taking in gulps of air at the water's
surface. They typically spend their time in
the upper third of the aquarium.
Tip: Fish swim at different levels
When choosing fish learn where they naturally swim. Different
types of fish will swim at different levels in your aquarium
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and any type of Tiger Barb
Your aquarium will not tolerate too many fish at first.
An aquarium is an ecosystem, and like all ecosystems,
a delicate balance must be maintained.
Barbs are hardy and colorful fish who need a
diet rich in plant matter. Tiger barbs are
hardy and often nip fins on other fish. They
prefer a pH from 6.7-7, and temperatures
from 75-83 degrees
A good rule of thumb to begin stocking your new
aquarium is to put about 1/2 inch of fish per gallon
of aquarium water.
Barbs Cherry, Gold, Rosy, Tinfoil
Rosy Barb
Tiger Barb
Catfish Albino, Juli, Paleatus,
Punctatus, Panda and most Corydoras
Catfish are scavengers that spend their days
looking for uneaten food that has fallen to
Leopard Corydoras the bottom of the aquarium. They do not eat
fish waste, they actually eat a well balanced
diet like your other fish. They do best in
schools of the same species. The catfish
listed stay small and grow to a maximum size
of 2 1/2”.
Panda Corydoras
Tip: Algae-eating fish should not be added to new aquariums. It
generally takes over four weeks before algae begins to grow.
A fully stocked aquarium can house about 2 inches of
fish per gallon of aquarium water.
Examples of Fully-Stocked
Aquariums
10 Gallon Aquarium
Use 10-12 fish 1-2 Inches long
3 Black Skirt Tetras
(2”)
3 Serpae Tetras
(1 ½”)
3 Zebra Danios
(1 ½”)
2 Julii Cory Catfish
(1 ½”)
1 Clown Plecostomus
(3”)
Aggressive Aquariums
Cichlids (South and Central
American)
Convict, Firemouth, Green Terror,
Blue Jack Dempsey Pike, Jewel, Jack Dempsey, Texas
Firemouth Meeki
South/Central American Cichlids can grow
very large and tend towards aggression. Most
of these cichlids prefer a varied diet, a pH of
6.4-7.0, and temperatures from 74-82 degrees.
20 gallon Aquarium
Use 12-16 fish 1-2 ½ Inches long
3 Opaline Gouramis
(3 ½”)
3 Black Phantom Tetras
(3”)
5 Neon Tetras
(1 ¼”)
2 Albino Cory Catfish
(2 ½”)
2 Clown Plecostomus
(3”)
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29 gallon Aquarium
Use 18-22 fish 2-3 Inches long
3 Giant Danios
(4”)
5 Black Ruby Barbs
(2”)
3 Gold Gouramis
(4”)
3 Black Neon Tetras
(1 ½”)
1 Kribensis pair
(3 ½”)
2 Punctatus Cory Catfish
(2 ½”)
1 Plecostomus Medium
(8” +)
38 gallon Aquarium
Use 18-25 fish 2-4 Inches long
3 Moonlight Gouramis
(4”)
2 Angel Fish Medium
(5”)
5 Bleeding Heart tetras
(2”)
3 Rosy Barbs
(2 ½”)
3 Rasbora Hets
(1 1/2”)
4 Julii Cory Catfish
(2 ½”)
2 Plecostomus Medium
(8” +)
1 Redtail Shark
(5”)
When choosing fish make sure you know how
large they will grow. You will want them to fit
into your aquarium!
Bringing Your New Fish
Home
Now that you have purchased your starter fish you will
want to keep them happy and healthy.
Turn off the aquarium light to avoid stressing the fish.
The fish will be sealed in plastic bags with rubber
bands holding the top closed. Do not add water from
the fish bags to your aquarium as this water may have
different parameters than you have or desire in your
aquarium.
The salesperson should have left at least half the bag
filled with pure oxygen or air, enabling the bag to float
in your aquarium. The water temperature in the bag
needs to change slowly to match the temperature of the
aquarium water. This process generally takes between
20 and 30 minutes. There are two methods:
Method 1
1. Float the bag with the fish in the top of the
aquarium for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Using a thermometer, make sure the temperature
of the water in the fish bag is the same as the
aquarium water.
3. When the temperatures are the same, release the
fish into the aquarium by either pouring most of
the water into a bucket and pouring the remaining water and fish into the aquarium, or by pouring the fish into a net so no store water enters
your aquarium.
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Method 1
Bag is left closed
and floats on top
of the water. This
allows the temperature in the bag
to slowly equal the
temperature in the
aquarium
Method 2
1. Float the bag with the fish on top of the aquarium
water for 15 minutes.
2. Open the bag and roll down the sides to create an air
pocket which will allow the bag to float.
3. Slowly add some water from your aquarium to the
bag (about a 1/3 of the bag volume).
4. After 10 minutes repeat adding water two more times
to the bag until the temperature of the water in the
fish bag is the same as the water in the aquarium.
5.
Release the fish as in method 1.
Method 2
Bag is floating
in the aquarium.
Top of bag is
rolled down and
left open to add
water.
Both of these methods work well.
Choose the one that you like best.
Feeding your fish
the right type
and amount of food
is essential
to keep them
healthy!
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CHAPTER FOUR
Ensuring Your Success!
At this point, your aquarium is set up and your starter
fish have been introduced. The following are expert tips
to help ensure your success.
2. Overfeeding - 90% of people overfeed their fish.
Feed your fish only what they can eat in 2-3
minutes. Feed new aquariums only once a day
until they have cycled and then twice each day.
Watch the fish to ensure that all the food is eaten.
Overfeeding can send the water level to critical
conditions and lead to fish death.
The Seven Keys To A Successful Aquarium
1. Filter - Ensure that your filter has chemical, biological and mechanical filtration. It should move the water in your tank 5 to 8 times per hour (i.e. a 10 gallon tank should have a filter that will move 50 to 80
gallons per hour). A good filter is critical and is designed to grow good bacteria. Some filters have only
a filter cartridge and when it comes time to change
the cartridge each month any beneficial bacteria that
grew that month are lost. Removing the cartridge
with the beneficial bacteria thus causes a shift in water quality leading to undue stress for your fish.
Filter cartridges front and back, Sponge, Biowheel
From left to right: Tropical fish food flakes,
African fish food flakes, small pellets, sinking pellets for bottom
3. The right foods -There are literally thousands of
fish foods on the market. Some fish are vegetarian, some are carnivores and some are both.
Choose high quality foods to keep your fish
healthy. Read labels to see what your specific
fish require. For example, sinking foods are great
for catfish; flakes are perfect for fish that eat off
the surface but are not great for bottom feeders
like catfish. For a treat for your fish try frozen
foods. These are high in vitamins and supplement your fishes’ diet. Adding vitamins to
freeze-dried fish foods can also benefit your fish.
Simply soak the freeze-dried food in liquid vitamins until the liquid is absorbed. Then feed your
fish with the vitamin-soaked food. Your fish will
love you!
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4. Temperature –To ease fish stress and increase the
speed at which your aquarium cycles, keep the
aquarium temperature between 80 and 82° F. Bacteria multiply more quickly at higher temperatures,
but you don’t want to boil your fish, so 82°F is
plenty warm. Try adding beneficial bacteria to your
aquarium when you add the fish. These bacteria are
available in bottles and packets.
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6. Fish –The only fish recommended in this manual
are egg layers, chosen for their hardiness and longevity. Once your aquarium has cycled feel free to
add live-bearing fish ( i.e. guppies, mollies, platys).
Live-bearers are very colorful, have different
shapes and make great additions to a community
aquarium. Just make sure they are compatible with
the fish you already have.
7.
5. The Cycle–You can help your fish through the initial cycle process should ammonia levels get too
high and your fish seem stressed. If you lower the
pH to 6.4 you will change toxic ammonia to a relatively non-toxic ammonium. Keep pH low only
through the cycling process, then change it back to
levels that are optimum for the fish your have chosen. Use a good buffer, but change the pH slowly
over a period of a few hours or even days if there is
a huge change. It’s good to make such changes
when you are maintaining your aquarium with a
water change.
Maintenance –Regular water changes are necessary to keep waste levels in the aquarium in
check. Water that evaporates is pure and leaves
behind minerals and other substances. Salt, for
instance, does not evaporate, nor do harmful
chemicals such as ammonia or nitrite. To keep
your fish healthy it is best to keep them in optimum quality water.
This can be
achieved by testing
your water often,
and siphoning the
gravel while doing a
25% water change
every month. Use a
good quality water
conditioner in the
water you are replacing. Also make
sure the temperature
of the replacement
water you are adding to your aquarium is the same as
the aquarium. This
is a good time to alter pH as necessary.
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There are many beautiful freshwater fish
available. Once your aquarium is fully cycled,
and after you have performed a partial water
change, you can add more fish.
You are coming to the end of
this manual and
you have learned a ton.
Your journey has just begun…
This manual gives you the foundation to create a
healthy environment for your fish. When you are
ready to move to the next level join me in
Secrets to Freshwater Fish Keeping Manual Two .
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Glossary
Nitrate (NO3-) - End product of Nitrogen Cycle, and
least harmful nitrogen compound. Used by plants as
fertilizer.
Action ornaments - Decorations that move when connected to an air pump.
Nitrite (NO2-) -Toxin formed from breakdown of ammonia. Consumed by Nitrospira bacteria.
Algae - They are plant like organisms that conduct
photosynthesis like larger plants, but lack stems, roots
and leaves.
Nitrospira - Beneficial bacteria that consume toxic nitrite.
Ammonia - (NH3) - Toxin formed when fish waste and
organic matter decompose. Consumed by nitrosomonas
bacteria.
Bacteria Starter - Product containing live cultures of
beneficial bacteria. Used to shorten the cycle period.
De-chlorinator - Product that removes chlorine from
water. May also remove ammonia and chloramines.
See package.
Filtration - Methods of cleaning/purifying aquarium
water. Three major types.
- Mechanical: Physical trapping of suspended
particles, accomplished by filter pads or foam
- Chemical: Trapping of dissolved matter, accomplished by carbon and filter media
- Biological: Breakdown of harmful compounds, accomplished by beneficial bacteria
Gravel Vacuum - Siphon tube and hose, used to
plunge into gravel to remove detritus.
Heater - Coil heating element, housed in glass or shatter-resistant composite tube. Should be placed near filter intake to distribute heat evenly.
Nitrogen Cycle - Natural process that occurs in all living bodies of water. Breakdown of organic matter and
waste products into ammonia, then nitrite, then nitrate.
Nitrosomonas - Beneficial bacteria that consume toxic
ammonia.
pH - Measure of how acidic or basic a solution is.
Measured on a scale from 0-14. Numbers below seven
indicate acid, seven is neutral, and numbers above
seven indicate base.
Photosynthesis - Process occurring in plants, resulting
in the synthesis of sugar from light, water, and carbon
dioxide, with oxygen as a waste product.
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More Titles in
Aquatic Experts Experts Series:
Expert’s Guide to Saltwater Aquariums
Passer Angelfish
Aquatic Experts
P.O. Box 19175
Greensboro, NC 27419
www.aquaticexperts.com
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