engrsaad_majid

the water which we get is very fresh and pure water and we also use this water for drinking and i also use this water in acquarium it is drawn directly from a well and is not passed under treatments because it is so fresh and nobody has ever reproted that some thing is wrong in this water....... you people asked about the nitrates and nitrites value of the water in my fish tank but i tell u, we live a remote area and we dont have such gadgets through which i can measure these things. is there any other possible way that i can check water that whether it is suitable for fish or not by seeing the water only...... i would also like to tell you the symnptoms that i note in the fish that are going to die... they loss their scales from some part of their body and they get a little weak i.e. they are not active and most of them get to the water surface. so my questions are:
1) is there any possible way without using gadgets that whether this water is suitable for adding in fish tank.
2)how often should i change water to be on the safe side of these unwanted values of nitrates, nitrites and other unwanted things( as i mentioned earlier the area in which i live is a remote area and we dont have any measuring instruments available for these routine checks of nitrates and nitrites)
3) is there any way that i can prevent bacteria multiplying in tank without using chemicals or such things
4)what may be the possible reason that my fish die after 2 or 3 weeks.

felixfefe

Lot of questions and alot of answers...But i will tell you this, before i pop off to bed:
Nitrates and nitrites? Created by fish and food waste...Regardless of whether or not the water is pure (i drink the same water my fish get, but the ph/kh/gh is too high for them...) the nitrates and nitrites will build up through a process called "the nitrogen cycle". research it. Available on this very forum. Nitrites come as a result of ammonia, nitrates from nitrites... And so the process continues. What fish have you got in the tank? How big is the tank? Is it cycled (relevent water change methods will follow) Someone will be able to answer your quieries from here. Just keep on asking. It's all a learning curve, just keep at it! Good luck!

shollia

How big is the tank? What fish do you have in it?
If you don't have access to a petstore near you. You can always order a master test kit online and get it mailed to you.
Petsmarts offer....
There are alot of other places that sell this as well.

How often are you doing water changes? Are you using any kind of dechlorinator in the replacement water?

Gunnie

1. Municipal water usually has chlorine and/or chloramines in it which must be treated chemically to make it safe for your fish. If your well water has been tested and deemed safe for human consumption, then it should be safe for your fish. Have it checked for heavy metals though, which sometimes needs to be treated.

2. The tests we talk about is one of the ways we know when to change water from our tanks. If the ammonia or nitrite levels get above 1 (in a cycled tank they are at zero at all times), this is a sign that a water change needs to be done to keep the fish from getting ill. Many folks change out water before these levels are reached. Your nitrate test also tells you that a water change is needed when the level gets above 20. These tests are your lifeline for your tank. You can't always tell by looking at your tank that there is a problem. If your tank is cycled, you can do water changes as often as you like, as long as you take precautions not to kill off your good bacteria.

3. You don't want to prevent the good bacteria from multiplying. This bacteria is what keeps your tank water stable for your fish between water changes. When your cycled tank shows ammonia or nitrites, this is a sign your bacteria is not at a high enough level to keep your water safe for your fish. Click on my link in my signature called "FishLore Articles for Beginners" for more information on the nitrogen cycle.

4. Your fish are probably dying because your tank isn't cycled, and your ammonia and/or nitrite levels are too high. In a cycled tank, these levels remain at zero. Any amount of these can be stressful to your fish. That's why the test kits are so important.

Please answer the questions asked here so we can help you. Where are you located? Maybe we can help you with your test kits also.