For the dummies...

Skye · Post by **Skye** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 12:24 am

hi,

been here a while... havent posted much, as you all can see. the reason is that im always so busy reading, and i feel so overwhelmed by all the info, that i dont even know what to ask...

many people use terms which us dummies are unfamiliar with. it would be really nice if ppl would not use abbr. or Another Cleaverly Creative unReadable Orration writteN soleY for Masterminds of the Subject (accronyms), becuase i get really lost. if abbreviations are used, may i ask that we clarilfy them? ie: RO, TBS, etc.

i feel like such a newbie around here some days... hope this doesnt slow anyone down, but i really want to do this right (you know, set up a zebra pleco breeding oneday), and the truth is... im totally lost right now...

sorry. i dont know what im trying to say. i just wish there was ONE simply explained blueprint for what to do, how to do it and what to expect. if feel overwhelmed by conjecture and apparently i dont speak "zebra" very well yet. gues im rather intimidated by the level of experience that everyone else seems to have...

- Left in the dust

Mindy · Post by **Mindy** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 9:43 am

I think the abbreviations used here are not specific to Zebras but used in the fishkeeping hobby generally and will crop up wherever these discussions take place. We all have gone through the same thing as you. The best thing to do if you're reading a post that has an abbreviation or something, just jump in and ask what it means. Then it'll be explained and then you'll know!

Don't be intimidated... We've all been in the same boat as you at some point.

For the record, I'll try and list a few of the ones I've learned, but please bear in mind, it is not necessary to have an honorary degree in chemistry to keep your fish happy. If you understand the basic principles, then all you need is to test your water and keep it within acceptable parameters, all of which are provided in general terms - like what pH is good, temperature, good quality water (i.e. no nitrite or ammonia and nitrates kept under control)... it can be as simple or complicated as you make it.

RO = Reverse Osmosis - a type of filtration that removes nearly everything from tapwater leaving behind almost pure water.

TDS - Total Dissolved Solids -dissolved ions in solution - stuff like Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Iron, Manganese, Bicarbonate, Nitrate, etc. Some of these are positive ions and some are negative ions, which I believe is why TDS is measured with a conductivity meter.

pH is 'Potential Hydrogen' I believe - and is a measure of the acid or alkaline strength of water. Part of this equation is KH, which is Carbonate Hardness or Buffering Capacity - the ability of a solution to resist change in pH with the addition of acid (such as is produced by the addition of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by fish/plant respiration - when dissolved in water CO2 becomes Carbonic Acid) If your KH is low, your buffering capacity is also low and your pH is more susceptible to swings when acids are introduced.

GH = General Hardness and measures Calcium and Magnesium (see TDS above) dissolved in the water. It's hard to explain how these affect water without it sounding like a chemistry lesson (which would make my brain explode too), but it's how they bond with others salts and things present in the water affecting the overall hardness of the water.

Is that better or worse?

Shell231 · Post by **Shell231** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 9:56 am

hehe! bless ya! i have no idea either but i just carry on reading and annoy Adam if i dont understand! hehe ( he owes me )

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:08 am

So... how about a sticky topic "Abreviations commonly used" where they are explained? Then the next time somebody wonders, then it will be easy to find.

how about sticky under "Help" og "General care and bredding". The post could easily be added to as per peoples request.

What you think Rob? It would have to be you doing it

Shell231 · Post by **Shell231** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:30 am

Very good idea McEve!! i do still have troubles with the lingo used in this forum!

Skye · Post by **Skye** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 12:24 am

yes!! i vote for a "sticky topic" (whateverthehell that is?!?) sounds like a good idea. name it "fishkeeper lingo" and then anything that someone doesnt understand can get plopped in there (cuz where theres one, theres many... im sure. its just hard to ask the questions that make you look like a nincompoop! am i right?!?)

that and the water thing...

MINDY!
tks so much. thats the first time in just over a year that i have been at this fishkeeping business that someone has been able to explain EXACTLY what those chemical thingies are! (everyone knows ammonia and NO3 & NO2 are bad and why... but the rest of em are like a foreign language!) no-one could ever explain it!! i mean, i always test for em, but then what? i never knew what they were, i just knew what was bad or good... but not understanding them, i have had no idea how to fix them or maintain them. my KH in one tank will be 180, and in another tank will be 0! ugh! and i dont get it.

would you , or someone, be able to explain how to manipulate these things and could we get a permanent post ("sticky?") of what mindy has said (re: PH, KH, GH). that would totally take a load off my mind!

well, im really glad to know you guys dont think im a nerd.

it's been killing me, and now that the cat is out of the bag... i will be all over this forum like white on rice. i cant risk my fishes over my own stubborn pride....

THANKS!!

Mindy · Post by **Mindy** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 8:42 am

You have to be careful when manipulating pH or things that affect your pH. If you have a reasonable pH, and your tapwater isn't full of nasties like nitrates or phosphates (both can be tested for with ordinary tests you can buy at the fish shop (fish shop = LFS

), then you're best just to leave it alone for a while until you really start to get a feel for it. I have been keeping fish for about two and a half years and only now am I beginning to feel confident about my understanding of my water chemistry and the things that affect it.

I would not use any of the pH products you can buy in the fish shop. Fish can withstand many things, but shifting pH levels is not one of them. You're best just to let them adjust to your water as it is and leave it.

I have recently bought an RO filter unit, so it's become necessary for me to keep an eye on my pH levels, moreso than when I was using tap water. RO water is good, but as it is stripped of all minerals, etc, you have to be very careful about how you use it, as it can be unstable with regard to pH. The minerals in the water help with stability (remember KH and GH?). With RO water you have to make sure you are adding back minerals...

You see? It gets confusing. Best to just leave it until you get a grasp of things as they are. I don't mean that in a condescending way either. Looking back at my own experience, I know so much more after only two+ years than I did when I started. No way would I have understood what to do with all this back then. I'm glad I kept it simple.

When I first started, the guy in the fish shop made me buy this book called "Water Quality" by Peter Hislop, before he'd even sell me a single fish. And I'm glad he did. It's only a small book, but it's very concise and very clear. I still consult it today.