Water Care And Teatments

๐Ÿ’ง Water care + treatments

Aquarium water care โ€” the routine that prevents 90% of fish disease

Fish don't get sick from "bugs" โ€” they get sick from bad water. Ammonia, nitrite, wrong pH, chlorinated tap water โ€” invisible problems that kill fish slowly. Test kits + a weekly water change + a bottle of dechlor are the most important products in this category. Here's the system.

What we'll be stocking

Water care kit

Dechlorinator (water conditioner)

Neutralises chlorine, chloramine + heavy metals from tap water. Seachem Prime is the gold standard (also detoxifies ammonia + nitrite temporarily โ€” a literal lifesaver in emergencies). Add to every drop of new water that goes in the tank, no exceptions.

Liquid test kit (API Master)

API Freshwater Master Test Kit. Tests pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. Liquid drops > test strips (strips wildly inaccurate). One kit lasts ~2 years. Test weekly + after any change. โ‚ฌ30 buys peace of mind. Skip the strips.

Ammonia + nitrite emergency treatments

Seachem Prime (also detoxifies ammonia 24h/dose), Tetra Safe Start (live nitrifying bacteria for new tanks/recovery). For emergencies โ€” not substitutes for cycling + maintenance.

Disease treatments

Ich (white spot): aquarium salt + temperature 28 ยฐC, or NT Labs Anti-White Spot. Fin rot: melafix or methylene blue. Bacterial: Esha 2000, Waterlife Myxazin. Always test water FIRST โ€” most "disease" is actually water quality. Quarantine new fish for 4 weeks.

Aquarium salt + buffers

Salt: stress reducer, mild ich treatment, NOT for shrimp/scaleless fish (kuhli, plecos, cories). pH buffers (Seachem Alkaline / Acid): for African cichlids + soft-water tanks. Most community tanks don't need either โ€” match fish to your tap water instead of buffering.

The weekly water-change routine

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25โ€“30% weekly water change

Most home tanks: 25โ€“30% of volume changed weekly. Heavy stocking / messy fish / planted no-COโ‚‚: 50%. Skipping water changes raises nitrate (algae food + slow poison to fish). The single most important habit in fishkeeping.

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Always dechlorinate new water

Irish tap water has chlorine + chloramine โ€” both kill beneficial bacteria + irritate fish gills. Add dechlorinator (Seachem Prime: 1 ml per 40 L) to the bucket BEFORE adding to tank. NEVER pour straight tap water onto fish or filter media.

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Temperature-match the water

New water within 1โ€“2 ยฐC of tank temperature. Cold-water-shock kills fish quickly. Use a kettle or a kitchen mixer tap. NEVER ice-cold straight from the tap into a heated tank.

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Test weekly โ€” write it down

Every Sunday: test pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. Write in a notebook or app. Healthy: ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate under 20 ppm, pH stable for your fish. Trends matter more than single readings โ€” a slowly rising nitrate = filter overdue.

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Match fish to YOUR water

Irish tap water in most cities is moderately hard, slightly alkaline pH 7.2โ€“7.6 โ€” perfect for livebearers (guppies, mollies, platys), African Rift Lake cichlids, snails. Soft acidic water (Discus, Apistogramma, Crystal Shrimp) needs RO filter โ€” major investment. Pick easy fish that match your tap water.

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Emergency response โ€” ammonia spike

Seachem Prime full dose (locks ammonia 24h) + 50% water change immediately + reduce/skip feeding for 3 days + retest twice daily. Most ammonia spikes resolve in 2โ€“7 days if caught early. The faster you respond, the less stress + damage to fish.

๐Ÿ“ฆ We're stocking up

Our water care and teatments range goes live as we vet suppliers โ€” we won't list anything we wouldn't use ourselves. In the meantime, our calculators, breed guides and AI vet tools below are free and don't need stock.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I do a water change?

Weekly, 25โ€“30% of tank volume โ€” for most home tanks. Heavily stocked or planted-no-COโ‚‚: 50%. New cycling tanks: nearly daily until ammonia + nitrite stabilise at 0. Skipping water changes is the #1 cause of slow tank decline + fish disease.

Test strips vs liquid test kit?

Liquid every time. Test strips give wildly variable readings (often 50% off), expire fast, and lull you into false security. API Freshwater Master Test Kit (liquid) costs โ‚ฌ30, lasts 2 years, and is what every experienced fishkeeper uses. Worth the small upfront investment.

My fish died โ€” was it disease?

Probably water quality. 90% of "mystery" fish deaths are ammonia spikes, nitrite, or temperature crash โ€” none visible to the eye. Test the water immediately when something dies. If readings are wrong, water change + investigate (overstocked? filter clogged? heater stuck? overfed?). True disease is often the second-order effect.

Do I need to use aquarium salt?

Most freshwater community tanks: no. Aquarium salt is a stress reducer + mild ich treatment, but it harms shrimp + scaleless fish (kuhlis, plecos, cories) at any meaningful dose. Use only when actually needed (sick livebearers, ich emergency) and remove via water changes after.

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