So You Bought an Aquarium - What Now?
Well there is something you need to know. Ever heard of the nitrogen cycle? Think of it as waste management for the aquarium. Essentially, your fish will be doing their business where they live and eat. That's not a good thing, as you can imagine.
As soon as fish waste is introduced to the aquarium the fish are exposed to ammonia (NH3) or ammonium (NH4), depending on the pH value of the water. Most people will have tap water with a pH value around 7 (neutral) because if the value is too acidic (below 7) or too basic (above 7, alkaline), it can eat away at the water pipes. Therefor municipalities usually adjust it to something close to a value of 7. Ammonia is toxic to fish. If exposed to even moderately high levels of ammonia, the sensitive flesh of a fish's gills will be burned making breathing difficult. If your fish sit at the water's surface gulping, they may have experienced this condition. As I said, it is not reversible.
As soon as fish waste is introduced to the aquarium the fish are exposed to ammonia (NH3) or ammonium (NH4), depending on the pH value of the water. Most people will have tap water with a pH value around 7 (neutral) because if the value is too acidic (below 7) or too basic (above 7, alkaline), it can eat away at the water pipes. Therefor municipalities usually adjust it to something close to a value of 7. Ammonia is toxic to fish. If exposed to even moderately high levels of ammonia, the sensitive flesh of a fish's gills will be burned making breathing difficult. If your fish sit at the water's surface gulping, they may have experienced this condition. As I said, it is not reversible.