No matter how good you are at looking after your aquarium, there's always the possibility that something will go wrong and you'll find yourself out of your depth. Many people look for advice on the internet for the first time after finding themselves in this sort of trouble. Preventative measures are always best, but when it's too late for that, what can you do?
If your water has turned dark, if it's started to smell bad, or if your fish have suffered from a series of disease outbreaks, there are several basic things you need to check:-
The pH of the water. If this is too high or too low for your fish, a special buffer solution, which you can order through your local fish shop, can provide an emergency solution. If you don't know what pH your fish prefer you can look it up online.
The salinity of the water. Different saltwater fish prefer different salinity levels. Often salinity increases over time, even in freshwater aquariums. If salinity is too high, change a fifth of the water and re-test. Scrape away any salty deposits at the waterline and remove them from the tank.
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