Question: Question about water hardness

[notung]

I just tested our tank's water parameters, and am pretty happy with them. The one thing I was unsure about was the general & carbonate hardness. Could somebody lend advise on how normal/abnormal the stats below are...?

We are in a cold area, and the water temperature seems to stabilise at around 12C, or down to 10C when it's really cold.

pH: 7.6
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Gen. Hardness: 100 mg/L (ppm)
Carbonate Hardness: 30 mg/L (ppm)

Thanks!

 

[Abrahm]

Your water parameters look good. pH, general and carbonate hardness usually aren't parameters that you need to worry too much about. Trying to mess around with these parameters can cause more stress to your animal than just leaving well enough alone.

Your water is pretty soft, both in terms of carbonate and general hardness. General hardness is just the amount of dissolved material in your water such as iron, potassium and other trace minerals. Carbonate hardness has to do with calcium carbonate, which acts as a buffer in water; it reduces the effects of acids and bases to change the pH.

 

[oceanblue]

Your temperatures are fine as well. Axolotls go slower when it is cool and grow slower. They also seem to remain a lot healthier, eat less and I suspect live a lot longer.

 

[notung]

Thank you people, that's nice to know.

I thought it best to check it all out after I noticed one of the axies peeling part of its skin the other day... So just keeping an eye on everything...

 

[Abrahm]

The skin peeling you were seeing was just the axolotl shedding. Healthy axolotls shed quite frequently, but usually they do it at night when we aren't looking.

 

[notung]

Ah, well that changes everything. Marvellous creatures! Thanks for the help Abrahm.