Freshwater

In This Chapter
Chapter 13
Those Crazy Chemicals
Considering chemicals to start your aquarium
Perusing plant chemicals
Deliberating disease-fighting chemicals
Have you ever been at the aquarium store and noticed shelf after shelf
of mysterious-looking chemicals? Ever wonder whether you need a
wizard’s license or some type of magical scroll to decipher and use them
properly? Well, you really don’t need to worry too much, because the chemicals
are actually fairly easy to understand and will become second nature as
you progress through the hobby.
A very wide variety of chemicals for your aquarium is available, so it is
understandable that it can seem a bit confusing at first. But once you read
this chapter and learn the basics of some of the most popular and useful
aquatic chemicals on the market, you will be able to look at chemicals in a
whole new way.
Right now we take a closer look at a few of these chemical products made for
use in home aquariums and explain their purpose. Because there is such a
multitude of aquarium chemicals out there, it is impossible to cover them all
here. (We doubt we could cover them all in an entire book!) But by the time
you finish reading this chapter, you will be on the road to becoming a real
chemical wizard.
Understanding Chemical Use
Just as there are guidelines to follow for using the chemicals you find around
your home (especially in the laundry room and kitchen), there are rules for
using aquarium chemicals as well. After all, you wouldn’t even think of mixing