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Systemic aquarium care
The easy way
to a permanently
clear aquarium
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The new sera system
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
The new aquariumcare system by sera
solves all problems infreshwater aquariumswith just one productper step.
Example
Water care
with improvedactive agent formula
easy and effectiveapplication
scientificallytested
Step 1
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Uncomplicated and safe with sera• for optimal, extensive basic care
• for creating and lastingly maintainingappropriate water conditions• for effective immediate help in case of trouble
Water care
Permanently appropriate water
parameters and a stable biological
equilibrium
page
8 – 9
Soft water care
Appropriate water parameters and
breeding conditions, e.g. for discus
fish and angelfish
page
10 – 11
Optimize water parameters
Uncomplicated and lasting imme-
diate help in case of dangerous
water parameters
page
12 – 13
Cure diseases
Fish friendly disease treatment in
aquariums
page
14 – 15
page
4 – 5
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Water testing
Knowing the relevant water parame-ters is the basic precondition for per-
manently providing the freshwateraquarium inhabitants optimal envi-ronmental conditions. Direct correc-tive measures are possible if the val-ues are outside the recommended
range. Besides regularly monitoringthe standard water parameters, se-
lected parameters for sourcing shouldbe checked immediately in case ofsuspicious observations.
item no. 04002
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© Y
u r i S a m s o n o v – s h u t t e r s t o c k . c o m
Checking the water parameters
pH value, carbonate hardness (KH),ammonium and nitrite
are among the most important waterparameters. Extreme deviation fromthe desired values may immediate-ly lead to life threatening situations.Whenever the appearance or the be-havior of the fish becomes conspic-uous, or other anomalies (such asplants dying suddenly) are observed
in the aquarium, you should firstcheck the basic water parameters.The sera Quick Test strips are par-ticularly easy to use and can be usedfor routine controls. We recommendthe sera pH-Test, sera kH-Test, sera NH4 /NH3-Test and sera NO2-Test for more precise results.
Total hardness (GH), nitrate,phosphate, iron, copper, chlorine,
silicate and oxygenWell-versed aquarists also know theaverage values for these parametersin their aquariums. Checking themevery now and then is usually suf-ficient. In case of a correspondingsuspicion (e.g. intoxications, algaegrowth, gasping for air) the param-
eters in question must be checkedimmediately and in a directed way.
item no. 08920
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Some important water parameters and their desired values
Parameter ImportanceDesiredvalue
pH value
All creatures in aquar iums react sensitively towards pH value changes.Depending on the species kept, the pH value should be in the slightlyacidic or a neutral (7) to slightly alkaline (8) range. Sudden pH valuechanges (such as rapidly sinking pH value) are very dangerous.
6 – 8
Carbonatehardness (KH)
The KH is defined by the hydrogen carbonate ion concentration in thewater. Sufficiently high KH (at least 6°dKH) reliably buffers dangerous pHvalue variations.
6 – 10°dKH
Ammonium/ Ammonia(NH4 /NH3 )
Waste and breakdown product, a component of the nitrogen cycle and atthe same time a dangerous fish poison! Good biological activity provided,it is ideally not detectable.
< 0.5 mg/l(better0 mg/l)
Nitrite (NO2 )Waste and breakdown product, a component of the nitrogen cycle andalso a dangerous fish poison! Good biological activity provided, it is ideallynot detectable.
< 0.5 mg/l(better0 mg/l)
Total hardness(GH)
The GH is formed by the entirety of alkaline earth ions (mainly calcium andmagnesium) and serves as an important mineral source.
5 – 15°dGH
Nitrate (NO3 )Breakdown product and component of the nitrogen cycle. Hardly toxic plantnutrient that, however, supports algae growth in higher concentrations.
< 50 mg/l
Phosphate(PO4 )
Waste and breakdown product. Hardly toxic plant nutrient that, however– especially in higher concentrations –, is the most important support foruncontrolled algae growth.
< 1 mg/l
Copper (Cu)Heavy metal already toxic in low concentrations, but also essential traceelement as well as effective agent in some treatments and biocides.
< 0.1 mg/l
Silicate (SiO3 )Diatoms are characterized by their silicate containing cell walls. Silicatelevels above 2 mg/l in the aquarium water support their growth.
< 2 mg/l
Oxygen level(O2 )
Essential for all aquarium inhabitants for breathing, but it is also importantfor breakdown processes (such as uneaten food, fish waste, plant remain-ders). It is normal that the saturation changes according to the time of daydue to photo synthesis. Good water agitation and not exceedingly warmwater support saturation.
> 4 mg/l(better> 6 mg/l)
A sera tip: Certain fish species (e.g. discus, angelfish or African cichlids) require water parameters that differ from these general desired values, especially for breeding. Your retailer knows about the species specific data concerning the optimal water hardness,the suitable pH value and other conditions (e.g. oxygen requirement).
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Your own measurements:
Desiredvalue
Date andtime
S t a n d a r d m e a s u r e m e n t pH
KH (°dKH)
NH4 (mg/l)
NO2 (mg/l)
T e s t a s
r e q u i r e d
GH (°dGH)
NO3 (mg/l)
PO4 (mg/l)
Fe (mg/l)
Cu (mg/l)
Cl (mg/l)
SiO3 (mg/l)
O2 (mg/l)
Others (e.g. CO2, tem-perature, conductivity)
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Most fish species in community aquariumsprefer slightly harder water (at least 6°dKH).
sera KH/pH-plus gently raises the KH andthe pH value and stabilizes them lastingly.
Under these circumstances, the aquariumturns out particularly durable and easy tomaintain. Dangerous pH variations arebuffered safely.
Step 2 RaiseKH/pH:
sera KH/pH-plus
In case of
carbonate hardness
below 6
In case of new
setups, partial water
changes and otherstress situations
8
Water quality is thecrucial factor for all
aquarium inhabitantsdoing well. The sera care products forfreshwater aquariumsallow obtaining appro-priate water parameters,safety against dangerouspollution and a stable
biological equilibriumeasily and lastingly.The most frequentlyoccurring problems,such as water pollution,disease and algae pests,are prevented in the firstplace.
A p p l i
c a t i
o n :
Water care
Substances toxic for fish, such as chlorineand heavy metals, can get into the aquarium
water with every water change. sera aquatan
immediately removes the pollutants andconverts the aquarium water into healthy
aquarium water for fish, invertebrates, plantsand useful micro organisms.
Step 1 Conditionwater:
sera aquatan
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The dangerous toxic substances ammonium
and nitrite are permanently formed inaquarium water as waste and breakdown
products. The liquid biofilter medium sera bio
nitrivec contains millions of purificationbacteria that help create a stable biologicalequilibrium and thus continuously break downthe arising toxic substances.
Step 4 Create anequilibrium:
sera bio nitrivec
In case of new setups,
partial water changes,
new additions and
filter cleaning
For providing mineralsand trace elements
9 9
Essential minerals and trace elements are
often not sufficiently present in aquariumwater. sera mineral salt directly provides all
important trace elements as well as valuable
calcium, magnesium and potassium. This
closes the supply gap and stabilizes themineral balance.
Step 3 Provideminerals:
sera mineral salt
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Soft water care
Some fish species (e.g.angelfish and discus
fish) are accommodatedto living environmentswith soft water and agenerally acidic pH value.sera has developed theeasy-to-use special“Soft water care” prod-uct range for creating
and lastingly maintainingthe optimal environmentalconditions for them.Keeping the animals un-der conditions as naturalas possible considerablyincreases their liveliness,their good health and,
last not least, their suc-cessful reproduction.In case of too high pHand KH values
In case of new
setups, partial water
changes and other
stress situations
A p p
l i
c a t i
o n :
Some fish species (e.g. discus and angelfish)
are accommodated to soft water and require
these conditions in particular for reproducing.
In case the water is too hard or the pH value
has risen due to natural metabolism process-
es, sera pH/KH-minus allows lowering thepH value and the carbonate hardness (KH)
precisely and thus creating appropriate keep-ing conditions.
Step 2 LowerpH/KH:
sera pH/KH-minus
Substances toxic for fish, such as chlorineand heavy metals, can get into the aquarium
water with every water change. sera aquatan
immediately removes the pollutants andconverts the aquarium water into healthyaquarium water for fish, invertebrates, plants
and useful micro organisms.
Step 1 Condition
water: sera aquatan
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In case of new setups,partial water changes,
new additions and
filter cleaning
For lastingly stable
softwater conditions
After having adjusted the KH and the pH val-
ue with sera pH/KH-minus, sera super peat keeps the water permanently soft and slight-
ly acidic. The functional granulate consisting
of natural black peat releases valuable humic
and fulvic acids for a long period of time. The
blackwater effect achieved this way provides
optimal breeding conditions for many fishspecies.
Step 3 PermanentlypH < 7:
sera super peat
The dangerous toxic substances ammonium
and nitrite are permanently formed inaquarium water as waste and breakdown
products. The liquid biofilter medium sera bio
nitrivec contains millions of purification
bacteria that help create a stable biologicalequilibrium and thus continuously break downthe arising toxic substances.
Step 4 Create anequilibrium:
sera bio nitrivec
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Optimize water parameters
For removing
cloudiness and
phosphate
In case of acute
water pollution
In spite of effectivecare, imbalances may
occasionally occur inan aquarium. Acutelylife threatening waterconditions may resultfrom this. There aremany possible causes– besides the usualstartup difficulties with
new setups, theseinclude largermaintenance andcleaning measures,disease treatmentsand overfeeding.The sera “Optimizewater parameters” care
product range providesthe suitable products forremoving the problemas quickly as possible,in an uncomplicatedway and lastingly, andfor obtaining optimalenvironmental condi-tions again.
Mineral as well as dead organic material may lead
to cloudiness. The latter may additionally increase
the phosphate level in the water and thus supportalgae growth. sera phosvec.clear binds cloudiness,
removes excess phosphate and thus prevents algae
growth.
Step 2 Remove cloudinessand phosphate:
sera phosvec·clear
Destabilizing factors, such as over-
feeding, overstocking or new addi-
tions, may lead to sudden and mas-
sive pollution peaks by ichthyotoxic
pollutants such as ammonia andnitrite in the aquarium water. In such
emergency situations, sera toxivec
immediately removes these toxic
substances, as well as other dan-gerous substances such as chlorine
and heavy metals. This makes emer-gency water changes, which mean
stress for the fish, unnecessary.
Step 1 Removepollutants:sera toxivec
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In case of new setups,
partial water changes,
new additions andfilter cleaning
In case of acute
oxygen deficiency
A p p
l i c a t i o n :
The breath of the inhabitants and other nat-
ural breakdown processes constantly con-sume oxygen in the aquarium. While evenslight under supply already causes stress,extreme oxygen deficiency is quickly fatal.sera O2 plus immediately adds oxygen and
thus improves the living conditions for allaquarium inhabitants.
Step 3 Supplyoxygen:
sera O2 plus
The dangerous toxic substances ammoniumand nitrite are permanently formed inaquarium water as waste and breakdownproducts. The liquid biofilter medium sera bio
nitrivec contains millions of purification
bacteria that help create a stable biologicalequilibrium and thus continuously break down
the arising toxic substances.
Step 4 Create anequilibrium:
sera bio nitrivec
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Good keeping conditions are the best disease prevention.In spite of all efforts, however, diseases can not entirely beavoided. Quick and consistent reaction is required, regardlessof having introduced the pathogens by new additions or plants,or other factors being responsible for the disease outbreak. Thesera range of disease treatments “Cure diseases” accompanythe therapy from supporting preparation via the treatment itselfwith specialized, effective sera treatments, up to cleaning andbiologically activating the water after a successful treatment.
Cure diseases
In case of
aquarium
fish diseases
Before diseasetreatments and
in case of stresss
Advice: The guide “Healthy aquarium fish” provides more specific advice for using the sera treatments correctly and safely.
The salt blend sera ectopur releases active oxygen. Breathing is allevi-
ated, and stress is being reduced. The contained salt stimulates the new
formation of mucous membranes and thus supports the removal of path-
ogens on or within the skin. The efficacy of disease treatments is beingsupported, and regeneration is considerably accelerated.
Step 1 Prepare water: sera ectopur
Occurring diseases can be reduced by good care conditions, but un-
fortunately it can never be entirely excluded. Proceeding quickly andconsistently is crucial if ever the fish are ill. sera provides a full rangeof effective treatments for the directed treatment of the most frequently
occurring diseases of fish in freshwater aquariums.
Step 2 Treat diseases:
sera omnipur sera costapursera mycopur sera baktopursera baktopur direct sera bakto Tabssera med Professional range
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In case of partial
water changes,
filter cleaning
and disease
treatments
After diseasetreatments and in case
of intoxications
After a disease treatment, the remainders that
are now not required anymore should be re-moved as quickly and as entirely as possible.
This avoids unnecessary water pollution andfurther stress. The special active carbon sera
super carbon removes not only treatmentremainders but also other dangerous toxic
substances and tints quickly, without sideeffects and without affecting the pH.
Step 3 Remove
pollutants:sera super carbon
A p p l i c a t i o n :
The dangerous toxic substances ammonium
and nitrite are permanently formed in
aquarium water as waste and breakdownproducts. The liquid biofilter medium sera bio
nitrivec contains millions of purification
bacteria that help create a stable biological
equilibrium and thus continuously break downthe arising toxic substances.
Step 4 Create an
equilibrium: sera bio nitrivec
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The new aquarium care systemby sera solves all problemsin freshwater aquariumswith just one product per step.
GmbH • D 52518 Heinsberg • Germany
For natural aquariums
4 4 / 0 6 U S
Water parameters alright Water parameters not alright
Water care
Conditionwater
seraaquatan
RaiseKH/pH
seraKH/pH-plus
Provideminerals
seramineral salt
Create anequilibrium
serabio nitrivec
Soft water care
Conditionwater
seraaquatan
LowerpH/KH
serapH/KH-minus
PermanentlypH < 7
serasuper peat
Create anequilibrium
serabio nitrivec
Optimize water parameters
Removepollutants
seratoxivec
Remove cloudinessand phosphate
seraphosvec·clear
Supplyoxygen
seraO2 plus
Create anequilibrium
serabio nitrivec
Cure diseases
Preparewater
seraectopur
Treatdiseases
seratreatments
Removepollutants
serasuper carbon
Create anequilibrium
serabio nitrivec
© D
o b e r m a r a n e r – s h u t t e r s t o c k . c o m