The body can store water

Water is a major component of the tissues and cells of the body. Without water the human body will survive only a few days. No other nutrient deficiency has such profound effects.

A prolonged absence of water:

• lowers blood pressure

• weakens the heart and

• shuts down the kidneys

Water is the major component of blood and urine and is also found in gastrointestinal juices, perspiration, and even the joints of the body.

The body can store water, but only on a very limited basis. For the body to function optimally, water losses from urine, stool, perspiration, and respiration need to be replenished daily.

The average person should consume 8 to 10 eight-ounce glasses of water each day. Although water is the best "thirst-quencher," other liquids (such as juices, milk, sodas, and teas) can help meet fluid needs. High sugar and high caffeine beverages are not the best choices because they can lead to increased urination.

The elderly and young children are at the highest risk for a water deficiency. Any individual who is experiencing prolonged diarrhea, vomiting, or perspiration is also at risk for water deficiency or dehydration.

People in hot climates, particularly extremely dry or humid climates, can deplete their water reserves. If you experience muscle cramping, nausea, headache, or dizziness, you may be dehydrated.

Be water smart. Drink plenty of fluids each and every day!

How To Maintain Good Water Conditions

The ideal water for guppies has low nitrite and ammonia levels. This condition gives good oxygenation for growth and a friendly environment for healthy fish. Many times when disease hits our tanks, it is due more to tank conditions that have declined which make the fish susceptible to disease already present in our tanks rather than an airborne disease suddenly entering our fish room. This is apart from the situation when fish that are returned from a fish show or fish that come from a place that may carry a disease or parasites. The common diseases like Ich, Velvet and Fin Rot are always present in our tanks and are just waiting to take hold when the guppy’s heath drops due to water conditions.

Guppy breeders often try to feed their fish with the maximum amount of food to get the maximum potential growth. If a guppy breeder feeds too much, the food that is not eaten rots and produces nitrite in the water which causes a decrease in available oxygen for the guppy. Also the more food a guppy is fed more fish waste will result causing a higher ammonia level causing more deterioration of the water quality. Fish waste is also increased when a tank has too many guppies inhabiting it. More fish means more food put into the tanks which produce more fish waste.

The nitrite and ammonia are countered with biological filtration. The key is how effectively and quickly can the filtration breakdown the harmful compounds to keep the water quality to a level that is beneficial to guppies? The following summarizes some of my experiences with different filters.

The Box Filter

Good basic filtration for most guppy breeders. I use ceramic tubes used for biological filtration on the bottom 2/3 with floss on top. The ceramic tubes are good media for the good bacteria grow to breakdown nitrite and ammonia. It also helps to weigh down the filter. Any other material that encourages good bacteria growth can be used, such as glass marbles or the other available biological media for filtration. The floss on top helps stop larger debris from entering the box. Also the fish can pick on the floss where live brine and other food may have been stopped by it. I usually change the floss every 3 weeks or sooner if it is heavy with debris. I also use a second box filter with just ceramic tubes in a tank that has more fish and require more biological filtration. I have to make a point to rinse out the filter without the floss once a week to get out the waste build up. The reason I don’t use floss in the second filter is to get maximum water flow to give maximum biological filtration. This is true for all filtration.

I have used charcoal but I found that using ceramic tubes was a better solution. Charcoal only absorbs toxins such as nitrite and ammonia for a short period of time. Also after the charcoal is maxed out, it can reverse itself and release the toxins back into the water. This can sometimes explain the sudden deterioration of water conditions and the fish are gasping for air at the top of tank. Charcoal also becomes a breeding ground for good bacteria, but is lost when you change it for fresh charcoal. Even if you use some of the old charcoal, the biological filtration has been reduced, until the good bacteria can grow and increase again. Ceramic tubes, just need to have the waste rinsed out and replaced back with its good bacteria still intact. It is important to note that you do not rinse out the material in hot water which will kill the good bacteria. Chlorine will also kill anything in the material, but sometimes necessary to eliminate harmful diseases that have entered into the tank. Be sure that the material is neutralized of chlorine after treatment and give it time to repopulate before putting too many fish in the tank. Adding biological material from a healthy establish tank will also speed up the good bacteria growth. A picture of the ceramic tubes is shown below.

Sponge Filters

This has good biological filtration but does need to be rinsed often to keep the water flow going well through the sponge material. I have also experienced that with time it tends to get more difficult to clean due the minute particles and algae that get stuck deep within the sponge material. Sponge filters that are larger give more area for good bacteria to grow and greater water flow through the filter creating better biological filtration. People often use two sponge filters per tank so if one needs to be thrown away the other one can continue the biological filtration. When this is done it must be kept in mind that the biological filtration has been cut in half until the new one can catch up. People also use this in combination with a box filter. Same rules apply to the sponge filter as the ceramic tubes for rinsing.

Outside Filters

Outside Filters can give good biological filtration, but its downfall is that it will take in uneaten food and the fish can not reach it causing more dissolve waste into the water. Baby brine (as well as baby guppies.) can also be quickly vacuumed up before the fish can get to it.

Diatom Filters

The purpose of this filtration is to eliminate any floating debris in the water with no significant amount of biological filtration. Not a practical or useful filtration for guppy breeders.

A good indicator that the amount of biological filtration in a tank is not enough is if the tank is cloudy or if the fish are less active (this doesn’t rule out the possibility that the fish maybe diseased instead). If the filtration cannot be increased to compensate then less food has to be fed to that tank. This can be done having less fish in the tank requiring less food.

Weekly water changes also help in reducing the unwanted debris in the tank. Depending on how polluted the tank is, water changes can range from 10% to 50% of the tank’s water. People who do water changes above 25% should take more attention to the temperature matching the tanks and that water treatment chemicals are reduced to a safe level. People who do water changes below 25% still need to do the same, but it is not as critical to be perfect since the amount is smaller and has less chance of shocking the fish. Water quality is different depending on its source and how the water treatment plant purifies the water so it is advised to adjust your water treatment procedure to best serve your guppies.

The basic concept to good water quality is to reduce the fish waste, nitrite, and ammonia level in the water. Fish waste is reduced by siphoning off waste when you are changing water, changing the filter floss, and rinsing out waste from the filter’s biological material. Nitrite and ammonia are reduced by good biological filtration. If your biological filtration and water changes can not keep up, then the fish population and food input to the tank must be reduced. The illustration below demonstrates the balance between the different factors.

Drinking water is so important for good health.

Drinking water is so important for good health. When you were a kid in school, you learned that each molecule of water is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. You may also have learned that it was great fun to fill up your squirt guns with water, at least until the principal caught you. What you may not have learned, however, was how much water you needed in order to be a healthy human being. 

 

Why You Need to Drink Water

Your body is estimated to be about 60 to 70 percent water. Blood is mostly water, and your muscles, lungs, and brain all contain a lot of water. Your body needs water to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to all your organs. Water also transports oxygen to your cells, removes waste, and protects your joints and organs.

 Signs of Dehydration

You lose water through urination, respiration, and by sweating. If you are very active, you lose more water than if you are sedentary. Diuretics such as caffeine pills and alcohol result in the need to drink more water because they trick your body into thinking you have more water than we need.

Symptoms of mild dehydration include chronic pains in joints and muscles,lower back pain, headaches and constipation. A strong odor to your urine, along with a yellow or amber color indicates that you may not be getting enough water. Note that riboflavin, a B Vitamin, will make your urine bright yellow. Thirst is an obvious sign of dehydration and in fact, you need water long before you feel thirsty.

 

How Much Water do You Need to Drink?

A good estimate is to take your body weight in pounds and divide that number in half. That gives you the number of ounces of water per day that you need to drink. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, you should drink at least 80 ounces of water per day. If you exercise you should drink another eight ounce glass of water for every 20 minutes you are active. If you drink alcohol, you should drink at least an equal amount of water. When you are traveling on an airplane, it is good to drink eight ounces of water for every hour you are on board the plane. If you live in an arid climate, you should add another two servings per day. As you can see, your daily need for water can add up to quite a lot.

Twenty percent of your water need will come from the foods you eat. The rest of your water need should come from the beverages you drink. Water is the best choice. Sodas have a lot of sugar in them, so if you drink sodas, you may take in more calories than you need. Herbal teas that aren't diuretic are fine. Sports drinks contain electrolytes and may be beneficial, just look out for added sugar and calories that you don't need. Juices are good because they have vitamins and nutrients.

Caffeinated beverages will also add to your daily water need. Even though caffeine is a diuretic, if you regularly consume caffeine, your body will regulate itself to that diuretic effect.

 

Drink Enough Water

It may be difficult to drink enough water on a busy day. Be sure you have water handy at all times by keeping a bottle for water with you when you are working, traveling, or exercising. If you get bored with plain water, add a bit of lemon or lime for a touch of flavor. There are some brands of flavored water available, but watch for extra calories.

he Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be developing a new set of strategies with the aim to "strengthen public health protection" from contaminants in drinking water

WASHINGTON, US, March 23, 2010 -- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be developing a new set of strategies with the aim to "strengthen public health protection" from contaminants in drinking water.

EPA administrator Lisa Jackson announced this week that the agency will be revising existing drinking water standards to introduce stricter regulations for four contaminants that it said can cause cancer.

In the review of existing drinking water standards, EPA determined that scientific advances allow for stricter regulations for the carcinogenic compounds tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, acrylamide and epichlorohydrin.

Tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene are used in industrial and/or textile processing and can be introduced into drinking water from contaminated ground or surface water sources. Acrylamide and epichlorohydrin are impurities that can be introduced into drinking water during the water treatment process.

Within the next year, EPA will initiate rulemaking efforts to revise the tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene standards using the strategy’s framework. Revision of epichlorohydrin and acrylamide standards will follow later.

Jackson said: "To confront emerging health threats, strained budgets and increased needs - today's and tomorrow's drinking water challenges - we must use the law more effectively and promote new technologies. That means fostering innovation that can increase cost-effective protection. It means finding win-win-win solutions for our health our environment and our economy. And it means broad collaboration. To make our drinking water systems work harder, we have to work smarter."

Four key principles have been put forward by the EPA behind the shift in drinking water strategy, including: to address contaminants as a group rather than one at a time so that enhancement of drinking water protection can be achieved cost-effectively; foster development of new drinking water treatment technologies to address health risks posed by a broad array of contaminants; use the authority of multiple statutes to help protect drinking water and partner with states to share more complete data from monitoring at public water systems.