Aquarium maintenance
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Aquarium maintenance is the most
important thing for the health of your fish.
If the aquarium is set up, and all the fish are swimming happy in it doesn’t mean
that your job is done.
Your fish will always need clean
water and a clean tank.
Fish tank maintenance shouldn’t be
a nuisance for you.
The best thing for you is to make a
schedule for tank maintenance with daily and monthly tasks.
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Here is a great way to
maintain
One of the most important jobs in the aquarium
maintenance is taking care of water. Water change should be performed every 2 weeks. You don’t have to
change all the water every time; you can just complete it with 20% freshwater.
A good habit is to replace the water extracted
while “vacuuming” the gravel. This way you can remove all the residues from the
substrate.
Also it is recommended to keep an eye on water
parameters. Keep water parameters within normal limits, because big variation of water parameters could
kill your fish. You should always check the water pH level, nitrates and nitrites levels and water salinity
(for saltwater aquariums).
Filtration system is also a big part in the
maintenance process. A good filtration system is needed for a healthy environment. You can choose to have a
biological filtration
system, this is the most important, a mechanical filtration or a chemical one. You can have all three of
them. Also filter inserts like floss, cartridge, activated carbon which should be changed every 4
weeks.
Basic Daily
Aquarium Maintenance Tasks
Check the equipment every day to be sure that there
are no malfunctions. Equipment check includes: filters, heaters, lights.
Water temperature, always check the temperature
fish are mot resistant to large temperature variations. You could check the temperature every morning
and night.
Watch the fish every day, take a little bit of time
to observe the fish swimming or eating, as they could have behavioral changes which would
indicate signs of stress or disease.
Weekly
Maintenance T
asks
Count your fish – in the case of death a small
fish can decompose quickly and can result in ammonia or nitrate.
Take care of dead plants – if you have live plants,
try to remove the dead parts of the plant.
Change the water – through a siphon hose clean the
debris from the surface then empty about 15 – 20% of water. Change it with
fresh clean water.
Clean the gravel. Remove the
algae.
Clean the aquarium
walls.
Clean the filter inserts, but be very careful with
the biological ones. You shouldn’t kill the good bacteria.
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