Aquarium Care

It is best to set up a fish tank if you love the aesthetics of displaying a clean, glittering, and well-decorated aquarium. A fish tank requires regular cleaning and maintenance checks. So, you should put in some time to care for it. A little love will really make fish tank maintenance a whole lot fun.

Water clean-up and conditioning

Probably, the first thing you might notice about your fish tank is the scummy water. If the water is no longer clear, you know that it is time for a total change. Do not wait for the water to look like something out of a drainage pipe. Make use of a method of changing water that suits you best. There are people who use a bucket to keep the fish in water, while a hundred percent of the fish tank water is being replaced. Others prefer changing about 20% of the water at a time, two times a week. Whatever the case, you should de-chlorinate the water that you will be putting into the tank.

Change the water.

Aside from the tank, the water is one of the primary clues as to how much scum is invading the aquarium. Dank smell and dark coloring are signs that your fish tank needs a total change in water. If you do not want to have to change every droplet of water at one time, you may have to change about 20% at a time. This process, however, should be done at least twice a week. If you want to follow this method, you need to make sure that you change a percentage of the water before the water changes in coloring and smell. This means that you cannot miss the twice a week regularity

Check the filter and bacteria growth.

Fish tank maintenance does not only focus on the tank itself but also on the organisms living in it and the equipment attached to the tank. The said equipment are installed for the reason of helping the fish survive at ideal conditions. The devices should be maintained in tip-top shape so that they can continue serving their roles.

Keep on checking the temperature in your fish tank.

The temperature is vital to fish tank maintenance. This is because your fish may not survive temperatures that are too cold or too hot. If temperatures are allowed to go haywire, you may not have anything to call your aquarium. Aquarium thermometers should make it easy for you to see if fish tank temperature is going over or under the limits.

Provide a certain amount of light.

How much lighting do your pet fish need? Find out the amount of light your particular breed of fish. This means that you cannot mix fish with very different lighting requirements. When you know the amount, maintain this level. Do not overdo lighting because this can cause fast algae growth.

Provide enough oxygen to your fish.

Fish tank maintenance entails fish survival as one of the top objectives. You should ensure that your fish have enough oxygen. This means that the water has to be cleaned regularly so that oxygen can be properly absorbed. If there are too many organisms competing for oxygen in the tank, then it would be best to install an aerator. The aerator can ensure that there is enough oxygen for every organism.

Do not forget that an important point of fish tank maintenance is the care of your fish. Check your fish regularly for a change in coloring, listlessness, and other odd behavior. Immediately remove any dead fish.

Sean Kerring is a marine fish enthusiast and breeder who has been raising and breeding fish for over twenty years, when his parents gave him his very first betta. He always uses the highest quality aquarium products, including various brands to get the highest quality results out of his regular fish tank maintenance. Learn more at marinedepot.com.

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Aquarium cleaning is a monthly task that must be done weather or not you want to do it. If you do it right the process can be very easy or difficult. The size of your tank can depend on how long it takes to clean. If you have a very big tank, and the tank is established then you may not want to vacuum out all of the debris it is good for the fishes growth and development. If you have a smaller tank the tank will take longer to be established and you may want to vacuum out all the debris.

When cleaning a tank, changing the filters is the first step. If you have a bio filter, or power filter changing the filters is a breeze. A under gravel filter is another story. You must remove all the plants, decor and accessories. Then you must pull it out from under the gravel to clean.

Once the filters are cleaned, replace them with new ones. If you have an underground filter do not replace it back in the tank yet. If you have an established tank then leave the plants and decor, even if they have algae on them. If you do not have an established tank or smaller tank (ten gallon or smaller) then wash off all the plants and decor. If you have real plants do not wash them.

After the accessories, decor and plants have been washed do not place them back in the tank yet. The next step is to siphon the tank. Siphon no more than one third of the water out of the tank. Siphoning the tank is just like vacuuming the tanks. Be careful not to vacuum up any small fish. If there is still debris at the bottom of the tank fill it with water and re siphon until all debris is gone. If you have an established tank then only siphon out some of the debris and leave a little in the gravel.

When replacing the water only use soft water so the fish do not die of shock. Soft water is water without minerals. Tap water or filtered water is considered soft water. After the water has been replaced remember to not fill the tank too high because, the plants, decor and filters have to still be added.

Replace the under gravel filter if you have one. Also consider in investing a power filter, this will make your life a lot easier. Then replace the plants and decor. You’re all done, and now your tank is clean. Remember that cleaning a tank can be traumatizing for the fish, so they might be timid for a while after the clean.

Roshan Goodman gives cool info on fish tank and advice on aquarium related things.

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Introducing new fish to an already existing aquarium is not as easy as it may seem. There are a lot of things to think about and prepare before you can safely transfer your new fish to your aquarium. You cannot just buy any aquarium fish you want then dump them in the tank as soon as you reach home.

First thing to check is the quality of your water. It is stressful enough for all the fish involved when new fish are introduced to their number. Do not add to it by making them suffer in poor water quality. The stress in them might reach fatal levels. Make sure that you have the highest possible water quality by testing for the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. Do the necessary changes or cleaning before you add the new fish to the aquarium. If you dont like frequent aquarium cleaning, add an EcoBio-Block to your aquarium to give it the beneficial bacteria and trace minerals that can reduce harmful substances in your water and keep it clean, healthy and clear.

When choosing what fish to add to your aquarium, you need to determine if they will live companionably with your existing fish. Some fish will eat smaller fish, some others will fight and kill each other. You also have to know if your water will sustain the new fish. This means that you have to get the aquarium fish that will survive the temperature, pH, nitrate and ammonia levels you currently maintain. It is advisable that you add more than one fish at a time, to reduce the chance of any fish picking on just one new fish.

Your first step when preparing the aquarium for a new arrival is to rearrange the tank. Your established fish have their own hiding spots, and may become territorial if a new fish is introduced. Rearrange the plants and decorations, which will remove established territories and make the environment new for all of your fish. Make sure that there are plenty of hiding spaces where the fish can go until they get used to each other.

When introducing new aquarium fish to an established tank, never bring your new fish home from the pet store and immediately dump them into the tank. This will shock their system, and they may not make it.

For best results, you may want to set up a separate tank where you quarantine new fish for a week to check for signs of illness. Sometimes, pet store fish carry diseases, and you don’t want to introduce these into your aquarium. If you decide to transfer your new fish directly from the pet store bag to your established tank, first float the bag with the fish in your aquarium for a few hours. This allows time for the water temperatures to equalize. Then, open the bag to release your new fish into the tank.

Careful preparation to the aquarium, timing of the introduction of new fish, plus proper acclimatizing will ensure a smooth transition with minimal stress to all your aquarium fish.

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