subject: Keeping Up With Aquarium Maintenance [print this page] You should admit that sometimes, maintaining an aquarium is quite tedious. However, proper aquarium maintenance is very important for it determines the well being and comfort of your fish. It is also worth the bother rather than spending more time and money when problems arise due to lack of maintenance.
Tank stability is the main factor for aquarium maintenance. However, the key part for maintenance falls to the water quality. Basically, when you say aquarium maintenance, it is usually about routinely changing the water and cleaning the tank. You wont need any major change as long as everything is still running smoothly and your fish looks healthy.
Changing the Water
As mentioned earlier, it is the key part of aquarium maintenance because it is something that must be done regularly. It should be usually performed at least every two weeks.
Your schedule for cleaning the tank and changing the water will depend on the following:
Number of Fish It is said that there is a rule that you should have no more than 1 inch of slim-bodied fish for every gallon of water. When your tank contains more than the required number of fish, there will be excessive waste, making it difficult for maintenance.
Feeding Habits Avoid excessive feeding because uneaten food particles will cause pollution. Plus you might overfeed your fish and will make them sick.
Tank Placement The placement of tank is an important factor because it affects the accessibility of the tank. If the tank is placed on a spot wherein it is hard to reach or wherein cleaning and dealing with water will cause too much trouble and effort, the possibility of regular cleaning and water change is not possible.
Tank Size Surprisingly, it is easier to clean larger tanks than smaller tanks. Smaller tanks accumulate waste faster so it is expected that they are scheduled for cleaning more regularly than the larger ones.
Filtration System The filtration system is very important because it keeps the tank clean and healthy for your fish. The effectively and efficiency of the system will help you determine your schedule. An effective and efficient system will mean less frequent cleaning is needed.
Daily Maintenance
For effective aquarium keeping the following is a list of daily task you should do:
Feeding As said earlier, feed your fish with only ample amount of food that is sure to be eaten immediately.
Water Check Check the water daily to make sure it is not murky or cloudy or has bad odor. Also look for undesirable floating objects.
Water Temperature Check Daily checking of the temperature of the water is important because temperatures fluctuate throughout the day. Keeping a log of your findings may help you foresee and identify potential problems.
Behavior Check Observe the fish for few minutes and check for unusually behavior that could indicate problems or sign of diseases.
Equipment Check Make sure that everything is working properly specially the filter and heater.
Aquarium maintenance is aquarium keeping itself it doesnt stop at setting-up. So before setting up would own aquarium, be sure that your up to the responsibility of maintaining it.
