Freshwater Aquarium Maintenance Made Easy

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     Maintenance For A Freshwater Aquarium

Most owners will find that setting up their freshwater aqarium was a breeze, the maintenance to keep it working is the difficult part! Everything went smoothly (stop laughing) during the setup but now the problems are popping up!

Junk Floating In Your Aquarium?

Floating debris spoiling your view? I figure your fish likes it even less!

To keep you water clear of floating matter, try a power filter, the maintenance is minimal and they do a fantastic job. In addition to removing the solids, they can also employ chemicals to eliminate odor and discoloration.

You will have to swap out the filter cartridges every 3-4 weeks, which should take you less than 5 minutes. The cartridges are typically throw away, so there's no hassle and no bending over a sink for hours trying to get it clean.

Algae.

Nothing will spoil a beautiful tank faster than green algae growing in, on and around everything inside your aquarium.

Have algae issues? Buy a Plecostomus! Often called an algae eater, this fish isn't going to win any beauty competitions any time soon but it will keep your tank purged of algae. On the plus side, the Plecostomus has a remarkable personality!

If you don't have an algae eater, then you will need to remove it personally, yes, that means "by hand". There are a lot of tools you can use, and they vary greatly in cost and versatility.

Be forewarned, algae is a plant! If you have a tank that's in sunlight for several hours every day, it will cause a lot more algae then if it were shaded the entire time.

Smelly Water?

Maintenance your filter more regularly to make sure that this doesn't happen because it can stress your fish, even kill them if it goes unattended. Your fish need healthy water if they are to survive.

Is Your Aquarium Water Unclear?

There can be assorted reasons for this, overfeeding is the most common. Your fish should be fed no more than 2-3 times per day, set the quantity being fed so that it is consumed in 3-5 minutes. Your water should clear right up if you maintain good feeding habits.

Experimenting with distilled or bottle water can help identify if it's your water source and not overfeeding that is causing the problem. Check in your neighborhood grocery store, you should find it for around 50-70 cents per gallon.

Put Water Changes On Your Maintenance Schedule

Prepare for water changes every two weeks, if not every week. Only about 20% of the water has to be taken out, and a lot of people use a siphon. Basically, you put one end of a hose in the tank, put the other to your lips, and suck.

Once your hose is primed, put one end in a bucket, only fill around 3/4 full.

Then, simply replace the water. Every a month, you're going to want to clean your tank more thoroughly - part of the experience most people hate.

The inside walls of the aquarium will need to be lightly scrubbed, you can pick up sponges and scrapers at your pet supply store, just be sure you get ones that are safe for your tank.

Remove your decorations and soak them in hot water and a bit of salt, then scrub them with a sponge until sparkling. At no time, for any reason are you to use any type of soap on, in, or around your tank! Your fish will die promptly if soap residue is introduced to the aquarium.

Gravel vacuums are great for removing dirt and uneaten food that has collected on the bottom of your tank. Select a gravel vacuum that is sized for your aquarium and read the instructions before using your new vacuum for the first time.

Preparing Water to Refill Your Aquarium

Before replenishing your tank water, make sure the temperature and pH matches what is currently in the tank. If you have a big aquarium, or more than one, you might appreciate using a garden hose attachment on your kitchen sink faucet and refilling that way. Be sure that your water temperature and the pH levels straight out of the tap are the same as what is in your tank.

But keep in mind, tap water wasn't intended for fish keeping. Heating a 5-10 gallon bucket of distilled water may be a better option than using tap water!