Tips on Maintaining A Clean Aquarium

No image

Maintaining a healthy aquarium is the key for the optimum growth of your fish. This article has all the nitty-gritty details you need to know for keeping a healthy aquarium

 1. Changing the Water

 

It is advisable to change the water at least once a week. A gravel cleaner can be used to remove trapped debris as this helps in stabilizing pH and KH levels.

Benefits of alternating the water include:

  • It helps to reduce the ammonia in the water
  • It aids in the oxygenation of the water
  • It assists in the removal of decomposed organic waste material
  • It is useful in replacing the trace elements and other essential minerals in the water.
  • Finally, it boosts the clarity of the water.

In case you intend to use normal tap water, one is advised to dechlorinate it before introducing it into the aquarium.

2. Don’t Overpopulate Your Tank

Overpopulation can lead to fatal problems for your fish. For example, stunted growth will be on a high note due to competition of food. 

It can also lead to the spiking of ammonia levels in the aquarium, which can be stressful to the fish leading to their death.

Since the fish will be competing for oxygen, the oxygen levels will be low, leading to hypoxia.

Bottom line, the aquarium should hold enough fish.

3. Checking the Water Parameters

In an aquarium, water parameters include oxygen, pH and temperature. Keeping all these parameters in the ideal range that your fish requires is necessary for the proper growth of the fish. The easiest way to check these water parameters is by using a water test kit.

4. Keep Live Plants

Live plants are not mandatory in the aquarium but have numerous benefits when present. Some of the benefits include: 

  • They help in oxygenating the aquarium.
  • Beneficial bacteria tend to have a large surface area for growth in the presence of live plants.
  • It is a source of nutrition for some fish like Goldfish.
  • Live plants are also suitable for substrate health. They help to break the anaerobic pockets in your aquarium. Anaerobic pockets are the pockets where harmful hydrogen sulphide gas gets stored over time. This gas is detrimental to your fish.
  • Plants also help to reduce the ammonia in your aquarium. The uneaten food and the waste produced by the fish produce ammonia in the aquarium. And this waste and uneaten food are actually beneficial for the plants. The plants use them as a fertilizer. So, it is a kind of Win-Win situation for both plants and fish. The plants get fertilizer, and in return, it reduces the ammonia in the aquarium for the fish.

Overall live plants help in maintaining a healthy aquarium.

5. Clean the Tank Glass Every Week

Biofilms and algae do grow slowly and are not always visible. Use a glass-cleaning magnet on the inside of the tank and an aquarium glass-cleaner to wipe the outside.

Bottomline 

There are a lot of things that go into maintaining a healthy aquarium. It may seem overwhelming, but actually, it is not that difficult once you get some experience and hold of how the ecosystem works in the aquarium. Overall, regular maintenance is the key to maintaining a healthy aquarium.