Aquarium Maintenance (9)
Aquarium maintenance and successful fish keeping essentials.
Daily | Weekly | Every Other Week | Monthly Good aquarium maintenance practices will lead to a healthy aquatic environment and thriving fish, providing years of joy for the hobbyist. Expensive and time-consuming problems can be prevented by spending thirty minutes on maintenance every other week. The biggest factor for maintenance is tank stability. As long as everything is running properly and your fish are healthy, there is no need for any major change, even if the pH or…
If you have just started your aquarium, or recently changed the gravel and are experiencing a grayish discoloration of the aquarium water, don't panic. The gravel was probably still dirty. The free-floating dirt particles should settle and get trapped in the external filtration fairly quickly. A light haze after siphoning the gravel is harmless, and is likely caused by the minor disturbance of the substrate. This usually clears up within 24 hours. A yellow discoloration…
Green aquarium water is often referred to as "pea soup". Free floating single celled algae grows at such a rapid rate that it turns the water green. If one were to take a glass of water, then added some fish food and placed it into a sunny spot you would have green water within days! This "recipe" holds, in part, true for aquariums as well. Green water is nothing more then single celled planktonic organisms…
Once algae control becomes a problem, it cannot be reversed by simply eliminating factors. Dumping chemicals in an attempt to eradicate algae from a closed aquatic system will destroy the algae, but it will also cause a faster succession: dead algae contribute to the factors already known to favor algae growth. Since this is a one-way downward spiral, once we understand the environment and accept that there will always be some algae in the system,…
Water Changes - Probably the most dreaded part of successful fish keeping. Often the frustration of improper water parameters leads to the common error of infrequently changing large amounts of water in order to fix the problem. Proper filtration is essential, but can not remove all the trace elements that accumulate within the water column. Keep in mind that only pure water evaporates while water changes will remove pollutants and replenish diminished elements (calcium, potassium,…
Quat / Polyquat Algaecides | Copper | Simazine Algae have and probably always will be the most talked about subject of the aquarium hobby. It is without any doubt the main reason many hobbyist give-up fish keeping. Algaecides are available in many forms, shapes and makes. Liquids, tablets, powders, or blocks.Regardless of the appearance, algaecides work on the one principle, namely to destroy the algae. This is either accomplished by destroying the algae directly or by…
So, your tank is doing well. No fish losses, no diseases, and crystal clear water. Everything seems fine. Then all of a sudden… In a closed system keeping an aquarium in balance depends on many factors. Everything that has been added to the tank will remain there in one form or another. Even evaporating water leaves all the minerals and impurities behind as only pure H2O evaporates. Considering this, there will always be some accumulation…
Test kits are available in strips (dip sticks), tablet/powder, and in liquid form. Test kits are generally reliable within a margin of error of plus/minus 5%. Once you have decided on a test kit avoid constantly switching or double checking with a different test kit, since the results may greatly vary due to varying margins of error. The one margin of error all test kits have in common is the misuse by the hobbyist. Before…
Before leaving for vacation the following care tips can help assure the aquarium stays healthy during times away from home. Preparations will depend on the setup. A fish-only aquarium can go with little to no care for up to one week. With a little preperation the fish-only tank does not stand in the way of an extended stay, while planted aquariums and reefs require a bit more planning regardless of the length of vacation. The…
