A big part of keeping fish in good health is to ensure that they are kept under the right environment. The regular maintenance of fish is crucial when it comes to keeping conditions in aquariums optimal. A major challenge for owners of aquariums is lack of knowledge on maintenance practices. In consideration of aquarium maintenance Cincinnati residents could benefit from a number of useful tips. There are disagreements among experts on what activities are involved in maintenance but there are standard practices.
Many people that do not bother about maintenance do so thinking that they already have filters. It could also be that bottom feeding fish will be picking up stuff from there. Filters are definitely useful but they too will become clogged over time, causing more harm than good. Also, fish continue production of wastes which needs to be removed over time. This, in addition to the fact that uneaten food decays slowly, means aquariums have to be maintained.
The frequency with which maintenance is done will need to be considered too. All aspects involved in maintenance cannot be done every week or daily. Cleaning of colony rich sections needs to be very restricted so that there is reduced impact on useful bacteria. The areas include among others substrate and filters. If bacterial colonies are disturbed excessively, the nitrogen cycle will be disturbed. Water needs to get tested some days after you do significant cleaning.
When it come to daily practices, there will need to be a visual check so as to ensure that filters are running effectively and at full strength. Lights will need to be functioning well. The temperature of water should be within acceptable ranges. There also needs to be counting of the fish to confirm the numbers and as you check their overall health. Counting is most effectively done when they are being fed. It will also be a good time to check any foods that are uneaten.
Weekly and bi-weekly checks are also crucial. There should be partial water changes every week. Water that is used should be treated and possibly aged. The water for replacement should be close to temperature of the tank. Before water changes however, other weekly tasks should be carried out first. Partial water change should be the last task.
Water testing needs to be done monthly. This will involve test of such aspects as nitrites, pH, ammonia and nitrates. In case there are problems with algae, you might need to also test phosphates to check if they are part of the problem. Testing of water is done before water change is done and also before other practices of maintenance.
There are periodic practices that are not done frequently. One of them is replacement of bulbs which is done yearly whether or not the existing ones have burned out. Also, there needs to be inspection of filter tubing and air pump tubing. In case there are live plants, they are supposed to be fertilized.
Cleaning of aquariums never requires lots of equipment. It however helps to have a few specialized tools at hand. A dedicated bucket is one of the major and most important tools. You will also need a siphon, water conditioner and algae scrubber.
Many people that do not bother about maintenance do so thinking that they already have filters. It could also be that bottom feeding fish will be picking up stuff from there. Filters are definitely useful but they too will become clogged over time, causing more harm than good. Also, fish continue production of wastes which needs to be removed over time. This, in addition to the fact that uneaten food decays slowly, means aquariums have to be maintained.
The frequency with which maintenance is done will need to be considered too. All aspects involved in maintenance cannot be done every week or daily. Cleaning of colony rich sections needs to be very restricted so that there is reduced impact on useful bacteria. The areas include among others substrate and filters. If bacterial colonies are disturbed excessively, the nitrogen cycle will be disturbed. Water needs to get tested some days after you do significant cleaning.
When it come to daily practices, there will need to be a visual check so as to ensure that filters are running effectively and at full strength. Lights will need to be functioning well. The temperature of water should be within acceptable ranges. There also needs to be counting of the fish to confirm the numbers and as you check their overall health. Counting is most effectively done when they are being fed. It will also be a good time to check any foods that are uneaten.
Weekly and bi-weekly checks are also crucial. There should be partial water changes every week. Water that is used should be treated and possibly aged. The water for replacement should be close to temperature of the tank. Before water changes however, other weekly tasks should be carried out first. Partial water change should be the last task.
Water testing needs to be done monthly. This will involve test of such aspects as nitrites, pH, ammonia and nitrates. In case there are problems with algae, you might need to also test phosphates to check if they are part of the problem. Testing of water is done before water change is done and also before other practices of maintenance.
There are periodic practices that are not done frequently. One of them is replacement of bulbs which is done yearly whether or not the existing ones have burned out. Also, there needs to be inspection of filter tubing and air pump tubing. In case there are live plants, they are supposed to be fertilized.
Cleaning of aquariums never requires lots of equipment. It however helps to have a few specialized tools at hand. A dedicated bucket is one of the major and most important tools. You will also need a siphon, water conditioner and algae scrubber.
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