Aquarium Maintenance

Aquarium Maintenance

INTRODUCTION

It is recommended to turn off electrical appliances before putting the hand in the water ! Never use detergents for your aquarium ( using a neutral detergent container all to change the water in case you want to move your aquarium fish ) .


DAILY

Few minutes a day may be sufficient to maintain aquarium .

It is not always obvious in week to take care of the aquarium ( if you live alone and you work for example). Also, one can make use of devices that turn on and off lights, and a vending machine food.

Here's the small gestures of daily maintenance :

Turn on and off lighting ( I still precise morning and evening , not in the afternoon as I 've seen ) . Note that the lighting is useful for plants!

Feeding two to three times per day ( eg morning and evening). Be careful not to give too much food ( it's worse than not feed them ) . Small portions of data repeatedly apply a large portion at once. The fish have eaten rations in less than five minutes. Make sure all the fish ate (some are faster than others, food competition requires) .
In the evening, you can feed the fish that tend to be active at night ( you know, those fish are still hiding during the day ) , with foods that sink to the bottom of the aquarium.

Check water temperature ( Reminder: 26 ° C on average for a tropical aquarium, between 18 and 22 ° C for goldfish ) .

Ensure proper operation of the equipment ( and if you have automatic devices).

Count the fish and ensure that fish do not exhibit abnormalities.

Remove the waste with a scoop : the excess food , plants rotting and if necessary, the bodies of fish.
Well, you must admit that for the moment , it is not too restrictive . For the "real" cleaning, it takes a little more time . As I already wrote , the more an aquarium , the more it is easy to maintain! Times indicated below are only indicative , because not knowing the size of your aquarium, it is difficult to be really accurate . Moreover, some fish, such as goldfish, are more " dirty " than others.


WEEKLY

The weekend leaves more time to enjoy the aquarium and make a little more care ...

Already , we can give the fish food a little richer and more " attractive " ( frozen , live food , leaf lettuce , etc. . ) . However, always be careful not to overfeed .

Clean the windows ( using accesoire adapted)

Clean the floor (by siphoning and replacing water). Some snails , as Melanoid allow you to ease this task . They " aerate " the soil, which is very beneficial for your plants. But even if you have snails , see if the ground is correct.
Caring for plants ( cuttings, fertilizer , etc.).

Check the chemical composition of the water (or every 15 days): nitrite levels , hardness, pH ... It is not mandatory, but recommended .

EVERY 15 DAYS AND / OR EVERY MONTH

Time of spring cleaning came ...

The change of water ( theory, third tray every 15 days ) . This is probably the most constraining element in the aquarium , and something we do not think through the acquisition of an aquarium. Must be sensitive not to scare the fish too and especially at least check the temperature of the water is renewed . Fish hate thermal shock !
A seal (which has never been used to wash the soil - that is to say all neutral detergents) and a hose will be helpful.

Cleaning the filter media . Again , do not clean it! Rinse with water part of your batting . Do not change the batting ( Perlon ) if it is really dirty . The blue foam that occupies decanting trays , which are equipped with most tanks , the nest is often most bacteria inhabiting the aquarium. In the aquarium , you must always remember to retain as much of the good bacteria . Of course , again, do not wash anything with detergents !
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EVERY 6 MONTHS / YEARS ALL

Simply the rest, changes defective devices, or worn , such as lighting tubes.