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Maintaining a Freshwater Aquarium
Home » Aquariums » Freshwater Aquariums » Maintaining a Freshwater AquariumAs the number one cause of aquarium fish deaths is the poor water quality, your number one aquarium maintenance job should be maintaining the water quality in your aquarium. Purchase a chemical test kit and regularly test the water (approximately every two weeks) to check ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and plevels. The ammonia and nitrite levels should be at zero (though it will take time to stabilize whenever you add fish or replace water) and the pH level should be approximately seven.
On a slightly more regular basis (perhaps once a week), you should replace about ten percent of the water in the aquarium with dechlorinated water. In addition, regularly check the temperature in the tank to make sure it stays within your fish’s tolerance zones.
In addition to watching the water quality of your freshwater aquarium, you should also regularly clean the tank—both for your sake and for the sake of the fish. Scrape algae off the interior cover and walls of the aquarium using an algae scraper, scrubber pad, or razor blade, but don’t use soaps on any interior walls and be especially careful with acrylic aquariums. For the exterior of the aquarium, try an ammonia-free glass cleaner.
Finally, from time to time you should check the filter pads in your tank and remove the gravel from your tank to shake out any small debris and to clean it using specialized gravel cleaner. These actions call for more extensive activity, so you only need to do them on occasion, but your fish will appreciate it if you keep them (the cleaning and the fish) in mind.
Sources:
http://www.ehow.com
http://www.petsmart.com
http://animal-world.com
http://www.petplace.com
http://about.com
Related Freshwater Aquariums Articles
- Introduction to Freshwater Aquariums
- Choosing and Buying a Freshwater Aquarium
- Freshwater Aquarium Fish
- Freshwater Aquarium Set-Up and Supplies
- Maintaining a Freshwater Aquarium