HOW TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN AN AQUARIUM

Most of us enjoy watching fishes in an aquarium, it brings in a feeling of peace and admiration towards nature viewing the colorful fishes in unique shapes. Aquariums add an aesthetic appeal to one’s living room.  Fishes are very delicate and therefore we need to take immense care to understand the requirements and the special care to be taken as it is restricted to an environment. Therefore it is important to maintain the aquarium to ensure proper fish care , fishes have a healthy life . A well maintained aquarium will be able to preserve the habitat in unnatural environment.

If you are planning to buy an aquarium or you already possess one, here are a few tips that will help you maintain an Aquarium.

Tips For Maintaining an Aquarium

Selection of Aquarium

A little thought has to be spent on the required size for the aquarium. You need to take into account the space available at home for being the central focus point in your room. Aquarium comes in all sizes from a bowl to a huge fish tank. It is recommended to opt for a large aquarium as it contains more water and more living space for the fishes we intend to include. Large tanks means more stability in temperature, water chemistry and cleanliness. The water becomes less mucky as compared to a small aquarium.

Quality of water

Water is a key factor for an aquarium. Water should be chlorine free. It is strongly advised to leave water for conditioning at least for one week, before introducing fish and plants.  After we set the aquarium you need to change the water once a month.  We need to change only one fourth of water in the tank, in order to dilute the accumulated harmful chemicals such as nitrites, nitrates and phosphates. The replaced water condition should agree with the temperature and pH condition of the existing aquarium water, in order to avoid any untoward effects.

Selection of companions in the aquarium

We need to have a good understanding of the fishes and their behaviors. The dealers will give the information and guide us to decide the type of fishes to be selected. Most fishes vary with each other in terms of needs and maintenance and can’t be kept together. During selection of fishes check out for the healthy ones as sick ones will make healthy fishes weak. We can distinguish healthy fishes as they have erect fins, clear eyes and good skin color. Segregate a sick fish from the aquarium or the condition is contagious to healthy ones.

Note: Regular inspection of the fishes is an essential factor for a healthy environment.

 Maintaining the right Temperature

Temperature is another key factor for an aquarium We need to have a good understanding of the temperature requirements for fishes in an aquarium as sudden changes in temperature can be life threatening. The fish dealer will give the information on the types of fish and the care to be taken.

 Maintaining pH

Maintaining optimum pH is very critical in an aquarium. Fishes require neutral pH 7 , can withstand pH upto 6.6 to 7.4, beyond these levels are dangerous for fishes. They cannot handle variations in pH .Recommended to regularly inspect the pH level of water in the aquarium and remove collected algae and other wastes and provide a cleaner environment.

Maintaining appropriate illumination

Lighting is another key factor for an aquarium . Optimum light requirement would be around 12 hours per day. Appropriate lighting is required for most fishes for laying eggs. Plants need artificial light to survive in fish tanks for photosynthesis . Harmful algae and planktons are suppressed only in presence of light. The aquarium and fishes look more beautiful in well-illuminated water

 Feeding tips

Recommended feeding is twice a day – once in the morning and again in the evening. The quantity of food depends on the number and types of fishes in your aquarium, it is advisable to feed only as much as the fish can clean up in 5 minutes time. Overfeeding can have disastrous consequences. Take inputs from the fish dealer on feeding requirements.

Hope you will enjoy the experience of maintaining an aquarium!!