Freshwater Aquarium Maintenance Tips
Good freshwater aqurium maintenance habits are important not only for your own enjoyment but also for the life and health of your fish.
Now that you have your home freshwater aquarium up and running and populated with fish you want to make sure to protect the lives of your fish and keep them healthy and stress-free.
Proper maintenance of your home freshwater aquarium means doing regular water changes, maintaining a steady and proper tempature level, monitoring the water's PH levels and keeping the water clean and debris-free.
CHANGING THE WATER
You should siphon out approximately 20-20% of the water in your tank about twice a week and refill it with clean water. Make sure you do a partial water change at least once a month if you can't do it every two weeks, but two weeks is optimal.
You also want to make sure you don't change the water too frequently, as the friendly bacteria that builds up is actually required to keep the tank balanced and the fish healthy.
MAINTAIN A CONSTANT TEMPERATURE
Maintaining a constant temperateure between 72 and 75 degrees is optimal for most community tanks. Some fish like it a little warmer while others can tolerate it cooler, but this range will suit most home aquarium fish breeds.
KEEP A STEADY PH LEVEL
The PH level of your fish tank is basically how alkaline or acidic your water is, The PH scale ranges from 0 (highly acidic) to 14 (highly acidic). 7.0 is considered neutral and for most community fish this is what you should try for and maintain.
Maintaining a proper PH level in the tank is key and can sldo be dependent on the PH level of the water coming out of your tap. Unusually hard or softwater will need to be pre-treated before you can use it.
TIP: take a sample to your local pet store where you buy your fish and have them test it. You can buy various chemicals to adjust the PH of your tank depending on the levels.
KEEP THE WATER CLEAN
Probably the biggest reason for dirty water is overfeeding. It's a simple truth that the more food your fish ingest the more waste comes out the other end.
Now, we're not suggesting you starve your fish for the sake of a clean tank but a pinch of food goes a long, long way.
A good rule of thumb is to put a pinch of food into the tank and see if it all gets eaten within a minute or so. If it does, add a second pinch, and that's it.
Granted, it totally depends on the size of your tank and how many fish since 30 fish will simply eat more than 13 fish, but watch to see how many flakes are just rolling along the bottom of the tank after 5 minutes. If after 5 minutes you still see flakes floating or rolling around, yoo're feeding them too much. Cut back a bit next time.
KEEP OUT OF DIRECT SUNLIGHT
A little sunlight on the tank each day won't harm the tank or the fish and is actually a good thing.
But you want to avoid sustained amounts of direct sunlight since this can contribute to algae.
Algae can take over your tank and make it hard to clean and see the fish and sometimes makes the water smell bad, too.
A healthy, balanced, well-aerated home freshwater aquarium will hardly smell at all and should not have a fishy smell or any strong odors.
Odors are usually a sign of decay, either from rotting food or a dead fish. So doing a smell check as part of your routine freshwater aquarium maintenance duties is a good tool to use. The nose knows!
KEEP IT AERATED
Keeping the water aerated with a separate air pump and airstone will help your home freshwater aquarium maintain good circulation and oxygen levels which the fish need to maintain good health.
By having a properly aerated home freshwater aquarium with the correct temperature and PH that you don't overfeed, will increase your chances of having a healthy and happy fish tank for years to come.
Gene Sower is an expert in freshwater aquarium keeping with nearly 40 years of experience. For more information on how to keep your freshwater home aquarium clean, visit http://www.aquarium-keepers.com
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