With this blog post, you are going to learn six quick and easy ways to maintain a clean and healthy tank. We’ll give tips on how often you should do certain things, what products are useful in maintaining your tank, and some other helpful information that will make caring for your aquarium easier. So without further ado let’s get started.
Clean the Tank and Change the Water Regularly
This may seem obvious but you would be surprised how many people don’t do this. It is vital for the health of your tank that you clean it and change the water regularly. For beginners, I recommend changing 25-30% of the water each week depending on the size of the tank. So if you have a 10 gallon (which is 38 liters) you would change 10 litres every week. If you have a larger tank, change 30% of the water each week.
To clean the tank, remove all decorations and gravel from the tank. Wash them with cold water only. Then rinse your rocks and plants under running cold water. Test your water regularly. This is so very important to make sure that you have a thriving aquarium. This will help you to keep track of your water parameters and will allow you to make any necessary adjustments. You should check the pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels at least once a week with fresh test kits (not expired ones). Once every six months is sufficient for checking the general hardness or carbonate hardness (KH) and total.
Disinfect Your Tank
Add a few drops of bleach to kill any bacteria or fungus which may be growing in the tank. Then remove the water from your tank with a gravel vacuum and dispose of it safely. Clean your filter as well, some products require you to rinse them out under running cold water while others need to be fully immersed in bleach overnight. Then fill your tank up with treated tap water or treated RO (Reverse Osmosis) water.
Pay Attention to Your Filter
Keep your filter clean by changing it every month, or more often if you have a lot of fish in your tank. You can also clean the filter by putting it in a bucket with bleach and letting it soak overnight. This will kill any bacteria which could be harmful to your fish.
Signs that your filter needs to be cleaned are a lack of water flow through the filter, a buildup of debris in the filter, or an increase in nitrate levels.
Replace filters as needed. Keep an eye on your filter intake. If you have any snails, be sure no fish or fry can get caught by it. You can also put a small piece of pre-soaked sponge into the intake to catch any debris that might go through them and clean it out weekly.
Clean Your Gravel once in a while with an Algae Scrubber
It is a good idea to add some gravel to your tank when you bring it home from the pet store. But most of the gravel will come with dirt and debris on it which can be harmful to your fish. You should clean your gravel once with quality aquatic supplies in a while so that all the dirt, food particles, and other debris collects at the bottom of the tank and doesn’t cloud the water.
Feed Your Fish Responsibly
Overfeeding can lead to serious health issues for your fish. It can result in an unhealthy tank for them as well. Adding too much food can cause the water to become cloudy, it will also increase the need for you to do your weekly water changes. Feed only what your fish can eat within a couple of minutes 2-3 times a day. If you are using live plants in your tank they will provide some of the nutrients your fish need and reduce how much you need to feed them. Fish food should include plant material, protein, and healthy fats in the appropriate ratio.
Live plants will help to reduce your need for fish food. They remove a lot of nutrients from the water column which will allow you to cut back on how much food you feed your fish. Overfeeding leads to an excess of nitrates in the water which is harmful to any invertebrate life.
Get rid of any Plants that are Dead, Dying, or Diseased
This is because they will be toxic to other plants and animals in the tank. Any bacteria which may be growing on the dead plant will also release toxins into your tank.
You should now have a better understanding of how to maintain the health and cleanliness of your fish tank. We hope that this article was informative and helped you learn about ways to keep your fish tank in pristine condition so it can provide years of enjoyment for yourself or others. Remember these six tips when cleaning out the water from time to time to help prevent buildup while providing healthy living conditions for all those inside!
