Jumat, 05 Agustus 2016

Procedures For Conducting Aquarium Maintenance

By James Sullivan


Routine maintenance practices conducted on aquariums create a sustainable environment for fish to thrive. You are likely to save a lot of cash that could be spent in fixing unmaintained fish tanks. There are several ways of undertaking aquarium maintenance. These procedures are less time consuming and generally cheap. You will note an improvement in the health of your fish after undertaking the following practices.

Water changes should be conducted every two weeks. This is because aquatic animals usually absorb oxygen in water for respiration. As a Cincinnati OH resident, when changing the water, you should also remove the uneaten foods in the tanks. If tap water is used during the replacement procedure, use a water conditioner. Tap water contains chlorine and this chemical can be neutralized using a water conditioner.

You can change the aquarium water gradually because replacing it at once eliminates nitrifying bacteria. The nitrifying bacteria on the other hand are used to decompose any wastes found within the container. If they are eliminated from water, ammonia levels rise. Fish are likely to suffocate when ammonia levels rise. To replace the water to a twenty percent level, use a faucet pump.

Water acidity must also be tested on a weekly basis using a potential hydrogen indicator. This procedure should be conducted when water is being replaced. As a general rule, the water acidity must be seven units as measured by a potential hydrogen indicator. Any measurement below seven units means that the water has high acidic levels. In this case, a base element like baking soda may be added to decrease the acidic levels.

A filter should also be used to remove unwanted particles such as dust and uneaten food in water. On the other hand, the filter must comprise of carbon inserts that require replacement after a period of four weeks. Replacing the filter inserts prevents them from decomposing when they react with the particles filtered from water. The filter should also be cleaned monthly.

Maintenance can be carried out daily, weekly and monthly with different procedures. When carrying it out daily, ensure that the aquatic tank is running properly. You can also observe your fish when they feed since behavior changes in their feeding patterns indicates that there is a problem. On a weekly basis, count your aquatic animals to determine if some have died. You should check the expiry dates of bottles and boxes of the aquatic supplies bought from Cincinnati OH aquatic stores. This prevents cases of food poisoning when fish are fed.

Remove any decorations and artificial plants in the aquarium as you clean its sides using an algae sponge. These decorations should be cleaned weekly and replaced every month. When cleaning, you should unplug the heater, turn of the water pump and disconnect the filter. Clean the artificial plants from a sink and rinse them thoroughly with a lot of water.

Check the temperature levels of water using a thermometer every week. This practice determines whether the temperatures are high or low than they are required. The thermometer readings must be constant every time you measure the temperature because aquatic animals are susceptible to diseases when water temperatures change.




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