4 Tips For Maintaining An Aquarium
Have you always wanted to own an aquarium, but don't know much about what is involved to keep it clean? If so, it will help to know the following things about maintaining an aquarium.
Filter Maintenance
Your filter does a lot of work to help keep your aquarium clean. While it doesn't need daily maintenance, the filter does need to be cleaned every few weeks. A filter works by collecting dirt and debris in a sponge-like material as the water passes through it. Maintaining the filter is as simple as replacing or cleaning the cartridge when it is too dirty to function properly.
Water Maintenance
Water that comes from a municipal water source has been treated in order to make it safe for drinking. However, the chlorine in the water is not good for the health of your aquarium. Your aquarium has a lot of good bacteria in it, and your city water source could kill that bacteria. The solution is to use a water conditioner so that the water can maintain the proper bacteria levels that keep the water healthy for your fish.
Water Changes
You'll need to occasionally remove all of the dirty water in the aquarium and replace it with new water that has been treated with a conditioner. However, the amount of water that you remove on a weekly basis will depend on how many fish are in your aquarium and how much food you feed them. If you have a large aquarium with very few fish, it may not be necessary to drain all of the water. A siphon can be used to partially drain the aquarium and remove the debris from the gravel at the bottom at the same time.
One thing to keep in mind when performing a water change is to turn off the filter and heater for your aquarium. These devices require water to flow through them to keep the motors cool, and running them without water can cause the motors to burn out.
Tank Cleaning
You should never use harsh chemicals when cleaning the inside of an aquarium. Even if you completely drain the tank and remove the fish, the residues can remain inside the tank and cause harm to the fish when you put them back inside. Stay away from harsh chemicals, even when cleaning the exterior glass. Overspray can happen when applying a glass cleaner and cause the chemicals to get into the water.
For more information or to purchase an aquarium, contact a local company such as Northeast Aquariums.