How to Setup a 30 Gallon Freshwater Aquarium - Part 5

You will learn how to setup a 30-gallon freshwater aquarium, manage the 1st Cycle, stock it half-way with fish, and care for and maintain your new underwater ecosystem.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• See Part 1 for full list of supplies
• 10 ml bottle of water conditioner with chlorine remover
• 5-in-1 water quality test kit for Nitrate, Nitrite, Alkalinity, Hardness and PH, test strip style
• Ammonia test kit for both NH3 and NH4+, test tube style
• 2, 5-gallon plastic buckets. Water changes are easier with two buckets at a time. You need brand new ones because you do not want traces of soap or chemicals in them.
• Medium gravel vacuum
• Medium fish net

1. Part 5: Maintenance
   
   Water Changes
   
   Water changes are critical to the survival of your fish. As you have already learned in Part 2, the ammonia produced by fish causes the Nitrogen Cycle to occur, a natural cleaning process. However, it can only clean up so much. In essence, the fish pollute the water, and if it gets too dirty then the fish will die.
   
   The most important thing you can do (besides feed and love your fish, of course!) is change the water in the tank when it gets too dirty. Changing the water is no different than changing a baby's diaper, scooping the cat's litter box or taking your dog outside to go potty. The good news is, cleaning the fish tank can be done way less often!
2. When to Change the Water
   
   As you have probably heard from other books or pet store salespeople, you should change one-quarter of the water every week. That is a good general rule. However, it makes a lot of beginners dread it like a terrible chore. Sometimes, the thought is so foreboding that people procrastinate or avoid it completely. That would be a huge mistake.
   
   There is no need for all this anxiety.
   
   I am here to tell you that you don't have to keep that strict of a schedule. Yes, you heard me right. My rule is much simpler: Change the water when it is dirty! Plus, changing the water too often will mess up the natural balance that has been created by the Nitrogen Cycle.
   
   If it's dirty, change it!
   
   That is all there is to it. You can tell when it is dirty because the water is not clear. It may be cloudy or there is stuff floating around or it smells bad. Another way to determine when to change the water is to use the water test kit. If any of the measurements are outside of the safe zone, it is time to change the water. Also see the Water Level Table in Part 2.
   
   So, how often will it get dirty? For a 30-gallon tank which is properly stocked with no more than 30 inches of fish, this might be once a week, or it could be once a month. You decide if the water is a clear, a little dirty or a lot dirty. You be the judge! Just remember, if the water is too dirty, some or all of your fish will probably die shortly.
   
   Okay, before all the experts out there get their panties in a wad, let me just clarify that I am not endorsing breaking the rules. It is just that I do not wish to mislead beginners in any way or use scare tactics to establish a regular water changing schedule. The simple truth is that the water must be changed when the water is dirty or else the nitrates and/or ammonia start to get too high.
   
   Change it when it's dirty. No sooner and no later.
3. 10 Gallon Water Change
   
   Now that you have decided the water is dirty, let's change it! For a 30-gallon tank, you should do a 10 Gallon Change every time the water looks dirty or the water test kit shows levels outside of the safe zone. One exception is during the 1st Cycle when special rules apply. See Part 2.
4. Remove Old Water
   
   Using a new, rinsed plastic cup or bowl and your 5-gallon bucket (see Step 1), measure out 10 gallons of dirty tank water and pour it down the bathtub drain or onto the backyard lawn.
5. Condition New Water
   
   Time: 15 minutes
   
   1. Condition 5 gallons of tap water. This is a two part process:
   
   Part A: Temperature. Using a water hose or the bathtub, fill a 5-gallon bucket with slightly warm tap water. Using the extra LCD digital thermometer, ensure the water temperature is 76 degrees (same as the recommended tank temperature). If necessary, adjust the temperature of the bucket by replacing one gallon with warmer or cooler water.
   
   Part B: Conditioner. Following the package instructions, add water conditioner with chlorine remover. It is typically 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons of water, or 1/2 teaspoon per 5-gallon bucket. This treatment takes effect within 10 seconds.
   
   2. Pour 5 gallons of conditioned water into the tank.
   
   3. Repeat two times, until you have filled the tank with almost 10 gallons of conditioned water, leaving the water level one inch below the top (usually to the bottom of the black rim).
   
   Note: Never put unconditioned water into a tank with live fish since chlorine will kill them and more than 1 degree of sudden change in temperature will stress them.
6. Well, that wasn't so hard was it? It certainly should not be a dreaded chore. In actuality, it is virtually painless. It is a small amount of work to do for ensuring the survival of your fish.
7. Gravel Cleaning
   
   The second and final maintenance task is vacuuming the gravel. Again, it is not necessary to do this once a week. I recommend vacuuming the gravel every other time the water is changed. If you see a lot of dirty particles on top of and down inside the gravel, then it is time to clean it.
8. Gravel Vacuum
   
   Time: 15 minutes
   
   It is easy to vacuum the gravel during one of your regular water changing sessions. There are several ways to do this, but I will share with you my method.
   
   1. Do this after you get setup to do a water change, but before you start to remove the dirty water. Instead of removing the 10 gallons of dirty water, vacuum the gravel and the water will get removed for you simultaneously.
   
   2. Position the small end of the vacuum tube in the 5-gallon bucket. The dirty water will be drained and collected in the bucket.
   
   3. Submerge the large end of the vacuum tube into the tank.
   
   4. You may need to gently suck on the small end to get the water siphon started.
   
   5. Grab hold of the large end of the vacuum (yes your hand and arm will get wet!) and press it down to the bottom of the tank and run it over the gravel. You will see the gravel be sucked upwards and fall back down, while the dirty water and particles continue on through the vacuum tube and land in your dirty water bucket.
   
   6. Continue vacuuming until all the gravel has been cleaned or until your have removed 10 gallons of dirty water.
   
   7. To stop the vacuum, take it out of the water and let any excess water in the tube drain into the bucket.
   
   8. Now, proceed to the usual water changing procedure.
9. Lighting
   
   Time: 6 hours
   
   It is best to put your aquarium light on a timer. You can get a cheap one for about $10. Your fish need about 6-8 hours of light per day, preferably during normal daylight hours.
10. Congratulations! You have completed all five parts of the beginner's guide and have graduated to Intermediate Fishkeeper status.
    
    Part 1: Setup
    Part 2: Learn
    Part 3: Get Your Fish
    Part 4: Care for Your Fish
    Part 5: Maintenance