How to Maintain Your Freshwater Aquarium

Maintaining your aquarium is important to the life of your fish and your plants. The process isn't so bad if you do it regularly.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Check your tank daily to make sure none of the fish are dead or dying.

2. Observe all of your fish individually. This will familiarize you with their behaviors and it will be easier for you to identify a sick fish.

3. Feed your fish every other day. Be sure to vary their diet.

4. Top off the tank's evaporated water with dechlorinated water.

5. Remove 5 to 10 percent of the tank water and replace it with fresh dechlorinated water once a week. This helps dilute unwanted chemicals in the tank and helps keep the tank's chemistry close to that of your own tap water. This means that you'll have fewer problems if you ever need to do an emergancy water change.

6. Scrape the algae from the tank walls once a week.

7. Check the filter pads every two weeks. Clean or replace them as necessary.

8. Test the water every two weeks. Wait at least a day after a water change.

9. Check the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH levels every two weeks.

10. Siphon the debris from the gravel once a month.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep track of your chemicals and maintenance schedule.

[Raptos]

on 12/31/2008 Be mindful of the kind of aquarium you are keeping. Some fish feed on algae, and prefer a readily available source. Also, I must disagree with comments that topping off a tank is beneficial. It may be in the very short term. However, long term, you are only serving to increase the concentration of harmful metals and minerals. Even trace amounts present in your tap water will become lethal if water changes are not done correctly and consistently, as these concentrations will only increase over time. Also, without water changes, what is removing nitrate? Ammonia is converted to nitrite. Nitrite into nitrate. Only water changes will remove nitrate. Nitrate will build up over time, causing fish stress, disease, and poor gas exchange as gills become inflamed an inefficient.

on 12/22/2008 As water evaporates, what it leaves behind is not necessarily healthy and it gradually changes the water's condition from your last weekly water change. As long as you are topping off with dechlorinated water with a pH balance and temperature very close to what's in the tank, you are helping not hurting, because it helps to maintain a healthy, constant environment. Yes, you are adding more minerals, but with a lot more water than if you just allow evaporation. Therefore, it lowers the mineral count in ppm. The fact of the matter is, it's really not that big of a deal in most cases of home use. Most people top off for appearance. Condition your water properly and you are good to go.

on 8/8/2006 If water has evaporated from the tank, it has left behind minerals and deposits that are generally found in even conditioned water. Remember to change 10-15% of your tank water weekly, but do not just add more water, because you will just be adding more of these minerals that can build up and become toxic to fish.

on 6/30/2006 As water evaporates, what it leaves behind is not necessarily healthy and it gradually changes the water's condition from your last weekly water change. As long as you are topping off with dechlorinated water, with a pH balance and temperature very close to what's in the tank, you are helping - not hurting. It helps to maintain a healthy, constant environment. Yes, you are adding more minerals, but with a lot more water than if you just allow evaporation. Therefore, it lowers the mineral count in ppm.

The fact of the matter is, it's really not that big of a deal in most cases of home use. Most people top off the tank for appearance. Condition your water properly and you are good to go.