How to Maintain Fresh Water Tanks

Goldfish and other freshwater fish will thrive in a clean, well-kept tank.

If you're interested in keeping fish as a hobby or using them to decorate a home or business, a freshwater tank is a viable option. This kind of tank can be easier to set up and maintain than a saltwater fish tank used to display tropical fish. However, maintaining a freshwater tank for fish such as African Cichlids involves critical components to keep the environment healthy. Just a few steps can help you to maintain fresh water tanks successfully.

Instructions

1. Check the temperature of your freshwater tank. The temperature generally should fall between 74 degrees and 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a thermometer in the tank at various times of the day and at night and record these temperatures to make sure they fall in this range. Air-conditioning, heat and the presence of sunshine during the day can affect the temperature of your freshwater tank, so be prepared to adjust your thermostat as necessary to maintain appropriate tank temperatures.

2. Purchase a water quality testing kit from an aquarium shop. The test will show you whether your freshwater tank's nitrate level is too high or if you have a high level of pH, which is the measure of the acidity of the water. These situations could mean you have too many fish or are overfeeding them. If your readings are too high, change the water and retest its quality using the kit to make sure you have a medium pH level and a nitrate reading of zero. Nitrate is a bacterial by-product that can affect the health of your fish if too much is present.

3. Change your tank's filter every two to four weeks if your tank uses mechanical or chemical filters. Mechanical filtration involves using a power filter than hangs on the back of the tank and removes free-floating particles from the water. Chemical filtration involves removing dissolved wastes from the water using carbon or minerals called zeolites. Biological filters do not require maintenance.

   Also, check to see if your filter material is becoming dirty after only a couple of days, which means you are giving your fish too much food or are storing too many fish in the tank.

4. Buy a siphon from an aquarium store to remove a quarter of the water from the tank each week, which will help to remove waste and untouched food. Do this by running the mouth of the siphon along the bottom of the tank. After removing the water, replace it with the same amount of de-chlorinated water using a clean pail.

5. Remove brown leaves from live plants in the tank before they fall to the tank's floor. In addition, if you ever want to add more fish to your freshwater tank, add no more than two at a time to ensure the environment remains appropriate for all of the fish in the tank.

References

• PetPlace: How to Maintain Your Freshwater Aquarium
• FishLore: Aquarium Filter