How to Maintain a Freshwater Aquarium:– Making sure that the water in your freshwater aquarium is properly controlled is the single most critical thing you can do to ensure that your marine life stays healthy. Fish can become agitated, irritated, and sick if they are not managed properly and properly maintained.
Your fish will have a shorter lifespan as a result of these conditions, and the water will result in a state that is neither conducive to life nor appealing to the eye. This article will provide you with information on how to maintain your freshwater aquarium, as well as information on how frequently you should perform this maintenance and advice on how to fix problems as they occur.
How to Maintain a Freshwater Aquarium
How often should I change my aquarium’s water?
It is recommended that you change approximately 15 to 25 percent of the water in your aquarium every one to two weeks. Whenever you change the water in your aquarium, you should also clean the rest of the tank during this process. The amount of fish and plant life in your tank will determine the percentage of water that is present as well as the frequency with which water is changed.
A tank that is little stocked can have a somewhat lower frequency of water changes, whereas a tank that is well stocked will require a higher volume of water to be changed more regularly. Changing the water in your tank is the most critical maintenance you can make on your aquarium; therefore, maintaining a regular schedule will be of great advantage to the health of your marine life as well as the quality of life they enjoy.
Aquarium maintenance schedule
By adhering to a regularly scheduled maintenance routine, you may avoid your aquarium from getting too dirty or potentially harmful to the health of your fish.
It is recommended that this schedule include daily, weekly, and monthly responsibilities.
Daily aquarium maintenance
You can keep your tank’s water clean by performing these simple tasks every day:
- Ensure all pumps, filters, and lights are working properly.
- Observe fish for negative side effects. If any side effects are evident, test the water immediately. If the water is fine but the fish remain ill, check the filters and pumps for any malfunctions.
- Remove excess food from the tank
- Top off the tank with treated water
- Check the water’s temperature. Most freshwater tanks should remain between 75° and 80° Fahrenheit. However, some fish require different temperature ranges. Ensure that the temperature of your tank is suitable for all of your marine life.
Weekly/semi-weekly aquarium maintenance
Every one or two weeks, you should clean your fish tank and replace no more than 25% of your tank’s water.
How to clean a fish tank
Cleaning your tank every one to two weeks will prevent any buildup of hazardous chemicals, grime, or other contaminants. While cleaning, you can keep the fish in the tank if you cautiously work around them.
What equipment do I need to clean a fish tank?
While you do not need an abundance of specialized equipment for a simple home aquarium, these tools will make maintenance simpler, quicker, and more effective:
- Gravel vacuum
- Algae scrubber
- Filter brush
- Acrylic-safe cleaner
- Scissors (if your tank contains plant life)
- Aquarium fertilizer (if your tank contains plant life)
Steps to deep cleaning a fish tank
- Wash your hands and entire forearm.
- Unplug all filters and lights. Close any open valves if you have a sump pump.
- Remove 15 to 25% of your tank’s water. Do not remove more than this amount of water, as it will interrupt the biological filtration inside your tank.
- Remove non-living decor and gently rinse and scrub with hot water.
NOTE: When rinsing items in your tank, do not use unfiltered tap water. The chlorine in city-treated water will kill good bacteria on your items and cause disturbances to your aquarium’s ecosystem. Using reverse osmosis water will effectively rinse your aquarium accessories while not disrupting good bacteria.
- Scrub the inside glass with an algae scraper. Then use an acrylic-safe glass cleaner and scrub the inside glass.
- Vacuum the tank’s gravel. Good bacteria live in the tiny crevices between pieces of gravel, so a gravel vacuum will only pick up a small percentage of them. As a result, gravel vacuums will not compromise the biological filtration inside the aquarium.
- Remove filter media and lightly rinse it. Cleaning your media too well will remove beneficial bacteria from your tank. When your filter media needs to be replaced, never replace more than one-third of your filters at once.
- Place your decor back in the tank. Replace the percentage of water you took out of the tank with treated water. You can learn about the benefits of using reverse osmosis water in your aquarium on our blog.
- Open any valves you closed before cleaning. Pour water into the base of your filter to prime it.
- Plug in all tank accessories and filters. Ensure all equipment is working properly.
Monthly aquarium maintenance
Each month, you need to test the quality of water in your aquarium. This task ensures that the pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphate levels in your tank are appropriate for your fish and plants.
How to test aquarium water
Use an aquarium water test kit to test the water. Testing for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, and water hardness is crucial for most freshwater aquariums. Your water pH must also be examined.
Certain kits, like the 6-in-1 test kit, may test many elements in one strip. Other one-contaminant kits give more accurate readings than strips. Testing strips should be soaked in water for the right amount of time and left to sit for reliable results. Your aquarium water test may show high pH or pollutant levels, requiring corrective maintenance.
How to fix low pH in an aquarium
Freshwater aquarium pH should be 6.8–7.8. If your test results are below this line, fix the pH as follows:
Use crushed coral or dolomite gravel for tank substrate. These slowly dissolve to boost and buffer tank pH.
Decorate your aquarium with limestone or coral rock.
Put reverse osmosis water in your aquarium. Adjust the pH of the filtered water to your liking. Adding a remineralizing post-filter to reverse osmosis can raise water alkalinity. Never refill more than 25% of your tank’s water.
High aquarium pH fix
Put driftwood in your tank. This reduces aquarium pH. You may need more driftwood than your aquarium can support to reduce the pH.
Add peat moss or peat stones to your filter. Monitor water pH and add peat as needed.
Put reverse osmosis water in your aquarium. Adjust the pH of the filtered water to your liking. Adding a remineralizing post-filter to reverse osmosis can raise water alkalinity. Never refill more than 25% of your tank’s water.
How to reduce aquarium ammonia
Small levels of ammonia in your aquarium can kill your fish. No more than 0 ppm ammonia is allowed in a tank. If your water has ammonia, try this:
If necessary, clean and replenish 25% of the aquarium’s water. Try this first and easiest solution.
Fill the tank with air. Learn about air pumps on our blog.
Lower tank water pH. See above.
Stock the tank with healthy bacteria.
Tank filtration should be improved. Replace or clean a clogged filter.
How to lower aquarium nitrite and nitrate
A tank’s nitrite and nitrate levels should be below 0.75 and 40 ppm, respectively. Try these solutions if your water contains above these levels:
If necessary, clean and replenish 25% of the aquarium’s water. Try this first and easiest solution.
Fill the tank with air.
Stock the tank with healthy bacteria.
Put live plants in your aquarium.
Avoid overfeeding fish. Extra food often raises nitrate levels. Remove excessive food from the water quickly.
How to lower aquarium phosphate
An aquarium’s phosphate content should be below 0.2 ppm to prevent algal formation. Low levels are crucial for aquarium plants. Try these solutions for phosphate levels exceeding 0.2 ppm:
If necessary, clean and replenish 25% of the aquarium’s water. Phosphate removal in tanks is best done by vacuuming the substrate.
Put phosphate-absorbing material in your tank.
Fish should not be overfed.
Water should not be high in phosphate.
Aquarium water hardness reduction.
No water hardness is ideal for all fish. Each fish type prefers different water hardness. More likely than not, your aquarium’s water hardness is too high. Try one of these to lessen high hardness:
Put reverse osmosis water in your aquarium. Adjust the pH of the filtered water to your liking. Adding a remineralizing post-filter to reverse osmosis can raise water alkalinity. Never refill more than 25% of your tank’s water.
Add peat moss or peat stones to your filter. This gradually reduces water hardness. Check water hardness regularly to avoid low levels. This process is slower and less successful than reverse osmosis.
