10 tips for maintaining your aquarium

You have one or more beautiful fish at home, or you’re thinking about introducing fish into your life? Then, you probably know that the maintenance of an aquarium requires special attention to ensure that your fish swim in the best ecosystem there is.

First, an aquarium is an enclosed environment and, as such, it requires your involvement to ensure water quality is maintained, hardware is functioning correctly, and that any livestock is properly taken care of. Keeping this in mind, here are our top 10 tips to guarantee successful tank and fish maintenance.

Tip #1: Change the water
Every couple of weeks, perform a 20-30% water change. You can use a gravel cleaner to remove trapped debris as this will also help stabilize pH and KH levels.

Tip #2: Add water regularly
Top off any evaporated water every few days. This will help avoid mineral deposit lines on the tank glass and, in marine environments, help to support consistent salinity levels.

Tip #3: Clean your aquarium
Clean the tank glass every week. Bio-films and algae do grow slowly and are not always visible. Use a glass cleaning magnet on the inside of the tank, in addition to an aquarium-safe glass cleaner to wipe the outside.

Tip #4: Clean your sources of light
Clean your aquarium lighting lens or fluorescent bulb every couple of weeks. Deposits on lights can dramatically diminish the light entering your aquarium.

Tip #5: Maintain your filter clean
Filter maintenance is very important. Fluval filters are designed to quickly and effectively allow easy mechanical media access for rinsing, so do this at least once a month to avoid organic pollutants from diminishing water quality or impair chemical and biological media.

Tip #6: Trim the living plants
If you keep live plants, trim and prune them when necessary and consider adding a Co2 system. Plants are almost 50% carbon by dry weight, and Co2 is the most effective way to directly nourish them.

Tip #7: Verify the water and filter every day
Check your aquarium’s water temperature and proper filter operation daily. This only takes a few seconds, and is imperative to the survival of your livestock. If necessary, you may have to treat your water to neutralize the chlorine, chloramine and undesirable metals levels.

Tip #8: Check your fish every day
Be sure to also check your fish daily – particularly when adding new tank mates. Early disease detection can make all the difference in successful treatment.

Tip #9: Put the new fish in quarantine
Quarantine new fish for at least a couple of weeks in a separate, bare aquarium. Be sure they’re eating properly and do not show any physical signs of disease. If they do require treatment, doing so in a quarantine aquarium is more effective and will avoid damage to your main aquarium.

Tip #10: Test your water regularly
Test your tap water and aquarium water regularly. The following tests are generally recommended: pH, KH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and phosphate.

By following these tips, you can help ensure a successful maintenance of your aquarium, as long as you demonstrate discipline and consistency. The general rule to follow is to monitor your fish and the condition of your aquarium regularly and stay on top of any changes. Your fish will thank you! Best of luck and remember to always have fun!

For more tips and advice on fish and their maintenance, check out the Fluval Aquatic website, which is full of useful information on the subject!