Good aquarium maintenance practices will lead to a healthy aquatic environment and thriving fish, providing years of joy for the hobbyist. Jump to routine maintenance guide! Expensive and time-consuming problems can be prevented by spending thirty minutes on maintenance every other week. The biggest factor for maintenance is tank stability. As long as everything is running properly and your fish are healthy, there is no need for any major change, even if the pH or hardness seems to be slightly out of range; only increases or decreases of the major aquarium water parameters will need your careful but immediate attention. A key part of aquarium maintenance is the water change, which should be performed about every two weeks. In most cases, 10-15% of the tank volume is sufficient. A good method is to replace the water extracted while vacuuming the gravel, which will eliminate uneaten foods and other residues that settle on the substrate. It is highly recommended to check the water parameters of both the tank and replacement water.

Most tap water (city water) contains either chlorine or chloramine. Chlorine will air out rather quickly (kept in an aerated bucked for twenty-four hours); chloramine (chloramine = chlorine + ammonia) will not. Using a water conditioner will neutralize the chlorine in both cases, but ammonia will still be present in the latter. 5ft fish tank cabinetIt has to be broken down by the nitrifying bacteria present in the aquarium. biorb fish tank no bubblesThis may take longer than your fish can tolerate.2ft fish tank and stand for sale Other elements of municipal water may be phosphates, iron, and other heavy metals. new fish tank set up cloudy water

To find out about your tap water chemistry, call your local water company. Well water is usually harder than tap water, but is chlorine/chloramine free. Filtered water should also be checked on a regular basis and should be considered part of your aquarium maintenance routine. buying used fish tankThe filter membranes could be damaged or may require replacement prior to the expiration date.fish tank for guppies Water chemistry is not visible; therefore, it is vital to check it on a regular basis. The best way to make this a routine is to check on the tank chemistry while changing the water. The vital parameters are pH, nitrates, nitrites, and carbonate hardness (salinity for marine tanks). Stability is the main factor with pH. pH in the range of 6.5 – 7.5 is suitable for most species, but they can adjust if slightly out of range.

KH (carbonate hardness) is the indicator of pH stability. It should be kept under close observation if it comes close to 4.5 dH (degree hardness) or 80 ppm. You must take action if it decreases any further. Half a teaspoon of baking soda per twenty-five gallons of water will raise the kH by about 1 dH (17.8 ppm). Nitrites should be undetectable at all times (except during cycling). If you detect nitrites make sure you check on ammonia as well. Nitrates should be kept below 10 ppm in freshwater and 5 ppm in marine and reef (preferably 0 ppm). The proper function of the filter is essential. Filter inserts (floss, Algone, activated carbon) should be changed at least every four weeks. A high fish load may require shorter periods. Trapped particles will decompose in the filter as they would in the tank. The filter should also be cleaned once a month (do not touch the bio-wheels, if present) by using the water extracted from the tank during the water change.Saltwater Aquarium Set Up.

Once you have planned what kind of saltwater aquarium you want and purchased everything needed to put it together, by following these 10 easy steps you can have your new aquarium set up and running in no time at all. Starting with Step 1, here's how to get the aquarium ready. One step at a time and your tank will be up and running in no time. Aquarium Cabinet w/sump Installed. Photo by Stan & Debbie Hauter Now that you have completed your New Aquarium Plan, checked off everything on your Checklist of Items for Starting an Aquarium and purchased the equipment, it's time to put it all together. To get the aquarium ready: Put the stand into place and level it, being sure to leave clearance for electrical connections and equipment.Clean the tank with freshwater and a soft cloth or sponge.If you plan to cover the back of the tank, paint it a color you like, or apply a piece of manufactured vinyl 92g Bow Front tank sump. In this step, you will install the sump and its associated equipment and plumbing under the aquarium.

If you follow the steps, one by one, the sump equipment installation will go together quite quickly. If your system has a sump: Install materials in the Wet/Dry Trickle Filter. Install the overflow hose from the tank to the sump (#1 in the photo above). Install the return pump(#2) and hose (#4). Install Sump Mounted Protein Skimmer. In the photo above, you can see where a If your system does not have a sump you can move right to installing all of the tank related equipment. At this point, you can delay installing your aquarium lighting system as it will just be in the way when you are installing the sea salts, substrate and tank decorations. Install tank mounted (Hang On Tank Power or Canister) filtration system.If using a hang on filter, remove the filter pads, rinse them in freshwater, then put them back in the filter before installing it on the back wall of Run the Wet Test. Photo by Stan & Debbie Hauter At this point it's best to run a system wet test.

Taking the time to do this allows you to make sure that everything is in proper working order before putting any salt or livestock in the aquarium. You probably don't want to install your sea salts, substrate or live rock in the tank now because: If you have to drain the tank for some reason, the water with the sea salts will either have to be siphoned off and saved, or be wasted.If you are using "live sand", the freshwater used in the Install Substrate & Sea Salts. Next we are going to install your Substrate, Sea Salts and Live Rock. Choosing the Right Substrate for your tank before installing it is important, if for no other reason than it is difficult to remove once the tank is up and running. Hopefully, you have done the research ahead of time and determined the best Sea Salt for your particular aquarium. Once the system has been checked for leaks, shut the system down and remove a few gallons of water from the tank and sump. Next, add your sea salts. Install the Live Rock & Run the System.

If you have live rock cured and ready for use, or you are not going to use live rock at all, go on to Step 5 and Aquascape the Tank. If you have not yet purchased live rock you are going to put in your aquarium, now is the time to buy and prepare it for use, which can be done in several ways: Option 1 ) The standard method is to fully cure live rock is in a separate curing setup. Option 2 ) If you intend to cycle the aquarium with live rock, are adding it to an established system, or just Install the Tank Lights. While your tank water water is clearing, it's a good time to install your saltwater aquarium lighting system. The lighting requirements for a Fish Only (FO) tank are fairly flexible. The day/night periods can be adjusted to suit your lifestyle but still giving your tank critters at least 8 hours of darkness so they can sleep. Light timers are a good investment as they will turn the lights on and off at a predetermined time every day. If you plan to add corals to your tank at some point, you will...

Add a Few Fish & Cycle the Tank. Once the tank water has cleared, it's time to start adding your livestock. It is highly recommended that you don't rush this process. It takes time for a good biological filter base to populate with beneficial bacteria. Have you ever heard a aquarist say "Gee, I wish I had put a lot more fish in my tank to begin with"? So, how many fish to begin with? It depends a lot on a few factors: How big is your tank and how healthy is your biological filter? The "One Inch of Fish per 5... Adding More Fish & Corals. As time goes on, you can slowly add more fish, corals and other invertebrates. Generally speaking, corals and most invertebrates (Hermit Crabs and Snails) do not add much of a bio-load to an aquarium, however fish, even small ones can add dramatically to the amount of ammonia that a new biological filter will be called upon to process. Top off the tank with freshwater as needed. Monitor the water quality, especially the ammonia levels.