Ohio Aquarium Care And Maintenance

By Sarah Thomas


Good maintenance of aquariums will lead to a healthy tank that fish can thrive in. Most expensive and time demanding problems are prevented by spending time weekly doing maintenance of the tank. Th biggest factor is stability of the tank. Everything should be balanced. As long as everything is operating smoothly and the fish are healthy, there are no major changes needed. For residents of Ohio aquarium care and maintenance will involve different aspects.

Water change is a key part of maintenance and should be performed every two weeks. In majority of cases, just 10 to 15 percent of water volume will be changed. Water can be changed by replacing extracted water while vacuuming gravel. This will also eliminate uneaten foods and other residues which settle on the substrate. This is the easiest to do water change.

You should always check water parameters of water within the tank and that being added as replacement. Tap water is known to have chlorine and chloramine. The downside of chlorine is that it loses air really fast. Chloramine is a combination of ammonia and chlorine. In either case, water conditioner can be used in neutralizing chlorine. Nevertheless, ammonia will still be within the water and is only broken down using bacteria. The breakdown might take some time, during which fish are negatively affected.

There are other elements that can be found in tap water, notably phosphates, iron and other heavy metals. The details about water composition can be obtained from the local water company. Well water tends to be harder than municipal water but is chlorine free. Filtered water will need to be regularly checked. The filter membranes may get damaged or should be replaced before they reach their expiration.

Proper function of filters is important. The inserts of filters, that is floss, algone and activated carbon need to be changed every month. If however the fish load is high, the replacement should be done after a shorter period. Trapped particles decompose within filters just as they do in the tank. Filters should be cleaned monthly using water extracted from the tank when water is being changed.

The eating pattern of fish is very crucial too. You should be able to know how often the fish need to be fed. This is only possible by knowing how much food they need. Fish have different feeding habits. Some need to be fed more regularly while others need food just once daily. If too much food is placed in the tank, the surplus ends up decomposing.

You should strive to get rid of debris such as gravel from within the aquarium before cleaning or changing water. As that happens, you should check for such impurities as ammonia. This is possible through the use of tester kits that can be purchased from various stores. Testers are used to check chemical levels and level of pH.

Patience with fish will be critical. You should proceed slowly. Water parameters should be adjusted by changing the variables slowly. Protecting good bacteria will also be important so that water quality is maintained. Without the good bacteria, water quality will be adversely affected.




About the Author:



0 comments:

Post a Comment

 

Holidays Copyright © 2011-2012 | Powered by Blogger