How often you need to service an aquarium will depend on its size and the number of fish. The information below is a general guide only.
Check that the filter is working and that the thermometer is reading within normal range for your fish. Spend a few minutes monitoring your aquarium and its fish. Check that all fish are present and looking healthy. If your fish do develop a problem, then the earlier you know about it, the easier it is to remedy it. If you discover a dead fish then remove it immediately using the aquarium net. Refer to Guide to Fish section Fish Health.
AQUARIAN® brand offers nutritional products specific for all your fish needs including goldfish, tropical, bottom feeder, and algae eater.
Monitoring the water chemistry of the aquarium will allow you to deal with any water problems before they harm your fish. Home water test kits and strips can be used to check your water quality, the API Liquid Freshwater Master Test Kit® is accurate, easy to use and will provide data on the most important water parameters in freshwater fish keeping. Your local aquatic store can also assist with testing your aquarium water. If you have just set-up a new aquarium, water testing should be conducted more frequently in the first 4 – 6 weeks, to ensure that the biological filter is maturing well.
Add AQUARIAN® Weekly Cleaner, which contains natural live bacteria to destroy sludge in the substrate of your tank to help keep your aquarium clean and healthy, which will help to reduce maintenance.
Perform water changes by removing 20-25% of the water from the tank into a bucket using a gravel siphon cleaner tube. Before discarding the water, you can use it to rinse the filter inserts (cartridges), if new filter inserts are needed, they can also be rinsed with this water.
Add AQUARIAN® Tap Water Safe to instantly make tap water safe for your fish by neutralizing chlorine, chloramines and other chemicals.
Remove any trapped dirt from the gravel using a siphon tube or special gravel siphon cleaner (various gadgets for cleaning gravel are available from your aquatic retailer). Remove algae from the viewing glass using an algae scraper or algae ‘magnet’.
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Algae are microscopic plants that sometimes form unsightly growths on the aquarium glass and rocks, and occasionally on live plants. Some algae are brown; others are green or red. To control algae, ensure the aquarium is properly maintained. An abundance of green algae may be due to excessive light. Reduce the aquarium lighting to eight hours per day and shield the tank from direct sunlight. Adding more live plants may help as they will compete with the algae for nutrients.
Partial water changes are the best way to remove nitrate and other waste from your aquarium. Because they are the most effective means of eliminating toxins from your water, we recommend partial water changes every two weeks, which will entail scooping out 25% of your existing aquarium water and replacing it with clean, properly conditioned tap water. Partial water changes are much safer and easier on your fish than complete water changes, since good bacteria in your tank are healthy (and essential) for your fish.
