How To Care For Your Fish Tank

Fish tanks require routine maintenance to be able to stay happy and healthy. This means using a gravel vacuum, water changes, keeping up with algae, and possibly caring for live plants if that applies to you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWxuD4ALfSQ

Gravel Vacuums

Having a gravel vacuum is a necessity to remove waste and debris from the substrate of your aquarium as well as easily remove water from the tank. Here is an easy way to get your gravel vacuum to start syphoning water. Once you get the water syphoning, remember to move the vacuum around to clean as much gravel as you can without draining your tank. Generally, the goal is to do a 10-15% water change each week. This rule does have wiggle room depending on how heavily stocked your tank is (how many fish you have and how much waste they produce). If you feel that you have to change more than 15% of the water, it's not the end of the world. Just keep track of your water parameters after doing this to make sure you don't shock your fish.

If you have a larger tank like I do, I highly recommend getting an automatic water changer so you are not having to carry buckets of water back and forth to the sink. I promise it is worth the money.

Cleaning Decorations

Aquarium decorations can get covered with algae and other unwanted gunk from the fish tank. In order to clean this off, run the decor under warm water and scrub with a sponge, brush, or paper towel. It is important to not use any soaps or chemicals when doing this because the residue can hurt the fish. Similarly, don't use any cleaning supplies that have been used previously with chemicals.

Algae Maintenance

If you start to see green or brown marks on the walls of your tank, decorations, etc. do not be alarmed; that's normal. Most types of algae are not harmful to your fish, however, it can get a little unsightly. Check out this article to help identify what type of algae you have. In most cases, a quick wipe down of the areas with algae will at least temporarily fix the problem. A lot of times, algae is caused by too much sunlight in the tank so if the problem persists, try moving your tank to a different spot. If the algae doesn't come off just by wiping it, try using an algae scraper.

Live Plant Maintenance

This is not a step that needs to happen every time you clean your tank but plants can become unruly so some fish-keepers prefer to cut back their plants to make the tank look clean and tidy. If your plants are having a hard time growing, it may be a good idea to also add some aquarium plant fertilizer.

Refilling the Tank

When refilling the tank, don't forget to add water conditioner. Water conditioner helps get rid of unwanted minerals in tap water like chlorine. It is also important that if you are going to use buckets to refill your tank that it is used for fish only. You cannot use the same bucket that you use to mop your floor to refill your fish tank because the chemical residue can be extremely dangerous for fish. Be sure to check the temperature of the water to ensure that it is close to that of the water that your fish is in because extreme changes in temperature can shock your fish.

Cleaning the Outside of the Tank

The outside of your tank can get water spots, dust, or dirt on them. It is best to not use chemicals such as Windex because the mist from the spray can easily travel inside of the tank. You should only use water or white vinegar on the outside of the tank.

Next weeks post will be the last post for a little while :( . We will be talking about Freshwater vs. Saltwater tanks!