Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: Your Freshwater Aquarium Needs For You To Maintenance It Regularly!

In any enterprise, there are some upsides and
downsides. In the delightful hobby of
fish-keeping, there are a number of upsides that
is enjoyed by even the most ordinary of persons.
Proof of this is the fact that this hobby is
ranked 2nd worldwide next to gardening. The only
downside so far, if it can be called that, is the
periodic freshwater aquarium maintenance.

However, every freshwater aquarium hobbyist knew
by heart that the very lives of their pets depend
on the success or failure in their routine
maintenance work. A sloppy work could mean
destroying the lives of their little wards. A
thorough job means more hours of enjoyment
watching how serene their lives in their perfect
watery habitat can be.

The following are some of the many important
maintenance requirements for freshwater aquariums.

However, the hobbyists also knew that maintenance
is the key to the cleanliness (and the resulting
beauty) of their fish and their aquariums. Water
as a medium of life is alive with energy for the
animals and the fish that dwell in it more so
than a maybe garden or a dog house.

Freshwater maintenance is the all-important
ingredient in owning a bunch of fish living in an
aquarium because the lives of the pets themselves
depend on how well (or lousy) it is done by the
owner. The following are some of the more
important maintenance features.

Algae

Like the proverbial fly in dry land, algae are
the scourge in wet and watery regions like the
insides of an aquarium. Algae can totally ruin
any aquarium tank, and not just its looks (it
makes clear glass blurry) but also its total
hygiene.

A plecostomus can do the job of cleaning the
inside panel of the aquarium. Like any other
non-systematic cleaner, the tiny aquatic janitor
cannot do all the work. You really have to do the
manual scrubbing yourself. (Side note: Do not
overfeed your pets. Aside from the clutter, these
can provide fertile nutrients for your dreaded
algae as well.)

Filters

The most obvious sign that you need to change
your filter is the color of the tank's water.
Today, power filters are used instead of the
manual filters of yesterday hobbyists. These are
devices that regulate the particles in the water,
filter them, and store the filtered dirt inside
the device.

Today, instead of cleaning the power filter
itself, the up-to-date method is to replace the
filter once every three to four weeks.

For that fishy smell of the water, it is
recommended that you replace the filters more
often. The strong smell is an indication that the
dirt in the water is getting lethal to your
aquatic pets swimming in it.

Water

For regular "cleaning" of the aquarium's water,
you have to change it once every two weeks. It is
not as hard as it sounds because only about 20%
of the water is drained and replaced. A simple
siphon is used on this.

The Tank

Once a month, your aquarium tank had to be
scrubbed clean. It is not as painful as tooth
extraction. With some planning and some system,
it can be done and done well enough.

First, move your aquatic pets to a temporary
container. Next, drain the tank's water.
Afterwards, gently scrub both sides of the glass
panes with a sponge, taking off the accumulated
dirt.

Next, take out the decorations and immerse them
in hot water that had salt in it. Scrub them with
a sponge, and under no circumstances should you
use soap. Soap is deadly to anything alive in
your tank, your pets included.

Take out the plants (if any) and do your trimming
and cleaning while the water level is low. (Do
not flush out the trimmings because it might
enter into your local waterways. Dispose of them
in the trash after they have dried.)

Use your gravel vacuum to suck away the remaining
dirt around. Rinse everything with clean water
and vacuum again and again until you see clean
water.

Water Refill

Refill your tank with water that has the same
temperature as the old one. (Note: Regular tap
water cannot be a substitute to the original
water content.)

Pasteurize your water first and cool it down to
the right temperature. (Some people use distilled
water to make sure about the purity. It is
expensive, though.)

Equipment

Look into your lighting and see if anything needs
cleaning and replacements. The bulb must be
cleaned of dust buildup.

The airline tubing of your air pump should be
flexible still. If hard and encrusted with
mineral deposits or algae, immediately replace
it. If the airflow is reduced, replace the air
stone.

Look at your heater's glass tube for cracks.
Check on the temperature to see if the heater is
still functioning.

More Equipment Checks

Are your water circulation devices still working?

Dismantle your filter to clean the parts. Use a
bottlebrush for scrubbing out the pipes and
tubes. The gaskets and the O-rings have to be
cleaned and oiled if needed.

Remove and clean the impeller and the impeller
housing for obstruction or replace it. Do not as
yet discard or replace any old media right away.

Replace them if you want, but have a little
portion of the old media in the filter for
sometime. This is to "seed" the new media with
the nitrifying bacteria.

Maintenance Schedule

The schedules of maintenance should be your own
making. Every system is different from person to
person, and from aquarium to aquarium. This is
because the wear and tear of the things in your
system is dependent on the pets and the aquarium.

Keep a log of everything related with your
aquarium - the cleaning schedules, expenses,
equipment replacements, receipts, and comments,
if any. Here you will get a big help for all the
things that matter about your aquarium.
Maintaining your aquarium is a lot of work and
slightly time consuming but well worth the trip
especially if you do not fall behind on it.

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hwater-aquarium-maintenance/ .

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