Ohio Aquarium Care And Maintenance

By Sarah Thomas


The practice of maintaining aquariums ensures the fish are in an environment that is healthy for their survival. Most time consuming and costly problems can be prevented by spending some time every week doing maintenance of the tank. Stability of the tank is perhaps the most important aspect of maintaining it. So long as everything is running smoothly and the fish are doing well, you will not need major changes. For those who reside in Ohio aquarium care and maintenance is done in various ways.

Water change is one of the key maintenance aspects. It should be done after every fortnight. In most cases, you only replace about 15 percent of total water. Replacement is done during vacuuming. This also eliminates uneaten foodstuff or residues that settle on the substrate. This is an effective way of doing water change.

It is important to check water parameters of both tank and water added afresh. In most cases tap water will have chlorine or chloramine. Chlorine loses air very fast while chloramine does not. Chloramine is a mixture of ammonia and chlorine. In both cases, a water conditioner neutralizes chlorine. Ammonia will however still be present if the water has chloramine. Ammonia would have to be broken down by nitrifying bacteria in the aquarium. The process might take longer than fish can tolerate.

There are various other elements such as iron and phosphates that can be found in the water too. The exact composition of water can be gotten from the local water company. This way, you will be able to know which elements need to be controlled. Filtered water should be checked on a regular basis during routine maintenance. Filter membranes might get damaged or ought to be replaced prior to their expiry.

The proper functioning of filters is very important. Filter inserts which are algone, floss and carbon should be changed after every four weeks. In case the load is high however, replacement should be done more regularly. Any trapped particles will decompose in the filters as they do within the tank. Filters should get cleaned every month using water that is extracted from the tank when it gets changed.

The eating pattern of fish should be observed closely. This is so that a daily routine is observed that will determine how often they are fed. Some fish require food frequently while some are fed just once a day. In the event that fish are overfed, the aquarium will end up with decomposing food.

You need to strive to remove debris like gravel from the tank before trying to clean and change water. It will be important to check for impurities like ammonia content. This is done using a tester kit and buffer system which are easily available in the market. These are used to check levels of chemicals. They also check pH level.

Patience will be very important when maintaining a tank. It is advisable to proceed gradually. The variables of water parameters should be changed slowly. There are useful bacteria that should also be protected. The tank needs the useful bacteria for it to stay healthy.




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