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There are many reasons why you should have an aquarium in your home. You can learn how to sustain one by checking out our aquarium maintenance guide here.
If you’ve just set up a new fish tank, congratulations! Colorful and vibrant tropical fish are a pleasure to look at and enjoy, But soon, your tank starts to look a bit brown and dirty.
What’s gone wrong? If you need help with aquarium maintenance, you’re not alone— it can be confusing if you’re new to keeping fish.
With a few easy tips, you can keep your tank healthy and clean. Read on to learn how to maintain your tank, and why it matters.
Daily Aquarium Maintenance
Although aquarium tank maintenance is fairly low, there are a few tasks that you should do each day.
First, you’ll need to feed your fish. This is one of the most fun parts of owning fish, as it’s nice to watch them dart around, catching the food. Generally, feed no more than your fish can eat in a few minutes, as overfeeding can be both bad for the fish and can pollute your aquarium.
Most fish can be fed once per day, but some small fish many need more frequent feedings as they tend to graze— always ask at your pet shop if you're unsure.
Clean the Aquarium Tank Walls
Depending on your tank size, you’ll probably want to clean the walls once per week as part of your aquarium servicing. This removes algae, keeping your glass clear and easy to see into.
An easy way to do this is with a magnetic scrubbing brush. It attaches to both the inside and outside of the tank, via a magnet, so you can move the brush from the outside to clean away any algae, without getting your hands wet.
If there’s not much to look at in your tank, you may want to make your aquarium unique, adding more fish or corals.
While you do this, you might want to vacuum your gravel as well, which is a hose that removes unwanted debris from your tank and gravel floor.
Change the Water
Your fish and plants depend on healthy water to stay alive, so changing water is an important part of fish tank care. Changing water removes debris and old fish food and removes ammonia and natural waste from the water, which can be harmful to your fish.
However, it’s not too tough, as you don’t need to remove your fish from the tank— this would be stressful for them. Instead, try to take out 10-15% of your tank water each week and replace it with clean water.
Let the new water sit for a day before adding to the tank, so it can get to room temperature.
Keep Your Aquarium Looking Beautiful
Once you get into a routine, aquarium maintenance is easy to do, and a fun way to keep an eye on your gorgeous fish and tank set up.
With regular cleaning, your fish, corals, and plants will stay healthy and thrive, adding color and beauty to your home for years to come.
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