STAGE FOUR
MAINTENANCE
WHY is maintenance necessary?
Once you have arrived at a balanced, healthy aquarium it
is your job as its keeper to maintain that balance. The main problem in the
enclosed system of the aquarium is that without regular maintenance the
quality of the water will deteriorate – this will happen slowly but surely.
Because the deterioration is gradual we may not notice it initially but your
fish will as the aquarium is their home, their total environment and their
well-being and lives depend on its water quality. With a little effort on a
regular basis, you can keep your aquarium healthy and balanced and your fish
will reward you with longer, less disease-prone, more colourful
lives.
WHAT happens to the water?
Over time the water will begin to discolour
and the sparkle and shine your aquarium had when new will be lost, unless you
do the correct maintenance. The waste produced by your fish is very acidic and
this affects your aquarium in three ways:
- The pH (the measure of acidity/alkalinity)
goes down.
- The KH (the measure of carbonate hardness)
goes down.
- The nitrates (produced by the action of
bacteria on fish waste) increase.
These changes affect your fish in many ways
but they will live longer, healthier lives if you maintain your aquarium at
optimum levels on all these three fronts. Please see the information on pH, KH
and nitrates.
HOW do I do the maintenance?
Check that you have all the equipment
necessary. The basic items required are listed.
Use the algae pad/scraper or magnet to clean algae from the glass and remove excess algae from rocks, ornaments etc. As the fish are continually eating, converting their food into energy and passing their waste products into your nicely balanced aquarium, you should test the water regularly using 'Heath Check' in 'Aquatest'. This will give you an indication of how
far the water quality has deteriorated since the last water
change.
To 'freshen' the water for your fish you will need to make regular changes of a proportion of the water. How much water to change and how often, are greatly argued in the fish trade and many 'rules of thumb' are quoted. However, as every aquarium is different the only sure advice is that you need to make small but regular water changes. Larger, greedier fish will require more water changes than only a few tiny fish and if you find you are struggling to keep the pH, KH and nitrate levels correct this indicates that more frequent or larger water changes are necessary. Ultimately, though, the optimum regularity and volume of changes needed for your aquarium are for you to decide and will be found by experience using 'Aquatest'.
As a guide, it would be considered too much to change more than about 1/3 at a time but with a minimum of one change a month being the least you could get away with. A 10% - 20% change every week to fortnight would be about right for most aquaria but only by testing the water regularly and making partial water changes accordingly can the ideal water quality be maintained. Use 'Aquatest' keep a
record of the test results, this will help you judge what is best for your
aquarium.
For a partial water change you will need a
gravel washer which enables you to draw off some of the aquarium water
together with dirt and debris which will have accumulated in the
gravel.
Once you have drawn off the water it is
important to prepare, in a bucket, fresh water to replace it; this can be
tapwater and ideally this should be at the same temperature as the aquarium.
Now add the appropriate water conditioner(s) to both the new water and to your
part-empty aquarium to make the tapwater safe for the fish and protect their
delicate mucous membrane. Use 'Aquatest' to advise you of suitable products
and the rates of dosage. Give the new water a thorough stir and wait around 45
minutes and it is ready to add to the aquarium. However, before adding it, you
will find it easier to clean powerheads/internal filters, change airstones
etc. while the water level in the aquarium is low, so it is best to perform
these items of maintenance, if required, at this time.
Once you have refilled your tank we suggest that you add 'sera Nitrivec' & 'sera Ammovec' – these are friendly bacteria which are
supplied in liquid form in a bottle – which live in the aquarium and break
down the organic wastes, so keeping it healthy and in balance. Many of these
bacteria will be lost during cleaning so it is necessary to boost your colony
back to full strength.
