Aquarium Maintenance

Aquariums decorate our homes and maintaining them is a form of hobby for all those who love to see beautiful fish in their homes. Maintaining aquarium can be an interesting task and it can help you to take proper fish care and preserve the habitat of your fish friends. A well maintained aquarium is the first step for ensuring healthy life of fish.

How to Care for an Aquarium

Aquarium maintenance is absolutely important as the life of fish decreases considerably, if it's kept in an unhygienic aquarium for a long period of time. Frequent cleaning and proper steps can help one to take proper care of the aquarium.

Regular Checking of Fish
If you have kept different types of aquarium fish in your fish tank then the possibility of stress and diseases among the fish is fairly high. This makes it essential for you to go for routine check up of various fish in the aquarium, such that no fish is diseased or feeling too stressed.

By observing the behavior of fish you can understand if it is comfortable in the aquarium. The earlier a diseased fish is spotted, the better it is, as then it can be put in some other tank or container so that it won't affect the other fish. Clamped fins, Ich spots, Red/white sores, unusual behavior (swimming too fast or cornering to some side) and gasping at the surface of the aquarium are some of the signs of diseased and stressed fish.

Checking Water of the Tank
Since the quality of water is the most important aspect of aquarium, the fish owner needs to be vigilant about frequently checking the water for its smell, temperature, cloudy or foamy water and water filtration systems.

• High concentration of bacteria (due to uneaten food, fish waste) can cause foamy or cloudy water leading to discomfort in the lifestyle of fish. Foul odor of the fish tank water can also hint the possibility of poor water quality and bacterial infection.
• Cooling or warming the aquarium water involves the use of proper water heaters. Checking the water temperature is important so that fish are able to survive comfortably.
• Water changes of the aquarium are crucial for maintaining hygiene of the fish tank. It is advised to change nearly 25% of the water once or twice a week. Never change whole water of the aquarium, as it spoils the environment of the fish tank.
• While changing the water, you can wash the gravel and put it back at their former places.

Fish Food Eating Habits
Generally, fish pet owners feed more food to fish than required. While feeding your aquarium fish ensure that you avoid overfeeding it. Removing the uneaten bits of food after ten minute of serving them food is necessary so that no food waste accumulates in the fish tank. If fish are not eating properly and show loss of appetite, then it signals towards some disease or discomfort.

Keeping fish in aquarium is challenging, but with regular care and vigilance, aquarium can be made a comfortable home for them. Before installing aquariums in our homes, we must ensure that we are ready to take its care without losing our patience or being lazy. Realizing that lives of various colorful fish is in our hands, motivates us to take all the steps that are necessary for aquarium maintenance.