Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Aquarium Maintenance Service And What One Needs To Know

By Lora Jones


With aquarium maintenance service, fish are sure to have a healthy aquatic environment. Thus the fish are bound to thrive. Eventually, this ensures they live for much longer. Problems that are costly and time consuming can be prevented by spending some little time for maintenance every other week. Thirty minutes would do. In so doing, there would be no need to schedule major routine maintenance services that tend to cost more.

The most vital aspect that needs consideration in tank maintenance is stability. In this, the health of the fish should be considered first. If all systems in the aquarium are running effectively, there should be no consideration for any changes, at least not major ones. This is not even when the acidity levels of the water have changed. The only time major changes would be called for is when the main water parameters increase or decrease.

Water in the aquarium is their most important component because if it was not clean enough, they would perish. The change of water should be done after every fortnight. Approximately 10 to 15% of the water volume is just enough. A good way of carrying out this is to do the replacement of water while vacuuming the gravel at the same time. This serves to eliminate uneaten foods and other residues.

In the course of replacement, the parameters of both the tank and the water for replacement need careful consideration. Water that is supplied by cities in taps normally contains chlorine and chloramine. Chlorine tends to lose air at a fast rate and should be kept aerated for some twenty four hours or so before being used. Chloramine is a combination of both ammonia and chlorine. To neutralize chlorine in both cases, water conditioners are used.

Neutralization hardly ever gets rid of ammonia. It remains in the water after that process. However, the bacteria in the aquarium are able to break the ammonia down, but at a slow rate. The rate is so slow that the fish cannot tolerate which is a disadvantage and may end up being dangerous. There are other elements that are found in tap water as well, namely phosphates, iron and heavy metals.

Whereas well water is harder than tap water, it does not contain the element chlorine. Water that is filtered needs regular checking and is meant to be part of the consideration for aquarium maintenance service. The membranes that do the filtering should be checked once in a while and even replaced before they expire.

Filtration takes place effectively when filter inserts are changed regularly. Once in four weeks is the recommended period. High fish loads would call for replacement after shorter periods. Any particles trapped in the filters are bound to decompose, just as they would in the tank. Cleaning of the filter should be done once every month using the water that is being extracted during change.

Heating of aquariums is recommended in very cold places, which is why heater repair should be part of aquarium maintenance service. When water is being changed, the heater ought to be placed low enough so that it does not crack or shock people. It could also be unplugged for enhanced safety. If all maintenance practices are taken into account, fish would thrive.




About the Author:



No comments: