Saturday, February 18, 2017

Useful Tips About 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.

One of the most important aspects is water maintenance. This is something that should be done at least once after every two weeks. In most cases, just 10 to 15 percent of the water gets changed. Water change is done by replacing it as you vacuum the gravel. This eliminates any uneaten foods or residues that may have settled on the substrate. This is an easy way to make water change.

You should always check water parameters of water within the tank and that being added as replacement. Tap water is known to have chlorine and chloramine. The downside of chlorine is that it loses air really fast. Chloramine is a combination of ammonia and chlorine. In either case, water conditioner can be used in neutralizing chlorine. Nevertheless, ammonia will still be within the water and is only broken down using bacteria. The breakdown might take some time, during which fish are negatively affected.

There are other elements that can be found in tap water, notably phosphates, iron and other heavy metals. The details about water composition can be obtained from the local water company. Well water tends to be harder than municipal water but is chlorine free. Filtered water will need to be regularly checked. The filter membranes may get damaged or should be replaced before they reach their expiration.

Proper function of filters is important. The inserts of filters, that is floss, algone and activated carbon need to be changed every month. If however the fish load is high, the replacement should be done after a shorter period. Trapped particles decompose within filters just as they do in the tank. Filters should be cleaned monthly using water extracted from the tank when water is being changed.

The eating pattern of fish is very crucial too. You should be able to know how often the fish need to be fed. This is only possible by knowing how much food they need. Fish have different feeding habits. Some need to be fed more regularly while others need food just once daily. If too much food is placed in the tank, the surplus ends up decomposing.

You will need to strive to get rid of debris such as gravel within the tank before water change is done. It is important that one checks for impurities such as ammonia. This is done using a tester kit and buffer system that are easily gotten from various stores. The tester is used to check chemical levels in the tank. They can 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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