How to maintain an aquarium. Rules for operating aquariums Home aquarium: care and maintenance
Over time, the water parameters in the aquarium change under the influence of the vital activity of fish and invertebrate animals, the equipment wears out, so the key to successful maintenance of a reef aquarium remains systematic monitoring and regular maintenance by the aquarist. You can achieve success in different ways: automate the system as much as possible, entrusting it with taking care of the parameters and saving yourself from routine work, or, conversely, gain satisfaction by performing simple operations yourself.
Aquarium maintenance is a series of daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual activities aimed at maintaining optimal conditions in the aquarium within a narrow range, keeping the vital system in good working order.
The main criterion for proper aquarium care is the well-being of the animals, their growth and reproduction. Such operations include feeding animals, monitoring the temperature, adding water to replace the evaporated water to compensate for salinity, cleaning the inner surface of the glass from lower algae, partial water changes, cleaning mechanical filters, monitoring water parameters using tests, and more.
Daily aquarium maintenance activities
Counting fish and checking the general health of animals.
General check of equipment performance.
Feeding the fish.
Water temperature control. If you have controllers for pH, redox potential, and specific conductivity, you can check their readings.
Add fresh or salt water to replace the evaporated water (if necessary).
If there is a water level controller, fill the appropriate containers.
If necessary, adjust the ozone output.
Cleaning up uneaten food, dead animals and rotting algae.
Every 1-2 days it may be necessary to empty the skimmer's skimmer tray.
In the presence of a large number of well-growing corals or calcareous algae Halimedaspp. daily or every other day application of Ca(OH)2 or other additives to compensate for calcium and carbonate complex.
Checking the condition of the U-shaped overflow tube. 
Weekly aquarium maintenance activities
Cleaning the front glass from algae (sometimes this procedure may be required more often - after 3-5 days). If there are algae from the genus Mesophyllum, use a safety razor blade to remove them (only for silicate glasses). Plexiglas aquariums should be cleaned with non-abrasive materials and more frequently to avoid stubborn fouling.
When changing weekly, replace about 3-5% of the water with fresh water.
If there is excessive algae growth, thin out the overgrown thickets of micro- and macroalgae.
Addition of trace elements, iodine, strontium and vitamins.
Checking the salinity of water using a hydrometer.
Mandatory control of pH and carbonate hardness (alkalinity) with the addition of a pH buffer.
Removing salt from cover glass (if any) and from lighting equipment.
The equipment must first be unplugged and allowed to cool.
Monthly aquarium maintenance activities
If the skimmer column is exposed to light, clean the contact chamber of algae.
If you decide to change the water no more than 1-2 times a month, replace approximately 10% of the water with fresh water.
When changing water, carefully clean the sand using a siphon.
Replacement of activated carbon in the carbon filter and after the ozonizer.
Replacement of wooden nozzles in foam separators.
Cleaning electrodes for measuring redox potential and pH from fouling in special solutions.
Checking the quality of source water after ion exchange columns or reverse osmosis installations. 
Quarterly aquarium maintenance events
Disassembling and cleaning the internal from bacterial mucus.
Cleaning the hoses using a brush. Checking the quality of electrical connections.
Checking the reliability of the connecting fasteners, especially the rotor and chamber.
Annual aquarium maintenance events
Replacement of fluorescent and metal halide lamps.
Carefully rinse the contents of the biofilter in old sea water.
Replacing the connecting tubes of the UV sterilizer.
Replacing the air check valve on the compressor discharge line.
Replacing diaphragms in the compressor. 
In conclusion, let us remind you that it is better to perform equipment maintenance operations regularly, distributing the work within the specified period, without leaving everything to the last moment. It is no secret that equipment is usually replaced when it fails. In this case, it is advisable to purchase a backup pump, lamps, a heater, and spare membranes for the compressor, which you will always have at hand. You can quickly restore normal operation of the life support system, and there will be no need to frantically search for a malfunction or new equipment. The importance of maintenance cannot be underestimated. You must always remember that an aquarium is just a small closed system that completely depends on your knowledge. Any minor problem left unattended can lead to costly troubles.
Every aquarist knows that as soon as the “house” for the fish begins to operate (the equipment is installed and running, and the fish are introduced), the problem of regular cleaning procedures will immediately arise. They are of great importance both for the life of the aquarium inhabitants themselves and for the long-term functioning of the equipment. Today we will talk about how home aquariums should be maintained.
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Daily
Remember that each aquarium is individual, and the requirements for the timing of its cleaning will vary. Thus, maintenance of an aquarium depends on a number of factors: the size of the water space, the size of the inhabitants, equipment, soil, design and decor, the presence of vegetation. In general, it is worth noting that daily aquarium cleaning procedures take from 10 to 20 minutes a day, and in addition - about 2 hours for deep cleaning once a week.
The main task of regular care comes down to feeding the fish. In addition, the condition of fish families is regularly inspected, as well as equipment is checked. Next we will talk about how to properly care for an aquarium.
Fish inspection
Remember that there is no better time to inspect your fish than during feeding. Usually at this moment even the most timid inhabitants of the aquarium get out of their hiding places. If your pets prefer to be nocturnal, then the examination will have to be carried out in the dark, using small additional light sources. Please also note that some types of fish prefer to hide in special shelters. The owner should inspect them too, knowing where these secret holes are located.
If everything is fine with the fish, then you can safely feed them and start the second part of your daily care. But if you notice any oddities in the behavior of your pets, then further maintenance of the aquarium needs to be interrupted and you need to start looking for the cause of the fish’s ill health. Do not forget: in the event of a fish death, the corpse is removed from the aquarium immediately.
Equipment check
This stage, aimed at the holistic maintenance of aquariums, is best carried out in the morning or evening (at the time the light sources are turned on or off). Pay attention to whether the water temperature is set and maintained at the correct level. In addition, it is worth paying attention to the operation of aquarium filters. So, the liquid should pass freely through all the tubes, and the air pump could easily supply oxygen. Don't forget to check that the lighting fixtures are working correctly.
Weekly
Weekly maintenance of aquariums is aimed at replacing part of the water mass with a clean and fresh one. Also important in this process is the removal of any remaining detritus that was not collected by the filters. In addition, complete cosmetic cleaning is carried out: washing glass, inspecting and strengthening plants. Next we will take a closer look at each of the points.
Water change
Proper aquarium care requires regular water changes. The amount of water changed will always vary. The fact is that this indicator is determined depending on the level of nitrates in the water. On average, every week you need to clean at least 20% of the total mass of the liquid. Remember that if the amount of nitrates becomes critical, the fish will be poisoned. Except for situations where the amount of contaminants is at a critical level, it is not recommended to remove more than one third of the liquid in one cleaning.
The procedure itself is carried out using a special siphon, which, while cleaning the soil, takes the required amount of water along with detritus. In addition, after this, clean water is poured, the temperature and chemical parameters of which do not differ from those in the aquarium.
Soil cleaning
Typically, the same device is used to clean the soil as for replacing water. But here you need to be careful and understand that such mechanical soil cleaning will damage the fragile biological filtration system. However, in a large number of cases, large fish waste does not sink to the lower layers of the soil, but accumulates on its surface, which, if properly cleaned, will make it possible to treat the bacterial layer as neutrally as possible.
Waste
As for waste, there are a number of difficulties associated with keeping fish. The fact is that waste, even if it accumulates in special filter materials, still causes harm to the aquarium. They participate in the general process of water circulation, which means that while continuing to decompose, they somehow end up with the fish. It is also worth remembering the fact that solid fish waste is unpleasant to look at and can carry infectious diseases, but in general it is harmless to their bodies.
Filter care
Remember that the regularity of filter cleaning in a process that serves as aquarium maintenance is carried out based solely on the type, model, brand of filter, and in addition, taking into account the filter material. As a rule, chemical filtration media need regular replacement (coal and peat), while mechanical components (sponge or synthetic threads) can only get by with regular washing.
If problems with filter clogging often occur, then the entire mass of solid particles should be removed using mechanical filtration. Usually sponges are used for this, which can be washed once a week until they are worn out. The moment the filter needs maintenance, the first thing you need to do is reduce its load. Also, remember that if you clean a biological filter, you will have about 60 minutes before the beneficial bacteria in it die, which should be enough to get the filter back to working.
Plant care
Remember that the plant world of the aquarium also needs regular care. Dead leaves should be trimmed and some types of plants should be pruned regularly. This is important because some species of aquatic flora grow in such a way that they reach the surface, leaving most of the aquatic stem completely bare. By pruning them, you can achieve the appearance of additional side shoots, which will remain green and thick for a long time. In addition, there is a group of plants that need regular thinning, otherwise they can easily take over the entire aquarium.
A common food for aquarium flora is nitrates. If their supply to the root system is disrupted, the plant begins to weaken and die. In order to help him at this moment, you need to feed him, which will be part of the process responsible for maintaining the aquarium.
- During regular inspection of the aquarium, you need to monitor the water level. If some of it evaporates, then you must add new portions.
- In addition to cleaning the filter, you must also clean other equipment in the aquarium, such as the aerator.
- It is best to feed aquarium plants with special complex fertilizers.
Video “Cleaning the Aquarium”
From the video “Cleaning the Aquarium” you will learn a lot of interesting things.
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Question No. 156 “After what periods should the aquarium be maintained?”
1 is daily maintenance. Includes: cleaning up food residues, dead fish, rotten parts of plants.
Also check the operation of the equipment, the serviceability of the heater, the operation of the filter compressor.
2 weekly services or 1 time every 10 days.
Includes replacing part of the water in the aquarium, siphoning the soil, and applying a complex of mineral fertilizers. Washing in the internal filter
3 once a month, changing more water than with weekly changes,
All equipment is removed and checked for functionality and suitability for further use. Driftwood, grottoes and other props are removed, removed from plaque, and the snags are examined for the presence of rot or areas affected by fungus.
If any are identified, they undergo full processing.
Plants are thinned out or transplanted to a new location. Ground dressings are applied.
4 once every three months (half a year)
The external hose is disassembled, the incoming and outgoing hoses are cleared of siltation, and the internal cassettes are removed. In each cassette, depending on the substrate, either washing or replacement of fillers is carried out.
The compartment with the impeller in the filter head is disassembled, the seat, blades are completely cleaned from silting and fibers wrapped around the impeller blades.
Approximately once every 9 months, if the aquarium is supplemented with fluorescent aqualamps, they need to be replaced, otherwise the phosphor that is inside the lamp burns out, and the inhabitants of the aquarium world do not look as effective, and the plants do not receive the necessary lighting
You should pay attention to the rubber seal between the lid and the canister. If the rubber is worn out or pressed through, it must be replaced.
5 once every 1-2 years, complete restart of the aquarium,
During a complete restart, all the inhabitants of the aquarium, along with the aquarium water, are moved to a container of equivalent volume (basins, bathtub). The aquarium is completely washed and disinfected, and all equipment is also washed and disinfected.
removed from the aquarium, washed, and when backfilled, a new soil substrate is added.
Question No. 157 “What is the sequence for cleaning an aquarium?”
1 prepare the site for the operation.
Spread the carpet on the floor, prepare the necessary equipment (the standard set was listed above).
2 disconnect the equipment from the network.
3 connect additional equipment that will help you with cleaning:
Aquarium vacuum cleaner,
Additional lighting lamps, since the main one is removed during cleaning, it is advisable to have a small lamp with which you will illuminate yourself.
Temporary filters. When the aquarium is heavily polluted, experienced aquarists sometimes use large-capacity external filters, which allow them to quickly filter and disinfect large quantities of water.
4 siphon the bottom, while draining the required part of the water, if there is not a lot of water in the aquarium, first pour the water into a container and wait until the silt settles and settles to the bottom, and drain the old water back into the aquarium, and continue siphoning until then until all the bottom is removed.
5 bring order to plants
6 fill with fresh water
7 connect equipment
8 add an external shine to aquarium glass and other objects.
Question No. 158 “If the fish stopped eating or its fins stuck together, some dots or sores appeared on its scales, did the fish lose its shape?”
This means that your fish is sick, in which case you need to immediately put it in a quarantine aquarium.
Question No. 159 “What should I do in a common aquarium?”
It is necessary to add some kind of antiseptic. Trypoflovin, Methylene blue and conduct general monitoring of all inhabitants of the aquarium.
It is also possible to connect such equipment as.
Question No. 160 “What is a UV sterilizer?”
This is not a large device equipped with a bactericidal lamp,
Looking at the lamp's radiation is harmful to the eyes. The device, as a rule, is connected to the outlet pipe of the filter and passes a flow of water through it.
Depending on the volume of the aquarium, the power of the UV sterilizer is selected.
It is obviously better to take a device with a little more power.
A UV sterilizer kills not only pathogenic microbes in water, but also beneficial bacteria, so constant use of the device is not recommended.
Some modern filters are equipped with built-in UV lamps. Which, although they sterilize water, do so in a very gentle manner
Question No. 161 “What if the whole aquarium died?”
Unfortunately, this also happens in the life of an aquarist, when an infection kills the inhabitants one after another and even experienced aquarists cannot cope with the disease.
There are several directions on what to do in such cases with aquariums.
- completely restart the aquarium by getting rid of plants, shellfish, etc. boil the soil.
- use various medications to create conditions in which disease spores cannot survive and die.
- quarantine the aquarium within two weeks, the disease spores will die, and new settlers can be added to the aquarium.
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Breeding fish is a very responsible occupation, since the process of caring for the inhabitants has a number of difficulties. In order for the fish to feel comfortable and live as long as possible, special attention must be paid to the maintenance of their home - the aquarium.
Fish feeding procedure
First of all, you should decide on the procedure for feeding the fish. The frequency and type of food depends on the type of fish that will live in the aquarium. Large individuals can be fed once every 3 days, while small and medium-sized ones can be fed more often. It is always important to pay attention to the appearance of the fish, their condition and activity, since illness and improper feeding can affect one of these indicators.
Aquarium Maintenance
In general, the entire process of maintaining and caring for an aquarium can be divided into daily and weekly care. You can do this work yourself, or you can entrust it to companies such as. Daily procedures include:
- establishing the integrity of the aquarium;
- regulation and control of water temperature;
- control of filter operation;
- checking the purity and transparency of water;
- a close inspection of all the inhabitants of the aquarium.
All these procedures will not take much time, and their regular implementation will reduce adverse risks, which will allow pets to live in comfort.
Weekly procedures are reduced to:
- cleaning the aquarium;
- air supply control;
- soil cleaning;
- removal of damaged and rotten parts of algae and other vegetation;
- fertilizing vegetation and thinning it;
- changing water.
The health and appearance of the inhabitants of the aquarium depend on the listed procedures, so it is impossible to skip or irregularly perform a set of daily and weekly procedures. If you cannot independently maintain the microclimate in the aquarium or monitor the health of the fish, you should contact professionals and specialists. You can also get advice from any pet store.
Thus, with a competent and responsible attitude towards the maintenance and maintenance of the aquarium, its inhabitants will delight their owners for a long time!
Although pets are an object of desire for many people, and some even identify them as family members, fewer and fewer people are now deciding to have pets due to fear of responsibility. Given the frantic pace of modern life, many people simply do not have enough time to care for their little animal friends.
There is an exit. You can have pets that do not require a lot of time and attention. An ideal example here would be aquarium fish. However, it is worth immediately noting that, despite the fact that the fish do not need to be walked and they do not need to prepare separate food, owners will still face certain difficulties in caring for them, and maintaining aquariums is one of the most difficult tasks associated with caring for fish at home.
Aquarium: general information
The first thing you need to understand is that an aquarium is not a toy. When purchasing one, every parent should understand the possible difficulties that a new aquarium and the living creatures inside it can bring to a measured life. Considering the huge variety of living organisms that can be placed inside this glass box, we can say with confidence that an aquarium is an artificial ecosystem, the well-being of which directly depends on humans. Therefore, you need to understand all the responsibilities before purchasing.
Types of aquariums
Since the average person who decides to buy an aquarium for himself does not even think about what types there are, he will be seriously surprised when he comes to a specialized store and hears questions from a sales consultant. First of all, these glass boxes can vary in volume. It’s hard to believe, but the capacity of aquariums can vary from 1 to 2000 liters. The most popular option among people who are just starting to get acquainted with pet fish is a volume of 20 liters. The thing is that a 20-liter aquarium is a fairly economical solution in order to understand the key points of caring for fish.
They can be further classified by shape, location and function. Here we can find round, rectangular, corner, floor, built-in wall and decorative containers. Since a rectangular aquarium is the most common option, all requirements and care recommendations that will be mentioned below will apply specifically to this type.
Home aquarium: care and maintenance
As mentioned earlier, buying an aquarium is a big decision that comes with tangible consequences. You immediately need to understand that you will need to spend an average of 15-20 minutes every day to maintain acceptable living conditions for the new residents in your home. Undoubtedly, it is best to entrust the care and maintenance of the aquarium to a qualified specialist who will do everything efficiently and quickly. However, this in no way means that it is impossible to fulfill all the care requirements yourself. Armed with recommendations from a reference book on this topic or advice from the same qualified aquarist, you can calmly care for your own tank with small pets.
Aquarium decoration
The conditions for high-quality care of a specialized container should be studied long before its purchase. At this stage, the future owner of this artificial ecosystem should do some research about the fish he plans to keep. Here you need to pay attention to their feeding habits, the necessary conditions for spawning and much more. If you want to have several types of fish, then you need to find out their compatibility. Otherwise, you may be unpleasantly surprised by the speed at which the number of fish of one species will decline.
Next, you should proceed directly to specific actions. A decent layer of soil is placed at the bottom of the aquarium, on which various decorative elements are placed. It is worth noting that their presence is very important, since all kinds of shells, corals and broken vases will serve as a refuge or spawning ground for fish. After this, you can fill the prepared tank with settled water, but this must be done carefully so as not to disturb the created composition.
Settling the aquarium
Settling a new house for fish is considered one of the most painstaking tasks, which, according to various estimates, can last for 2 weeks. Since an aquarium is a serious responsibility, its “revival” must be approached responsibly. Roughly speaking, the entire settlement process can be divided into the following stages:
- installation of appropriate filters and necessary lighting in the aquarium;
- equipment check (up to 3 days);
- planting snails and plants to establish the nitrogen cycle, which can lead to temporary turbidity of the water (the restoration of biological balance and water transparency occurs in 4 days);
- introducing the most unpretentious fish into the aquarium and constantly monitoring their condition with minimal feeding;
- If all the above steps are successfully completed, then you can safely move all the remaining animals and plants inside the aquarium and transfer all the inhabitants to a normal and nutritious diet.
Maintaining a stable microclimate
In order for pet fish and other living organisms to feel good, the microclimate inside the aquarium must be stable. Taking into account such modern technical means as thermostats, cleaning filters, air compressors and automatic feeders, achieving the desired result is quite simple. But, given the fact that an aquarium is a home for a large number of living organisms, you should not rely entirely on technical means. From time to time you still need to check the status "manually".
Water replacement and cleaning
Professionals in this field note that for the full and effective life of all the inhabitants of the aquarium, the water in it must be changed at least once a month. The water replacement process must be accompanied by cleaning.
Many novice pet fish owners do not know how to change the water in the aquarium. However, this is a fairly simple but painstaking process. First of all, you need to move all the fish into a spare container, which, for example, can serve as a jar.
Next, you should drain the old water. It is very convenient to use a special pump for this. If there is no such device, then you need to drain the liquid manually using a regular hose. In this case, the container into which the old water will be drained must be located below the aquarium.
When you have poured out all the water, remove the seaweed and rinse it under running water. Don't be surprised if some plants end up in such a terrible state that they have to be thrown out - this is a completely natural occurrence.
After this, you should wash all decorative elements. This should be done without using detergents, since their residues can significantly disrupt the microclimate in the new water. If there are stones in your aquarium, many experts even advise boiling them in a saline solution to kill possible harmful microorganisms.
The last step will be cleaning the walls of the aquarium with a special brush. This must be done for aesthetic reasons, as well as to ensure that dirty glass walls do not interfere with the penetration of light inside.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would like to note once again that caring for an aquarium is a serious and responsible task. Therefore, anyone who wants to have pet fish should honestly weigh the pros and cons. Here you need to understand perfectly well that the answer to the question of what is needed to maintain an aquarium is a great desire to tinker with new inhabitants and a sufficient amount of free time, not to mention anything about the financial side of the issue.