We have all seen pictures of (or experienced ourselves) those algae-covered fish tanks, walls slick with green slime and tank decorations fuzzy with algae overgrowth. Seeing a tank like that may lead you to believe that caring for an aquarium is a hefty task to undertake. In reality, however, aquarium maintenance is not all that difficult – you just have to stick to a schedule.
Daily Maintenance Tasks
For the most part, your daily aquarium maintenance tasks involve simple equipment checks and observations of your fish. Spending just a few minutes each day to make sure everything in your tank is working properly will help you to avoid crisis situations in case your tank filter or another piece of equipment suddenly fails. Keeping an eye on your fish will help you get to know their normal routines and behaviors so you will be able to quickly identify changes that could be a symptom of disease. These are the daily maintenance tasks you should be performing on your tank:
- Perform a quick check of all tank equipment to make sure it is working
- Count and observe your fish to make sure they are all there and acting healthy
- Wipe down the tank glass, if needed, to remove accumulated dust
- Feed your fish according to your normal routine
- Check the temperature in your tank to be sure it is within the proper range
Weekly Maintenance Tasks
The most important weekly maintenance task you should be performing is a water change. A water change involves removing a portion of your tank water and replacing it with fresh, clean water – this helps to remove accumulated waste and to reduce the concentration of heavy metals and dissolved toxins in the water. Below you will find a list of weekly maintenance tasks to perform:
- Use a gravel vacuum to siphon between 15% and 20% of the tank volume
- Make sure to siphon areas around and under tank decorations
- Replace the removed water with freshly dechlorinated tap water
To make your weekly maintenance tasks easier, consider installing an EcoBio-Stone in your tank. These stones are made from porous volcanic rock and cement, infused with beneficial bacteria colonies and the nutrients they need to thrive. Once you install an EcoBio-Stone in your tank the beneficial bacteria will multiply and work to establish and maintain the nitrogen cycle in your tank, thus keeping your tank water clean and clear between water changes.
Monthly Maintenance Tasks
As long as you perform your daily and weekly maintenance tasks, you shouldn’t have to do any large-scale cleanings of your aquarium. There are, however, a few tasks you should do on a monthly basis to keep your tank clean.
- Perform a 25% water change using a gravel vacuum
- Replace your filter media (except biological filter media)
- Use a magnet or algae scrubber to remove algae from tank walls
As long as you set up your tank properly the first time, maintenance should not be a significant issue. As evidenced by the lists above, there really isn’t that much that you need to do in order to keep your aquarium running properly. Keeping up with these routine daily, weekly and monthly maintenance tasks will help to keep your tank clean and clear.