It’s important before you undertake keeping an aquarium that you understand the basics in fish aquarium maintenance.The type of aquarium maintenance that fish require will vary depending on the kind of fish that you intend to keep and whether they will be saltwater fish known as Marine Fish or freshwater fish known as Non-Marine Fish.
The type of aquarium you choose will also depend on the fish that you intend to keep. No matter what type of fish you intend to keep, for the health of the fish it’s a good idea to check daily that they seem healthy – particularly for saltwater fish. By looking at them regularly you will become familiar with their behavior patterns and will be able to notice any changes in their behavior.
Regarding feeding you will need to feed according to the different demands of your fish. Whilst some fish need food every three days others may need fed daily.
Filters should be used to keep the water clean and these will remove chlorine build up and keep the water healthy. If you intend to keep saltwater fish you should add iodine salt at least twice a week to the tank. Also you will need to keep the tank clear of algae build-up.
Weekly you can remove between 10-15 % of the water and refill it with pure water. This will eliminate any harmful chemicals. If you top up the tank with tap water ensure that you have checked that your local water is sufficient and does not contain harmful chemical build up such as chlorine, ammonia, copper, metal, etc. If the water is not sufficiently clean and clear of these chemical build-ups you will need to buy water purification systems or tablets. Chemical, biological, and mechanical filtration systems are available to resolve the problem in acquari.
When changing the water remove any debris from the tank by cleaning any filters and using a special vacuum designed to do this. You should purchase test kits to test the water and you should test it at least every two weeks. Once the water has been tested you should wait 24 hours before you change the water. These test kits will detect nitrite, chlorine, copper, ammonia, metal, calcium build up, nitrate, etc, including pH water levels.
Be aware that fish also produce their own level of nitrites, but this is non-toxic to fish. In addition, check monthly for alkalinity build up. Alkalinity is the amount of alkali, which is measured in terms of water pH and test kits are available to test alkalinity also.
Check the tank filters every two weeks to see if they need replaced.
Caring for your aquatic collection with proper fish aquarium maintenance, can be simple once you adopt a routine and keep records of what you have done and when you need to carry out routine maintenance.