Aquarium Care - 9 Great Tips For Daily and Weekly Maintenance

Owning a fish is probably one of the easiest pets to have. There is no walking, no training and no pet hair all over the place. Fish keep in an aquarium where you can watch them all the time. This means no running away either. This doesn't mean that you can throw some fish in a tank and never think about it again. There are basic care procedures for an aquarium.

Daily Requirements

1. Check the aquarium to see if the fish are healthy. You can tell by the color of the fish. If the fish seem to be fading in color, you will want to check the conditions of water. If a fish is stressed, it won't last long.

2. Feed the fish everyday. Some fish require just one feeding a day where many freshwater fish require two. The most important thing to note is not to overfeed them. If you overfeed, the first are going to die. It shouldn't take longer than two to five minutes for the fish to eat the food you put in there. If it is taking longer than that or the fish left any food, scoop it out. You don't want to leave the food in the water and possibly contaminate the aquarium.

3. Check the lights and filters to ensure they are running properly.

Weekly Requirements

4. Check the pH and temperature of the aquarium. This is important for your fish to thrive. Anything outside of the norm will result in damage to the fish. The aquarium is their home and they need it to be as close as possible to the natural habitat. If there are any problems, fix them immediately. You can get pH buffers at a local pet store. If you have warm water fish, check the heater to make sure it is working properly. You can find out the proper water conditions from a book or your local pet shop.

5. Check the filters to see if they need cleaning. The filters usually need to be changed about two to three weeks, but looking them over once a week isn't going to hurt. The filters are there to clean the water to ensure your fish are getting the right amount of oxygen. The filters will fill with debris and waste. If left untreated, you won't have any fish left to care for.

6. Changing the water is important to the fish as well. This should be done every week or every two weeks. You won't change the entire tank though. Start by turning off any plugged in equipment to ensure your own safety. Only change one-third of the water because the fish might not be able to handle harsh changes to the water. Tap water might have to be treated with a purification system or a treatment kit. The water should also be within two degrees of the tank water.

7. Clean inside of the aquarium to remove any algae build up, but do so without bothering the fish. You can do this when changing the water. It is probably easier this way. Collect the algae and debris in a bucket or vacuum.

8. Prune the plants in the tank. There might be some dead leaves that are unsightly and unhealthy.

9. Clean the outside. You can do this with soap and tap water. When you are doing this, also clean the hood.