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Ohio Aquarium Care And Maintenance

By Sarah Thomas


Good maintenance of aquariums is a practice that leads to a healthy environment for fish to thrive. Most of the costly and time consuming problems are able to be avoided by spending some little time on maintenance every week. Tank stability is the biggest factor of maintenance. As long as things are running well and fish are healthy, no major changes are required. For the residents of Ohio aquarium care and maintenance involves various aspects.

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.

It is important to check water parameters of both tank and water added afresh. In most cases tap water will have chlorine or chloramine. Chlorine loses air very fast while chloramine does not. Chloramine is a mixture of ammonia and chlorine. In both cases, a water conditioner neutralizes chlorine. Ammonia will however still be present if the water has chloramine. Ammonia would have to be broken down by nitrifying bacteria in the aquarium. The process might take longer than fish can tolerate.

There are various other elements such as iron and phosphates that can be found in the water too. The exact composition of water can be gotten from the local water company. This way, you will be able to know which elements need to be controlled. Filtered water should be checked on a regular basis during routine maintenance. Filter membranes might get damaged or ought to be replaced prior to their expiry.

The proper functioning of filters is very important. Filter inserts which are algone, floss and carbon should be changed after every four weeks. In case the load is high however, replacement should be done more regularly. Any trapped particles will decompose in the filters as they do within the tank. Filters should get cleaned every month using water that is extracted from the tank when it gets changed.

The eating pattern of fish should be observed closely. This is so that a daily routine is observed that will determine how often they are fed. Some fish require food frequently while some are fed just once a day. In the event that fish are overfed, the aquarium will end up with decomposing food.

You need to strive to remove debris like gravel from the tank before trying to clean and change water. It will be important to check for impurities like ammonia content. This is done using a tester kit and buffer system which are easily available in the market. These are used to check levels of chemicals. They 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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