What’s the Best Schedule for Maintaining an Aquarium

The rewarding hobby of fish keeping revolves around routines. Just like other pets—such as cats and dogs—require daily care and feeding, fish and invertebrates also need your attention frequently, although some tasks can be streamlined and automated if you have all of the necessary fish tank supplies. Aquarists know the maintenance performed on their tanks is vital because they’re in charge of balancing the biochemistry of enclosed aquatic ecosystems. Keeping an aquarium clean and balanced will translate into healthy and happy species. This is something you can accomplish in just 30 minutes each week for freshwater tanks, or about an hour each week for saltwater tanks.

Daily Aquarium Tasks

Fish keepers these days can find a range of automatic aquarium feeders with advanced features such as timers and moisture control. However, hands-on manual daily feedings allow you to ensure the aeration and filtration systems are functioning as they should. Moreover, this is a good time to check the health and behavior of all species.

Weekly Aquarium Observation and Water Testing

If you have a large and fully stocked community tank, you should keep a count of all plants, fish, and invertebrate species. Missing species should be located in case they perished and have yet to float up to the surface, or more optimally found in the overflow filter boxes or sumps. You don’t want them to decompose in the water because the ammonia levels could spike very quickly, thus placing the entire ecosystem at risk of poisoning. Tanks that hold less than 10 gallons should go through a 25 percent water change on a weekly basis unless they’re heavily planted and only hold a couple of fish.

Every Two Weeks

It’s generally better to do water changes and cleaning on a weekly basis. However, a well-balanced freshwater tank can be cleaned every other week. Saltwater tank maintenance is more intricate and should be done every week. This is a good time to scrub algae, vacuum the substrate, and rinse off the biological filters with the same water you take out.

Monthly Aquarium Maintenance

Seasoned fish keepers who take their time planting and establishing their tanks will be able to commit less than two hours per month to maintenance. This is because they trust in the ecosystems they’ve established, but this can only be accomplished with the right mix of species. In such balanced tanks, 20 percent water changes can be done monthly, and this is when the tubing should be inspected and replaced as needed. The same goes for air stones, filters, cartridges, and pumps. If algae is forming on rocks and decorations, this would be a good time to take them out for scrubbing. Some water conditioners with nutrients and herbal extracts can be added at this time, but make sure to check the expiration date on the product label. Don’t forget to check the water chemistry the day after it’s changed. A lot of research has been done pertaining to the addition of a high-quality liquid live bacteria to any healthy ecosystem every 3 months or whenever an aquarium grows slightly out of balance.

One of the most important aspects of maintaining a fish tank is having all of the necessary supplies on hand. At Aquatic Warehouse, we’ve got everything you need, whether it’s a dosing pump, protein skimmer, LED lighting, chillers and heaters, or any other aquarium supply. Stop by our store located in Kearny Mesa, order what you need from our website and have it shipped to you, or give us a call today at 858-467-9297 to speak with one of our friendly and knowledgeable representatives.