Steps to Take to Improve an Aquarium’s Water Quality

Water quality is critical to the health of the fish in an aquarium. For this reason, it’s important to know if your fish tank’s water is at the level of quality it should be. Here are some tips that can help you improve the quality of your home aquarium’s water, brought to you by the staff at Aquatic Warehouse, a trusted aquarium supplier.

Be Aware of Organic Nutrients

Organic nutrients are commonly caused by uneaten food and organic waste materials. These nutrients end up being food for things like algae, which can lead to decreased water quality. To improve the water quality, replace the filter frequently and perform regular water changes.

Add Some Plant Life

It may be tempting to fill your aquarium with artificial plants for decoration. However, there are many added benefits to including live plants. Live plants extract pollutants such as organic waste and ammonia before they can negatively impact the quality of the water.

Use Biological Filtration

If you’re not familiar with biological filtration, it basically involves using bacteria that already exists in an aquarium to break down other bacteria that might be hazardous. Most filters you can purchase today come with a separate area specifically for promoting the growth of this good bacteria.

Don’t Overfill Your Aquarium with Too Many Fish

To maintain safe and healthy water quality, make sure you have the appropriate number of fish for the amount of water the tank holds. A good rule of thumb to follow is to have one gallon of water for each fish. Look into the type of water each fish prefers when stocking your aquarium. For example, some fish prefer alkaline water, while others prefer basic water.

Feed with a Strategy

Some people don’t give much thought to how they feed their fish. However, feeding your fish with a specific strategy can improve the overall water quality. Specifically, you should only feed your fish what they can consume in two minutes. There should never be any food on the bottom, top, or in the water column after these two minutes. If you feed more than this, it could lead to an excess amount of waste produced, which impedes the water quality. Additionally, switching the food up (i.e., not feeding flakes or pellets all the time) can lead to healthier fish and healthier water quality.

We hope you found these strategies helpful and now feel prepared to keep your aquarium water clean. Remember to test your water frequently to make sure it’s always in the best shape it can be. Good water quality keeps the fish happy, and you’ll be happy as well because the tank will be beautiful to look at and you’ll know your fish are thriving. There’s plenty more you need to know about caring for a fish tank. Whether you need a new aquarium temperature controller or some LED lighting, Aquatic Warehouse has everything you need to properly maintain your aquarium. Give us a call today at 858-467-9297, check out our website, or stop by our store in Kearny Mesa.