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YOUR AQUARIUM FISH TANK: WATER QUALITY IS EVERYTHINGWhile your aquarium may look like a natural habitat, with nice coral or rock formations, swaying aquatic plants and graceful fishes, it is anything but natural. There is simply no way to reproduce the amazingly complex biological effects of sun, rain, unlimited space and naturally occurring foods, in a little transparent box of water in your living room. Fortunately, most fish species are fairly hardy, and can adapt to the drastic changes an aquarium existence forces on them. One thing they can’t take, however, is unclean water. As you probably learned in early education, all creatures emit waste materials, which produce nitrogen and eventually turn into ammonia. This chemical is deadly to most animals and aquatic animals living in an aquarium fish tank are no exception. Over feeding your fish is the usual cause of high ammonia levels. The more they eat, the more waste is created and the higher the amounts of nitrate and ammonia is introduced into your aquarium fish tank. This not only makes for a dirty looking tank, but also stresses the fish and makes them more susceptible to disease. Whether you feed your fish moderate amounts twice a day or a normal amount once a day, they should seem excited to see the food come in and have it one in about five minutes. Food that settles on the bottom or accumulates in the water is a sign of putting in too much food at one time and the amount needs to be reduced. The fish in an aquarium fish tank will also seem to be less than enthusiastic about eating if you feed them too much. Partial Water Changes: The Most Important Maintenance The best way to keep your aquarium fish tank clear is to change the water frequently. That is not to say all the water needs to be replaced at one time, rather about 20 percent every week should be a big help. A simple method to remove and replace about one fifth of the water is to have the amount needed in a container sitting in the same room as the aquarium fish tank for about 24 hours to reach room temperature. Then remove that amount and add the replacement water. Temperature concerns should not be an issue, even if a 10 or 15 degree difference is noted between your room and your aquarium fish tank as you are only replacing 20 percent. In their natural habitat, aquatic animals see water temperature fluctuations of three or four degrees throughout a single day. If the temperature difference is a major concern to you, a heater placed in the container with the new water can help alleviate those concerns. |
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