Aquarium Maintenance Chart

Once your tank is properly set up, maintenance will be easy. To ensure a healthy tank, we suggest you follow these maintenance guidelines:

Daily Maintenance

1. Feed the fish twice a day.
2. Check that filters are operating properly.
3. Remove any decaying plant leaves, dead fish, or extra food with a siphon or net.
4. Observe the tank for possible disease symptoms.

Monthly Maintenance

a. Change 20% of the water by siphoning from the bottom of the tank.  (see below)
b. Test pH. Adjust pH as needed.  (see below)
c. Replace filter cartridges in outside power filter. Replace activated carbon in filter.
d. Scrape algae from front glass.

Once a Year

Clean the magnetic impellor on your Outside Filter and Power Head

Maintenance Procedures

Lighting

An aquarium light should be left on 8 to 10 hours a day so that fish receive a natural day/night cycle. Since fish do not have eyelids, they should not be subjected to sudden lighting changes. Turn room lights on before turning on your aquarium light. Do not leave the light on all day because this may cause the growth of excessive green algae. Also avoid too much direct or reflected sunlight in order to avoid unsightly green algae growth.

Heating

For best results we suggest you keep the temperature between 76 and 80 degrees. (70-82 degrees is within safe range.) It is important to keep the temperature from fluctuating, since a sudden change in temperature can weaken fish. Thermostatic heaters are designed to keep the temperature constant.

Goldfish do not require a heater, and can be kept at room temperature. (66-76 degrees)

Partial Water Changes:

Why? Partial water changes remove dissolved waste products that filters can't remove. They reduce levels of nitrates, phosphates, and dissolved organics. They will also prevent an acid buildup in the tank. Partial water changes are also a very effective way to remove accumulated debris from the gravel surface.

How Often?
We recommend that you do a partial water change once a month on a regular basis.

How Much? Change 20%-25% of the water for normal water changes. In cases where the fish are sick or the water is cloudy a higher percentage of water may have to been changed.

How? Siphon water from the bottom of the aquarium. We recommend the Marineland Siphon Kleen for siphoning. It is easy to use and will vacuum dirt from the gravel surface. Be sure to use a clean bucket that has never been used for detergents. Remove dirt and wastes from the gravel surface as you siphon. Replace the water with tap water of the same temperature that has been conditioned with NovAqua.

An alternate method is the use of the "Python Water Change System". It connects directly to your faucet and both drains and fills your aquarium. It eliminates the need to carry buckets of water during a partial water change. Our staff can show you this system. They come in 25 or 50 ft. lengths.

Other Times To Do a Partial Water Change:
Most problems are related to poor water quality in some way. Therefore any time there is a problem in the tank, our staff will recommend you begin to solve it by doing a partial water change.

a. Do a 25% water change any time the fish do not look good. (Fin rot, listless behavior, cloudy eyes). Repeat water change every 2 days until problem clears.
b. If you ammonia test kit indicates the presence of ammonia do a 20-80% water change daily until he ammonia level falls.
c. Do a 25% water change daily if the water is cloudy. Pick up any loose debris and extra food on the gravel with your siphon.

pH

We recommend you check the pH of the water at least once a month. pH is a measure of the degree to which water is acid or alkaline. A pH of 7.0 considered neutral, below 7.0 acid, and above 7.0 alkaline. For freshwater fish, pH near neutral (6.8 to 7.2) is best. Improper pH can cause the fish to act listless, lose color, and make them more susceptible to disease. In a well-managed tank, the pH will stay within safe limits. However, it is a good idea to test the pH once a month and correct it if it is out of the acceptable range. pH is easy to test with Wardley's Senior pH test kit. ($6.99) Also available is Wardley's Target 7.0, which will help maintain a stable pH for one month.

If pH is too acid: (below 6.6) Add one half teaspoon of Wardley's sodium bicarbonate for each 10 gallons of water. Check the pH one hour later. Repeat as necessary until pH is neutral.

If the pH is too alkaline: (above 7.4) Add one half teaspoon of Wardley's sodium biphosphate for each 10 gallons of water. Check pH one hour later. Repeat as necessary until the pH is neutral.

Aquarium Salt

A small amount of salt is beneficial to freshwater aquarium fish. We recommend the addition of one tablespoon of non-iodized salt to each five gallons of water. This is a minimal level, which is safe for all aquarium fish; in fact most fish will tolerate higher levels. Salt adds electrolytes to the water and helps fish regulate their osmotic balance. This in turn helps reduce the chance of infections.

How to Maintain Salt Levels Salt should only be added to a tank once. It does not evaporate out of the water. Additional salt should be added only if a partial water change is made.

Example: In a 30-gallon tank, 6 tablespoons of salt is added to the tank. Two weeks later a 10-gallon partial water change is made. Add 2 tablespoons of salt to the new water before adding it to the tank.

Ammonia

Ammonia is a substance produced from fish wastes and the decomposition of organic matter. High ammonia levels can harm the fish’s gills and it is a common cause of problems in home aquariums. Good aquarium management including periodic partial water changes, proper feeding, and good biological filtration can avoid high ammonia levels.

Testing Ammonia: Ammonia levels can be easily tested with the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Ammonia test kit. ($6.59) Ammonia levels do not have to be tested on a regular basis, but a test will often help to diagnose a problem. Any time the fish are not doing well an ammonia test is helpful. If a detectable amount of ammonia is found do a partial water change and add ammonia remover pellets, or an ammonia pad to the filter.

Chlorine

Chlorine is present in most tap water, and like ammonia it can harm the fishes gills. Chlorine is very easy to remove with a chlorine neutralizer such as NovAqua. The chlorine is removed instantly. Another method of chlorine removal is to let the water set in a bucket for 24 hours.

Oxygen/Carbon Dioxide

Fish breathe by extracting dissolved oxygen from the water. Oxygen dissolves into the water through the action of aeration, and through the circulation of water provided by an outside filter, or an undergravel filter. With adequate filtration levels of dissolved oxygen will always remain at safe levels.

To prevent low oxygen levels operate your filters 24 hours a day. Symptoms of low oxygen levels are increased movements of the gills and gasping at the surface.

Remember to check your filters daily to assure they are properly functioning.

Gravel Maintenance

Do not allow extra food or organic matter to decompose on the gravel surface. Always remove any debris with a siphon or net. Once a month, when you make a partial water change, gently loosen the gravel surface so that debris can be siphoned away. By doing this you can prevent any buildup of dirt or gases in the gravel. At the same time you can gently lift rocks and ornaments to siphon debris that has accumulated under them.

Another useful tool in tank maintenance is the Diatom Filter. A Diatom can be used on a weekly or monthly basis to remove any accumulated debris from the tank, and make the water sparkling clean.

Glass Maintenance

Nearly every aquarium will develop some green or brown algae on the glass, gravel, or ornaments. Algae is not harmful, but is unsightly, and can be easily removed with various algae cleaning products. You can choose from algae cleaning pads, cleaning sticks, or razor scrapers. Keep in mind that the best way to prevent excessive algae growth is to limit the amount of light that the aquarium receives and keep some algae eating fish in the tank.

Complete Tank Breakdown

With proper aquarium management your aquarium can go indefinitely without a complete tank breakdown. (As long as you are doing periodic partial water changes.) We suggest you consider a complete breakdown if the gravel in your tank begins to look black or very dirty. If this is required more than once a year, you may suspect overfeeding or inadequate filtration. If you do a complete water change it is important not to shock the fish. Also the biological filtration will have to be re-established in the newly cleaned tank. We suggest you purchase some "Fritz-Zyme" biological starter for the new water.