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Maintenance is an essential part of keeping fish. We maintain our tanks to
keep our fish healthy first and foremost, and to keep our tanks looking good.
TIP
COMBINE
ALGAE WIPING
WITH
GRAVEL VACUUMING
AND
WATER CHANGING
FOR A
COMPLETE CLEAN. WIPE FIRST, THEN GRAVEL CLEAN AND WASH FILTER MEDIA IN THE
OLD TANK WATER.
Aquarium
maintenance
W
here light
combines with
water, you will
always find algae,
but it can be controlled. Algae
can grow in low light or bright
light and thrives in water that is
full of nitrate and phosphate.
We normally deal with the end
result, and physically remove it
from surfaces like the aquarium
glass and decoration. The best
way to do this is to use either an
abrasive pad, an algae magnet
or special scrapers, with either
plastic or metal blades.
Algae magnets are very
popular algae ‘wipers’ because
they are so easy to use and
convenient. One half of the
magnet is coated with an
abrasive pad and goes inside
the aquarium, while the other
half is coated in a soft pad for
polishing the outside aquarium
glass. Pull the magnet across
the glass and it will remove
algae as it slides over it. You
keep your hands dry on the
outside and they can even go
around corners.
Floating algae magnets are
the ultimate in convenience
because if the inner magnet
falls off, it floats up to the top
where you can retrieve it.
Algae can also be prevented
by lots of water changes, and
by using special resins.
A great natural algae remover
is to add algae-eating fish. They
clean the tank and entertain you
at the same time.
Water changing
Water changing is the
single most important bit of
maintenance that we do.
The biggest reason for
changing the water regularly
is to dilute pollutants that have
built up over time. Filtration
breaks down ammonia and
nitrite into less harmful nitrate,
but high levels of nitrate, from
40-140ppm, can cause algae
and may have an adverse
effect on newly acclimatised
fish. Very high levels of nitrate
can kill fish.
Other factors affect
aquariums as the water
becomes aged. Phosphate
levels build up through fish
waste and food, and phosphate
is a major cause of algae in
freshwater aquariums.
If the water becomes very
acidic it can suffer from pH
collapse, where the pH drops
from six or seven to three
or four overnight, with dire
consequences for most fish.
Water changes add buffers,
which help to maintain pH.
One of the most effective
ways to change the water is
to use a siphon tube. Choose
a self-starting siphon device
to drain water from the tank
into a bucket. That can be
thrown away or used to water
your plants.You can wash filter
media in it too.
Only remove a proportion of
the tank water at any one time,
and always use a dechlorinator
and thermometer to check
temperature and make the
water safe for fish.
Never remove all the water
or strip the tank down as too
much beneficial bacteria will
be removed in one go, causing
potential water quality issues.
Gravel
vacuuming
This process goes hand in
hand with water changing, and
removes all the dirt and debris
from the gravel. To do this
Algae wiping is a simple
but necessary chore.
Attach a gravel cleaner
to a siphon tube for a
thorough clean.
Photography: Neil Hepworth