Fish Tank Maintenance, what is it really all about?

Fish tank maintenance is a pretty big deal. There are a lot of things that needs to be done and as the phrase implies, a lot of things need to be done regularly.

The question is, what needs to be done, how do you do it and what are the implications of you doing something or not doing something?

There are tons of information on the net about fish tank maintenance. Call it what you will, aquarium maintenance may be, but either way there is a lot of information out there.

Of all the various topics that do exist under this category, probably one of the most overlooked I would say is filter media that is used in fish tank filters.

Its so important because water quality of an aquarium is the most important thing that you need to maintain. It is the ark of fish tank maintenance so to speak.

Understanding that you need a water testing kit to tell you whats going on with the water in your fish tank and understanding the various things that can help improve this water quality, such as activated carbon, coral, zeolite and those ball like things and ring like thingies can make a huge difference to the health of your fish.

Fish tank cleaning, contrary to the direct meaning of the phrase, is by far the least important item in my view. You see, you gotta know what to clean and how as well.

For e.g. simply dousing your fish tank or aquarium with water from the tap is a big no-no unless you know what you are doing. And more than anything else, its not the cleaning that should be emphasized per se.

Cloudy aquarium water for e.g. does not mean you should empty most of the water in the fish tank and replenishing it with water from the tap and not doing anything else! The water will get clearer but your fish might be dead in an hour or two as well!

The fact that you even have cloudy aquarium water should be alarming as well as typically you should do regular water changes for your fish tanks (usually by draining half the water and replenishing it with treated water).

The frequency of such water changes depends on your own experience as it depends on how big your fish tank is and how many fish you have as well as how often you feed them.

It may surprise some of you that aquarium sand and aquarium driftwood can be critical items for your aquarium health.

Last but not least, always being alert of whats going on in your fish tank (such as cloudy aquarium water, or sickly looking fish or a non functioning aquarium air pump), which essentially entails you having some sort of regular schedule of looking at your fish tank, will be the foundations of good fish tank maintenance.

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