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| Change That Water! |
Even the most expensive filter in the world won't eliminate the need for routine water changes! All of the expensive resins and filter media you can afford can't match the effectiveness of a 10 or 20% water change as far as overall water quality. I've read it a million times, and I'll repeat it here because it's a worthy mantra: "Dilution is the solution to polution!" Nothing can drop the concentrations of dangerous contaminants faster than diluting them with fresh, clean water. Water changes are so cheap, simple, and quick to perform, I am always surprised when I hear about hobbyists neglecting to do them. All you need is a bucket, a length of flexible plastic tubing, and a good pair of lungs (or a fancy siphon starter if you're sqeamish).
The procedure is simple. Just siphon out 10 or 20% of the aquarium water into a bucket and dump it. Replace it with water that is exactly the same temperature as the aquarium (plus or minus one or two degrees F) and the same pH. Any very rapid changes in temperature or pH can stress your fish. If you have the space, it is best to keep a large container, like a new plastic garbage can, full of water with a heater and a small powerhead pump or airstone to aerate and circulate the water. Let the water sit in this container for several days to a week before doing the water change. The advantage with this system is that is easy to get the water to be the right temperature and any chlorine in the water will dissipate on its own without resorting to prepared water treatments. It is always good policy to limit the number of things you add to the water. The water change schedule that I suggest is to remove 20% of the aquarium volume every two weeks. Once a month 30% changes are acceptable, but weekly 10% changes are best. Avoid very large changes of 50% or more unless there is a big water quality emergency.
Water change time is also a good time to vacuum the gravel. Even a very powerful filter won't suck up all of the food and debris, and over time it will inevitably end up collecting on the bottom of the tank. Every two weeks or every month, use a gravel vacuum (it need not be expensive) to remove as much debris as you can. This will keep all of the rotting debris from overwhelming your biological filter and causing an ammonia or nitrite spike.
Every month you should completely dissemble your filter and do all the maintenance suggested by the manufacturer. The chemical and mechanical media in the filter will need to be replaced every four to six weeks. The biological media should never be replaced unless it acculates too much debris to be useful.
Finally, although it does not really affect the health of your fish, it makes the tank much more pleasant to look at if the glass is scraped clean of algae periodically. Even in a well-maintained tank, algae will eventually grow on the rocks and glass. There is really nothing to do to stop algae except to limit the amount of excess nutrients in the water (water changes!) and keep the tank out of direct sunlight. Always use a scouring pad or scraper that is dedicated for aquarium use. Soap and other contaminants are deadly to fish. When using razors or hard plastic scrapers, be careful of gouging the glass. Sand and gravel can get caught between a scouring pad and the glass and will also cause scratches. Acrylic aquariums must be treated with special care since acrylic scratches very easily. Never use anything not specifically labelled for use on acrylic to clean an acrylic tank. |
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