Maintaining A Clean Aquarium

Dear aquarium lovers and aquarium keepers, 

Another blog from Fishaway Aquarists to support you on keeping your home aquarium clean and maintenance free. I have intended to write this blog after consolidating the queries of our customers on regular issues on their aquarium being smelly, water colour turns into green/brown, fishes becoming unhealthy, etc. Though I have tried to answer most of the questions through this blog, this quite generic only. If there is anything that this blog doesn't help you with, We are always there for you.

Maintaining Water Quality

Many factors can affect the water in your aquarium—including the source of your water (corporation water supply,borewell water, for example), the food you feed your fish and the quantity of feed, the amount of algae growing, exposure of direct sunlight and lack of lighting and much more. Below are some common issues that I have come across and how you can correct them.

Cloudy Aquarium Water

Cloudiness usually results due to following reasons: overfeeding of fish, quality of the feed, overstocking of fish and “new tank syndrome.”

Overfeeding your fish can cloud your water as the uneaten food decomposes. Decomposition generates Ammonia and Nitrate in the water which is extremely harmful to the fishes. Unless you are using a biological filter (canister, bio bacteria, etc), these dissolved compounds would cause lots of trouble to you and to your fishes which we will discuss in a separate blog. Make sure at each feeding, you should feed no more than what your fish can eat in one to two minutes. In case of excess feeding, use your fish net to wipe off the floating food.

Overstocking the tank (too many fish) can also cause cloudy water. Excess waste, like excess food, gives off ammonia and nitrites. You should have one gallon (3.78 litre) of water per one inch of (mature) tropical fish. Have three gallons (3.78 litre) of water per one inch of goldfish. It is best to buy the largest aquarium you can afford. The larger the aquarium, the more waste your aquarium can handle before it becomes a problem to your fish.

“New tank syndrome” can occur when you set up a new aquarium or when you carry out a large water change. It is very natural for your water to become cloudy as part of the system’s normal biological cycle. The reasons for this are fluctuations in the nitrogen cycle, and the release of gases in solution as the result of an increase in water temperature. A water change of 50% or more will help by restarting the cycle. 

Also, be sure to monitor and clean/change your filter sponge on a regular basis. A good rule of thumb is at least once a month, or twice a month if you have a heavy fish load or if you have fish that produce more waste, such as Goldfish or Cichlids.

Have a pet store test your water, or you can purchase a freshwater test kit here http://www.fishaway.in/111-test-kits?id_category=111&n=37  High ammonia and nitrites would indicate excess food or waste. A 25% water change will bring down these levels until you can fix the problem.

Also, be sure your filter is properly rated for the size of your aquarium.

Green Water

Green water is caused by algae in the water. A few things can cause excess algae:

• Direct sunlight on the tank. Make sure your aquarium is positioned where this can’t occur. Normally I have noticed that in most of the houses, sunlight penetrates through the back and side of the aquariums. To avoid this, you can use background posters or 3D thermocol design backdrops.
• The water vs fish ratio in the tank. We suggest you have one inch of fish per one gallon(3.78 litre) of water. For example, a 10-gallon(approximately 40 litre) tank should have only 10 fish that are one inch each. More than this will elevate ammonia and nitrite levels. As a result, the algae will have plenty to feed on.
• Feeding your fish too much food (excess nutrients). Your fish should be able to eat all the food in two minutes or less.

The hardcore fact here is, if you maintain your aquarium unclean, the algae will find its feed and settles down comfortably.

To solve the problem of green water:

• Do a 50% water change. Scrub down the insides of the glass with a magnet scrubber or scraper (but please, no soap!). Mind it, if you are going to use any hard scrubbs, you may end up making scratches in the glass which will reduce the transparency and permanent.
• Remove any artificial plants and ornaments, and pour boiling water over them. Wait one whole day, then do a 25% water change. 
• Cut back on your feeding. This should help get your tank in good shape.
• Install a UV clarifier or a canister with UV light. This is installed in-line with a canister type filter that is placed in a cabinet or stand beneath the aquarium. Check on the link for the Canisters with/without UV http://www.fishaway.in/98-external-filters?id_category=98&n=29

Bad Smelling Water

A bad smell is usually a sign that excess waste is in the tank which is usually excess food as well as the excretion of the fishes. It is the alarm for checking the quality and capabilities of your filter. If your filter is below the capacity of cleaning the entire water in your aquarium, then either you upgrade your filter or reduce the number of fishes. For a better understanding, I would recommend you to go through http://fishaway.blogspot.in/2013/07/kick-start-your-hobby-this-article-is.html for help.

Regular cleaning of the filter sponges and correct amount of feeding can prevent you from facing this situation. In case of excessive waste collected visibly in the bottom of the aquarium, you could use the hand siphon or gravel cleaner siphon to remove them and top up the water to the level.

The first thing you should do is test your water for high ammonia and nitrite levels. To correct the problem, change out 50% of the water, wait one whole day, and then change out 25% more of the water. Do not attempt for a hundred percent water change at once because that may cause unstable aqua cycle in the aquarium and may kill your fishes even.

Water Safety

It’s important to treat water before adding fish. As a basic protection, you may want to remove the chlorine and other harmful substances from the water. There are various chlorine removers available in the market and you can check a few in the link mentioned here, http://www.fishaway.in/95-fish-treatment?id_category=95&n=42

At an advanced level, you can check the water for the below mentioned substances for better results. 

• Nitrate : Below 40 ppm : Waste product resulting from biological filtration that builds up over time. High levels can stress fish and cause algae blooms : To control, perform a 25% partial water change and add apply any nitrate remover. Live plants are also beneficial at reducing nitrate.
• Nitrite : Below 0.5 ppm, ideal is 0 : Toxic waste product when good filter bacteria are not functioning. Causes severe fish stress and hinders respiration (noticeable when fish breathe fast and labored) : To control, reduce amount of fish food and conduct a partial water change. Adding nitrite remover as a filter bacteria would help in reducing the nitrite levels in the water. Increasing aeration with an air pump and air diffuser is also recommended.
• Total Hardness : Community fish prefer 50 to 150 ppm depending on species : Measures the levels of minerals like calcium and magnesium. Fish like African Cichlids prefer higher levels where Tetras and Discus prefer lower levels : General rule is to let your fish adjust to local tap water and not adjust.
• Total Chlorine : 0 ppm : Chlorine and Chloramine is a common disinfectant in tap water and is very harmful to fish gills and invertebrates : Add chlorine removers to all tap water before adding to your aquarium. Also adjust the water temperature to match your aquarium before adding.
• Total Alkalinity : Above 80 ppm : Measures the levels of buffers like carbonates. Low levels will not adequately regulate pH and potentially cause acid build up or a dangerous pH crash : Perform a 25% partial water change and apply any water stabilisers to control the alkalinity.
• pH - Freshwater : Community fish prefer 6.8 to 7.8 depending on species : Measures the level of acid and base where 7.0 is neutral. Below 7 is acidic and above 7 is basic. Fish require consistent levels; small changes can be stressful : Perform a 25% partial water change and apply any pH buffer to control.

Well, if you are reading these lines, I understand you are serious about your aquarium and your fishes. Hope I have managed to give the basic details to help you out. If you still have further questions, then reach me out :)