Maintaining a Saltwater Aquarium
Maintaining a saltwater aquarium will seem intimidating to a beginner. But, once you’ve gotten use to the routine it won’t seem near as tedious. Just keep in mind that the beauty of a marine tank is well worth the maintenance!
There are several things that need to be done on a daily basis to ensure that you system stays healthy. Catching any problems early can mean the difference between a minor problem and a major one.
You’ll probably enjoy your tank so much that you’ll be looking at it all the time, but at least once a day take a close look. Watch for any differences in the fishes appearance or behavior.
If you notice something that seems wrong with one of the fish, keep a close check on it. Better yet, you should move any fish you suspect that may have developed a disease to a separate tank. After a few days if the fish seems fine, you can put it back into the community.
Regularly check the water temperature and adjust it if it’s fallen or risen. You should clean the protein skimmer cup on a daily basis, but you can go for no more than two days without cleaning it.
Make sure that you check all of the aquarium equipment on a daily basis to. All you’ll need to do is to look and make sure that they’re all still operating correctly.
Every two days you should replace any tank water that has evaporated. You will also want to clean algae off of the glass, regular cleanings will prevent algae growth from getting out of hand.
Every week you should do a partial water change. If your system is very well maintained you may only need to do this on a bi-weekly basis. This will also depend on the types of fish that you have and their requirements.
Salt from the evaporating water will collect on the tops of the tank, the equipment and even on the lighting system. It’s very important that you remove any salt buildup at least once a week. It will form chunks that can fall into the water and raise the salinity level too high.
Your weekly routine should also include testing the water and adding any needed chemicals. Any vitamins or conditioners should be added at this time to. If you have a well established tank and your chemical readings remain constant, you could choose to do this every two weeks.
If you’re using a canister filter you should always change the floss every two weeks. However, the floss can be changed more often if it gets dirty and needs to be changed.
At least once per month you should siphon through the substrate and corals if you have them to keep it clean. You’ll also need to clean the entire protein skimmer at this time.
Check all of the tubes or hoses to make sure that all of the connections are secure. Clean or replace any air stones that you have and replace the carbon.
Canister filters and hoses should be thoroughly cleaned inside and out every three months. Blow into the hoses to make sure that they’re not clogged, clogging can cause backflow and even flooding. The air pads inside the pumps will need replaced at this same time.
Every six months you should check your pump impellers for any damage and replace them if needed. Changing you air valves will deter the build up of pressure that will damage your pump. And, if you are using a UV filter, you should change the tubes.
The bulbs in your lighting system might last for a long time. But, if your environment depends on lighting to stay healthy you should change all of your bulbs every six months.
These time schedules are just a basic rule to follow if you’re an experienced saltwater hobbyist. But, if you’re new to saltwater environments, you should follow these guidelines more closely.
