How to Care for Your Saltwater Aquarium

Saltwater Aquarium Maintenance

As with all living things, it takes routine maintenance to keep fish healthy and an aquarium looking great. The best way to avoid stress and ultimately diseases is to keep the water in the aquarium in ideal condition this entails regular water changes, siphoning the substrate and cleaning equipment.  Not everything has to be at once, though.

Dallas Aquarium Experts is a full service saltwater aquarium and reef tank maintenance company.
Dallas Aquarium Experts is a full service saltwater aquarium and reef tank maintenance company.

Aquariums require weekly, bi-weekly water changes; others are good for once a month.  Either way, water changes require some time. You will want to siphon or vacuum debris from the substrate and clean the filter and change out the filter media; socks, pads, cartridges.

Algae is natural and overall helpful in an aquarium, and to be removed on a regular basis.  Empty and clean the protein skimmer waste collection cup and rinse weekly.

Unfortunately not everyone has the time or desire to do aquarium maintenance.

Dallas Aquarium Experts is a fully insured aquarium maintenance service company that caters to both commercial and large residential clients.  Our professional and dependable services can be custom tailored to fit your particular needs. We want to keep our clients for life and we conduct the maintenance with that in mind. It is in our best interest to keep your aquarium as beautiful and as healthy as possible.  We are not only concerned with the appearance of the aquarium but also with its health and stability.

Contact Dallas Aquarium Experts today to for a free consultation, and allow us to be your Aquarium Service provider and handle your Aquarium Maintenance needs.

Aquarium Service, Aquarium Leasing, Aquarium Maintenance 

 (469) 450 3900

 

Benefits of an Aquarium & Aquarium Service

Benefits of an Aquarium

Keeping an aquarium has many benefits and Dallas Aquarium Experts can help. Aquariums not only beautify the living spaces, but can also be therapeutic must-haves that help you deal with everyday life better. The size of the aquarium does not really matter.The best place to keep an aquarium is a place where you can look at it for a while every day. Let’s look at some benefits of having an aquarium at home or at office.

      • REDUCE STRESS – Watching an aquarium for a few minutes every day can significantly reduce your stress levels. A well-maintained fish tank with colorful fish swimming in its natural environment can take your mind off and drastically reduce stress.
      • CALMING EFFECT OF CHILDREN – Hyperactive kids tend to calm down when they have a fish tank around. It also helps them sleep better and feel more secure when the lights are off. Aquariums can be quite entertaining and kids develop a sense of curiosity, thereby making them want to learn more about wildlife and nature.
      • WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY – Keeping an aquarium in your office reduces your blood pressure. It lowers your stress levels, helps you focus better, and can even motivate you to be more creative and productive. It also adds aesthetic value to your work space.
      • ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES – Elderly persons who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease benefit from watching an aquarium. When they are around an aquarium placed in the dining room, they eat better, they are calmer and they require fewer supplements. They also display less physically aggressive behavior and tend to be happier.

Aquarium Service, Aquarium Maintenance, Aquarium Leasing

Aquarium Maintenance Service

CONTACT US TODAY!

Schedule a free consultation where a reliable and professional service technician will come to your home or business and access your current situation. Before you make your decision on an Aquarium Service Company in DFW, allow us the opportunity to provide you a free consultation regarding your current Aquarium or we can provide an estimate on a new aquarium set-up and aquarium maintenance. Your fish will reward you with their natural beauty and years of enjoyment.

• Call us at (469) 450-3900

• Email us at sales@DallasAquariumExperts.com

Aquarium Service, Aquarium MaintenanceAquarium Leasing

Aquarium Leasing & Aquarium Maintenance

Aquarium Leasing & Maintenance

Aquarium Leasing, Aquarium Service, Aquarium Maintenance

Aquarium Leasing

Aquarium leasing has grown in popularity in recent years, because it gives you the beauty and relaxation benefits of an aquarium without requiring you to spend time learning about the different types of aquariums, animal life and care before you begin. In addition, it minimizes your financial investment, because rather than you buying all of the equipment, supplies and animals yourself, everything you need is included in your aquarium leasing plan, making it a simple and cost effective way to get started.

At Dallas Aquarium Experts, we recommend aquarium leasing for business clients who want to enjoy the benefit of an aquarium in your space without having to invest the time and money required to purchase or build a custom aquarium.

Aquarium leasing is very straightforward. You can work with one of our aquarium specialists to discuss your specific goals for the aquarium, space requirements, desired animals, associated maintenance needs, and budget. Once we find a package that works for your specifications, our expert technicians will travel to your location to assemble, fill and balance the aquarium tank to get it started, and we will add fish and other animals when it is safe to do so.

All of our aquarium leasing packages include maintenance, so once your tank is up and running, we will return at regularly scheduled intervals to check the water quality, verify that equipment is functioning correctly, evaluate the health and well being of the animals, and clean and balance the tank as needed.

Aquarium leasing options are available at all different price points and prices remain steady for the duration of the agreement. Give Dallas Aquarium Experts a call or click here Dallas Aquarium Experts – Aquarium Leasing  to see how our aquarium leasing program can provide you with a beautiful, hassle free aquarium experience!

 

Contact Dallas Aquarium Experts today to for a free consultation, and allow us to be your Aquarium Service provider and handle your Aquarium Maintenance needs.

aquarium maintenance, aquarium service, custom aquarium design and installation

About Dallas Aquarium Experts Aquarium Service

aquarium service, aquarium maintenance, aquarium leasing

Dallas Aquarium Experts – Aquarium Service

Dallas Aquarium Experts, founded in 2010. We strive to be the best and most reliable aquarium design, installation, and maintenance service company in the greater D.F.W. area. Our expertise and personal service are second to none. We treat each client as part of our extended family, each system as if it were our own. We work 1 on 1 with the best manufactures of the highest quality glass aquariums and equipment to ensure your dream aquarium system continues to be a focal point of your home, office, or commercial establishment for years to come. We provide a personalized maintenance program for every system based on your abilities and the needs of your system and its inhabitants. Whether your dream is for a fresh water system, saltwater, or a living coral reef environments.  Dallas Aquarium Experts is there to help, educate and do the jobs necessary to keep your wet friends healthy and thriving. We provide the best in high nutrition foods for your fish and corals.  We fly in shipments of Corals and livestock from the best suppliers on the California coast that carry Pacific caught fish and also beautiful species responsibly caught from Australian waters as well as the Philippine islands. All livestock is held at our quarantine facility to guarantee the animals we introduce to your system are eating well and are healthy and disease free.  As always we offer free consultations to turn your dream system into a reality!

Contact Dallas Aquarium Experts today to for a free consultation, and allow us to be your Aquarium Service provider and handle your Aquarium Maintenance needs.

Aquarium Service, Aquarium Leasing, Aquarium Maintenance 

 (469) 450 3900

Aquqarium Water Changes – Dallas Aquarium Experts

Aquarium Cleaning and Water Changes

Aquarium Service
Aquarium Service

 

Regularly changing a portion of the water in your aquarium can dramatically reduce nitrates, phosphates, DOC’s. It can also correct pH, replenish calcium, stabilize alkalinity, and replenish vital trace elements.  I strongly recommend changing 50 to 60 percent of the water every month.  You can change half that amount every two weeks, or a quarter of it every week.  Your aquarium’s appearance should be your indicator whether to do more or less water change.

A few aquarists, because of their proximity to the ocean, are able to use natural sea water. The majority of us purchase dry saltmix by the bucket.  Choosing a synthetic sea salt requires some research, as there are many different brands and formulations. We strongly recommend a reef aquarium specific salts. That is painstakingly formulated to replicate coral reef parameters.  Basic synthetic salts may require calcium and magnesium supplements to bring them close to natural sea salt.

To prepare the water you’ll a vat that can hold the volume of water that you will be changing at least 20 to 25% of your aquariums volume, a small powerhead to circulate the water, and an appropriate sized heater to regulate the temperature. You’ll also need a salinity refractometer to measure the salinity.  Connect a vinyl hose to the output end of the powerhead to pump the freshly mixed saltwater in to the aquarium.

 

Contact Dallas Aquarium Experts today for a free consultation for aquarium service!

 

Plano Aquarium Service by DALLAS AQUARIUM EXPERTS

Aquarium Service

We offer weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly service plans custom-tailored to your aquarium maintenance needs. Many of our customers have come to us after being dissatisfied with the performance of their previous aquarium service provider. Give us 30 days, and we will show you why they are still our customers. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.

Why Do I Need Professional Aquarium Maintenance Services?

Convenience – You don’t have to worry about cleaning the tank, ordering food and supplies, maintaining critical levels like salinity and Ph, or other time-consuming and sometimes complex procedures. Healthier Livestock – Fish, coral, and other species all then to do better when cared for by professional aquarists. Available Emergency Services – Professional aquarists tend to spot sick fish or poor living environments faster and immediately know what to do to prevent the spread of disease and improve tank conditions.

Aquarium maintenance, like design and building, can be quite the undertaking; however, many aquarium owners aren’t exactly sure how to approach these needs.

At Dallas Aquarium Experts, we are dedicated to making sure you start happy and stay happy. Your aquarium is our passion, which is why we offer a variety of aquarium maintenance services and supplies.

If you would like us to take on the responsibility of maintaining your aquarium, let us apply our expertise with one of our maintenance packages.

Don’t worry if you think that your aquarium service needs are too simple or too complex! No job is to big or small. We service anything from your 5 gallon freshwater tank , 20 gallon nano aquarium, and even a 2500 gallon reef tank!

That means if you need anything from safely moving your tank to a different room or a completely new house to cleaning and maintaining an enormous showpiece, you can trust us to do what needs to be done quickly, effectively, and at the most competitive pricing.

Of course, we understand that not all aquarium owners want or need someone else to take care of their aquatic habitat. Even if you are already familiar with the maintenance needed, you still need the right products and supplies to provide this care. We offer a huge variety of aquarium maintenance supplies in our full online retail store to help you keep your aquatic habitat at its very best.

For the ultimate in convenience and scheduling when it comes to taking care of your aquarium, we offer our customers in the Collin, Denton, and Dallas Counties delivery for their supplies and even food for their fish. Give us a call and let us help you maintain your beautiful tank or pond!

Dallas Aquarium Experts designs packages based on your needs and budget. Please contact us for a free estimate on our aquarium maintenance services or for more information about our services.

Aquarium Service – DALLAS AQUARIUM EXPERTS

aquarium service

Aquarium Service

If you have an aquarium or fish tank, it can be a beautiful addition to your home or office. The peaceful motions of the fish swimming and the beautiful colors many species have make a gorgeous backdrop to any room. But owning your own aquarium is more than just having a living decorative item; it also includes a responsibility to the fish and other creatures that might inhabit it. In order to maintain and clean a fish tank, you must have knowledge of the biology of the fish and plants that live in it as well as an eye for art in order to make the fish tank look beautiful. Checking the pH levels of the water as well as any chemicals in the aquarium is extremely important, as well as water temperature and cleanliness. These levels can fluctuate, so it is important that you know which levels will be best for your fish, and monitor them accordingly in case they have to be raised or lowered. Having an aquarium is an excellent teaching tool for children, a relaxing thing to look at, and an enjoyable way to own your very own fish and other sea creatures. By making sure your fish tank stays clean and well maintained, you will have many years of enjoyment from your aquarium.

Fish are complex creatures and need special care depending on the type of fish you have. There is also a stark difference in aquarium maintenance and aquarium cleaning needs between a freshwater and a saltwater tank. Be sure you are aware of the differences and make your decision of what kind of tank you want based on the various methods needed to ensure it stays clean and safe for your fish. Before you set the fish tank up, you should perform a process called cycling. This process helps set the stage for healthy water and a healthy environment. Cycling means that you will balance the water levels, make sure the tank is clean and free of any unwanted chemicals such as ammonia, and make sure the water has just the right conditions for both plants and fish before introducing them to the tank. Find out the best ways to clean the gravel, feed the fish, and remove debris and waste from the tank without causing trauma to the fish. It is important to purchase the right treatments needed for either a saltwater or freshwater tank so the levels are correct. Get a good tank thermometer that allows you to monitor the water temperature, and make note of which temperatures your fish prefer in order to thrive. As you clean the tank, you will learn how to perform the task more effectively and how to safely remove the fish so that they are unharmed while you clean it.

Owning a fish tank is a great way to add interest to anywhere you choose. As an aquarium owner, it is important to remember that you are also a pet owner; making sure the tank stays clean is of the most vital importance. With some good research and a full list of supplies you will need, you should have everything required to not only set up a great fish tank, but be able to keep it clean, creating a happy and healthy environment for your fish. Keep a record of the dates you clean the tank so you can continue to regularly clean the fish tank on a viable schedule. Fish tanks do require a good amount of maintenance, but the rewards you reap are well worth it. Ask your local pet stores for some good tips and advice, and if you feel like the process is too complicated, find out what you can do to make the cleaning and maintenance easier on both you and your fish. A clear and clean fish tank will make you happy and will be an excellent feature that everyone will surely appreciate and enjoy.

 

Common Fish Tank Maintenance Mistakes Made by Novice Aquarium Service Companies

One of the worst mistakes you can make when cleaning your freshwater aquarium is to empty and clean out either the filter or the tank completely. The beneficial bacteria in your tank that help to maintain the nitrogen cycle live on the surfaces of your tank and also in your filter. If you empty out the tank or filter and clean them thoroughly you could kill the entire colony of nitrifying bacteria. When you refill the tank or filter you will be essentially starting over and the tank will have to cycle again in order to re-establish a healthy population of beneficial bacteria. If it becomes necessary to clean your filter, avoid scrubbing the entire thing. A quick rinse with water taken from the aquarium will suffice.

Another common mistake made by novices is to wait too long to clean the tank. Weekly 10% water changes and/or a 25% water change once a month should be enough to keep the water in your aquarium fresh. The best way to do this is through regular aquarium service A larger scale cleaning may become necessary, however, in the event of an algae bloom. If you notice a sudden increase in algae growth in your tank do not wait for the problem to get out of control – take steps to correct the problem then clean the tank before it gets worse. Remove all the decorations from your tank and clean them using 10% bleach solution. Do not clean your filter within seven days of performing this task or you could lose all of the beneficial bacteria in your tank at once. Also, check the water with an aquarium water test kit to determine if there is an excess amount of phosphates.

Everyone gets busy at times, but do not be tempted to replace your routine water changes by simply topping off the tank with fresh water as it evaporates. If you just add more water to the tank without removing any, the water quality in your tank will still deteriorate and your fish may suffer. As water evaporates from the tank it leaves chemicals like ammonia and nitrates behind – and one way to remove these chemicals is to remove some of the water itself and replace it with fresh water. Also, install filter media that specifically targets ammonia and nitrates. Remember, it isn’t just “one thing” that you should be doing to maintain a healthy, clean environment for your fish. Be a smart aquarist and perform a combination of the freshwater aquarium maintenance tasks outlined above on a regular basis and you’ll enjoy a healthy, thriving aquarium!

For all of you who have asked about cleaning fish tanks… Aquarium cleaning is a simple and straight forward task, and should not take very long (Unless you have a particularly small tank or bowl, in which case care can be quite cumbersome and time consuming). The better care you provide for your tank, the healthier your fish will be, the nicer your tank will look and the easier your tank will be to care for in the future.

Fish Tank Maintenance

Don’t I Have to Remove Everything from the Fish Tank when Cleaning?

You should not need to take all the stuff (plants, decorations, etc.) out of the fish tank when you clean it. In fact, I would not recommend it. This just produces extra work for you and creates a large and unnecessary mess. Remember, every surface in the tank will grow some beneficial bacteria that are part of the biological filter. By removing and cleaning the decorations you stress (and may even kill) some of this bacteria, reducing the quality of your filtration until the filter recovers.

What About Removing the Fish when Cleaning the Aquarium?

Similarly, you do not want to remove the fish from the tank when you do your regular 10-15% water change. This, again, is a lot more work on you, and creates an unnecessary mess. In addition, this can be highly stressful to the fish, and is likely to cause physical injuries to your fish.

Aquarium Maintenance

When cleaning your aquarium, you should just remove part (10-15%) of the water and replace it with fresh, dechlorinated tap water (bowls and vases require larger water changes more often). While you are doing this, you should use your siphon to suck up some of the gunk that collects in the gravel and decorations. If you have an under gravel filter, it is very important to clean the gravel when you do your weekly water changes, this will prevent detritus and other decaying organic matter from blocking the passages between the pebbles and restricting water flow. Generally, you can clean 25-33% (1/4-1/3) of the gravel while siphoning out 10-15% of the water.

What About Algae?

If you have algae growing on the surface of the tank or ornaments, you should get an algae scraper of some sort and scrub the glass before removing water. Many varieties of algae scrapers or scrubbers are available at your local pet store. For additional cleanliness, you could get algae eating catfish and/or scavengers to pick up some of this work for you; however, having catfish in the tank does NOT mean that you don’t need to clean. In fact, algae eaters and catfish, like any other fish, will add to the biological load of your tank and increase aquarium maintenance requirements. (And even those catfish that will eat some algae will not eat much and are unlikely to keep the tank looking clean.)

Dallas Aquarium Experts recommend doing 10-15% water changes once a week for the life of your aquarium. Once you get into this habit, it is not really that much work. Really, it isn’t that much work. Cleaning all the fish tanks in a local pet shop was only a 3 hour job. Doing your weekly water change in your own home aquarium should not take too long.

What If My Filter Is Dirty?

If you have to clean out the filter(s)do not change all the media (cartridges, sponges, carbon packets, etc.) at once, as this will remove the majority of your biological filter, causing the tank to have to go through a cycling period again to get bacteria reestablished. Rinse any new filter media in cool running water before introducing it to the system (unless the instructions for the filter media specifically state not to).

OK, I Have the Old Water Out, Now What?

Once you have siphoned 10-15% of the water from your tank, you will need to fill it again. The easiest and neatest way to do this is to use a siphon to siphon water from a bucket into the tank. This will tend to reduce spilling and messing up the gravel and decorations. Use a bucket that has never had detergents or household chemicals in it (I recommend getting a bucket specifically for use for aquarium chores) and fill it with water. The water should be close to the temperature of the tank water that you just took out (the average person can tell temperature differences within 1/2 degree Fahrenheit or about 1/4 degree Celsius with their hand, so just feel the water to see if it is the same). Use a chlorine or chloramine remover to prepare the water for introduction into the tank. Place the bucket somewhere higher than the top of the fish tank, and get your siphon going again and in just a couple of minutes, you should have a full tank. Be sure to watch the siphon, in case the hose gets bumped out of the tank, or if there is enough water in your bucket to overfill the tank. Remember, there needs to be some space between the top of the water and the aquarium cover, because your fish rely on oxygen exchange at the surface of the water in order to be able to breathe.

What About Topping Off the Fish Tank Between Water Changes?

Do not just “top off the tank” to replace water that “disappears.” This water that is disappearing is evaporating, and it leaves behind all the impurities that were in it to begin with. This means that as you just top off the tank, you are making your water harder until it will eventually no longer be able to support fish.

Additionally, if there are even trace amounts of heavy metals or other toxic substances in the water, you are giving your fish more and more of these every time you top off the tank. Most municipal water systems have at trace levels of at least one potentially hazardous substance, but in minuscule amounts these should never be trouble for you or your fish. Furthermore, by not removing water from the tank from time to time, you allow build up of waste products not removed by the filter (such as Nitrate), which are potentially hazardous to the fish and encourage algae growth.

Usually, if there is significant evaporation between water changes, you are either going far too long between water changes, or there is something wrong with the aquarium setup or equipment that is causing or encouraging evaporation.

Aquarium Service
Aquarium Service

4 Acclimation Stage Issues for Marine Aquarium Fish

Dallas Aquarium Experts – Aquarium Maintenance Service Company

 

4 Acclimation Stage Issues for Marine Aquarium Fish

When we consider the term “acclimation” as it relates to marine aquarium fish, we usually think of the relatively brief period during which—with the hobbyist’s help—they gradually adjust to the temperature, pH, and other water parameters in a new system. But in actuality, it takes several days to weeks after introduction for a fish to become fully acclimated to the conditions and other livestock in a new aquarium environment.

It’s during this period that certain health and compatibility problems are most likely to arise, so hobbyists must be especially vigilant and take precautions to ensure their new aquatic charges adjust to their new digs successfully. Here are a few issues to watch for in those first crucial weeks:

#1 The fatal leap

Frightened fish have the potential to leap from an uncovered tank to their death at any time, but never are they more skittish and prone to jumping than during the first few days in a new tank—especially after lights out on that first night. Stands to reason, doesn’t it? After all, how would you feel if you were shoved unceremoniously into a room full of strangers, some of whom appear to resent your arrival, and before you could even get your bearings, someone suddenly shut off all the lights? You’d probably be pretty jumpy, too!

Keeping the tank well covered is the most obvious solution to this problem, but it’s also helpful to arrange the rockwork so there are plenty of hiding places not already claimed by established residents, minimize human activity outside the tank, and provide a gradual change in the lighting scheme from daylight to dusk to dark. I also sometimes leave a room light on during this period so the new fish isn’t plunged into complete darkness when the tank lights turn off.

#2 The hunger strike

Thought you got over this during quarantine didn’t you? Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for a fish that was feeding at the LFS and in quarantine to go off its feed when introduced to a display aquarium with new tankmates. Usually, this hunger-strike behavior is temporary and the fish comes around once it gets comfortable in its new home, but I have had fish refuse food for as long as several weeks.

If this behavior persists, be ready to target feed the hunger-striking specimen or to entice it with something much harder to resist (e.g., chopped clams/clam on the half shell, live mysids, live ghost shrimp, etc.).

#3 Tankmate hazing

Compatibility issues are most likely to arise immediately or shortly after a new fish is introduced (which isn’t to say they can’t materialize later)—whether it’s a case of the newcomer being bullied by an established specimen or vice versa. Sometimes the aggression is short-lived and sorts itself out, but other times it becomes necessary to remove one specimen or the other (either the aggressor or the addressee) to prevent injury or death.

It’s vital to keep a very close eye on all specimens during a new fish’s acclimation period and to be prepared to take prompt action if serious, persistent aggression is noted.

#4 Succumbing to stress

Acclimating to yet another aquarium, set of water parameters, and community of tankmates can stress a new specimen to the point that it becomes ill and ultimately succumbs. In fact, many “mysterious” fish deaths can likely be attributed to this phenomenon.

The best defense against undue stress is to provide an aquarium environment that is as therapeutic as possible, which means maintaining stable, appropriate water temperature, pH, and specific gravity; keeping dissolved pollutants to a minimum; minimizing aggressive interactions among specimens; minimizing movement and activity outside the tank; offering a variety of high-quality, appropriate foods; providing ample hiding places; etc.

 

Contact Dallas Aquarium Experts today for a free consultation.

 

October 15, 2014 by

Top Ten Common Aquarium Maintenance Mistakes

Aquarium Maintenance Service Company

 

 

Ten Common Aquarium Maintenance Mistakes

1) Allowing too much time between water changes.

2) Letting the mechanical filters and skimmer become dirty and clogged

3) Using impure water for makeup

4) Overfeeding

5) Using cheap synthetic

6) Allowing dead spots to form and detritus to build up on, under, and behind rocks

7) Not using activated carbon to clarify water

8) Only changing the fluorescent lights after they are burned out

9) Using window cleaners containing ammonia near the aquarium

10) Not using Dallas Aquarium Experts as your aquarium maintenance service company

 

Contact Dallas Aquarium Experts today for a free estimate!

One last “maintenance task” that should be done daily is to sit back and observe the aquarium. As simple as this sounds, there is no more important habit.

Below you’ll find some tips on chores you can do daily to ensure your aquarium is running in tip-top shape.

Top off fresh water lost to evaporation—usually about a half-gallon a day, depending on the humidity level in my home. This process can be fairly easily automated, however, eliminating even this simple step.

Each day’s routine also involves an inspection of all the livestock in my tank. You want to make sure that all the animals are present and accounted for (i.e., nothing has perished in the rockwork or leapt from the tank) and that everything looks healthy, uninjured, and disease-free. This really isn’t much of a chore, since it gives you an excuse to observe the tank and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Check water temperature and specific gravity to make sure these crucial parameters aren’t straying off course. Monitoring these parameters daily allows you to catch and correct subtle deviations using small adjustments rather than having to make hug corrections after a precipitous change has occurred.

You should perform a quick daily inspection of all my heating, filtration, lighting, and protein-skimming equipment to make sure everything is functioning properly.

This may sound like a lot to do each day, but again, these are all very simple steps and virtually all of them can be completed in a matter of minutes.

aquarium service
aquarium service
Perform Water Changes – Bi-Monthly
In addition to refilling your top-off reservoir, you should also perform water changes at least twice a month. These water changes do not need to be drastic – in fact, they should not exceed 25% of the tank volume. You must prepare your saltwater at least 24 hours before performing a water change and you should carefully check the salinity to make sure it matches the salinity of the tank. You should also try to match the water temperature so the water change doesn’t have an effect on your tank temperature. In addition to performing water changes, you may also want to wipe down the tank glass and clean away any salt deposits on tank equipment.
Research, Research, Research
If you are considering setting up a saltwater aquarium in your home, your first step is research. Learn as much as you can about the individual fish and invertebrates that interest you. Not all species offered in the industry are equally well suited for the typical home aquarium. Choose fish and invertebrates suitable for the novice aquarist and refrain from pursuing unsuitable species, or species that have poor success rates in captivity.

 

Plano Aquarium Maintenance by DALLAS AQUARIUM EXPERTS

Aquarium at stairs

Aquarium Maintenance

The amount of basic aquarium maintenance you have to do is directly related to how closely you follow the three rules of fish keeping.

If the tank is overcrowded, if you consistently feed the fish too much food, and if you seldom do partial water changes, the filter system will be unable to keep the water quality where it should be. If you find yourself dealing with diseased and dying fish on a regular basis, you are almost certainly doing at least one of these three things wrong.

Basic aquarium maintenance is not time-consuming if the tank is set up correctly and you go about it properly. You should get in the habit of looking at the fish closely every day or two, as well as checking the water temperature

If you need catching up on routine aquarium maintenance, now is the perfect time.

Scrub algae, check filters, and change bulbs for overall system health.

A strict maintenance schedule must be in place for your fish and other inhabitants to thrive and survive in your aquarium.

Proper and routine cleaning is the key to success and is beneficial. Your inhabitants will stay healthier and your aquariums physical environment will look cleaner.

Start by checking if all your equipments are working properly and efficiently. It’s good to find out if one or more of your equipments are stealing energy that can cost electric bill to go up than usual.

Check the chords to see if any had been tangled up. Remove algae with a scraper, clear your protein skimmer’s collection cup.

Change lamps every six months. If you don’t remember when the last time you changed it, then it’s probably time to get a new one.

But how often should the aquarium maintenance need to take place?

Well it all depends on the following questions:

How big is aquarium?

What kind of aquarium filtration do you use?

What types of inhabitants to you have?

How many inhabitants do you have?

How often do you feed them?

Decide on how often your aquarium needs cleaning based on the question above.

Here is a suggestion or recommendation on aquarium service

Through a child's eyes

Aquarium Service

Daily

Make sure all equipments are running properly.

Temperature (at least twice a day – in the morning and at night) The temperature on your thermometer should match the temperature on your heater’s thermostat. If you see a temperature readout you aren’t expecting, get a new heater immediately. (It’s a good idea to use 2 instead of one anyway – heats more evenly and provides cheap insurance.)

Water Level

Mark the fill levels on the glass on the back of your tank or some other discreet area, and then check your water level if it starts to look low.

Top off evaporated water when the level starts to drop. Dissolved solids like salts do not evaporate, so evaporated water can cause spikes in salinity or pH because the solution in your tank becomes more concentrated. Prepare top-off water as you would for a water change, but without adding salt or mineral supplements.

Unusual Behavior

Observe your tank closely at least once a day. While you’re enjoying the view, take note of a few things

New fish may take a while to settle into normal behavior. Recent changes such as a new addition to the tank can cause shifts in normal behavior. But most of the time, fish are pretty consistent. Check your fish making sure their activity is normal. Checking this daily will help you find out the first signs of disease and treat it early.

Be alert to signs of strange behavior, like a loss of appetite, unusual swimming patterns, or rubbing against ornaments. Signs of illness, such as white fuzz, erratic swimming, or rubbing against ornaments should be dealt with immediately – ideally by moving suspect fish to a quarantine tank and medicating it there.

Dead Fish or Organisms

Small fish that like to hide in decorations or rock crevices could easily die and be unnoticed for days. Anemones and plants are also notorious for dying discreetly.

A dead organism immediately begins to decompose and will soon flood your system with toxic ammonia, likely more than your filters are prepared to handle – especially in smaller tanks. So do a head count every day and remove anything that will decay.

Protein Skimmers

A protein skimmer’s collection cup should be emptied of waste every few days or so – whenever it is full. Your skimmer will take a few days to get up to speed; once it’s functioning smoothly, check the cup daily; after a few days you’ll be able to determine how often you need to clean it.

 

Weekly and/or Bi-Weekly

Partial water change (15-40% of your saltwater aquarium)

The regular water change is the most important thing you must keep up with for the health and appearance of your aquarium. Normally, a water change is only partial – you remove 15-40% of your tank water and replace it with completely new water. Changing more than 30% or so of water at a time can be stressful to fish and is usually avoided unless removing medication or fighting some sort of water quality problem.

Changing water is important because for the vast majority of aquarium systems, there is no other way to remove nitrates from water. Every day, bacteria convert fish waste and excess food into nitrates, so levels are constantly climbing; plants or algae may consume some, but not usually enough to hold nitrate at steady levels. Nitrate is not tolerated well by marine organisms; it’s tolerated a little better by freshwater creatures. But in any tank, you must control nitrate levels by frequently removing nitrate-laden water.

Typically, water changes are performed once a week. But small tanks up to about 10 gallons, where the small volume of water means changes in condition have more impact, usually benefit from 2-3 water changes per week. The same is true for “nano” saltwater tanks (20-40 gallons or less) which need very stable conditions. Large tanks, by contrast, might be fine with a water change every 2 weeks. It depends on your bio load, or the amount of waste produced by your aquarium organisms.

You can tell if you’re changing water enough by measuring nitrates weekly, a day or so after a water change. If your nitrate levels decrease or remain the same from week to week, you are changing frequently enough. If they climb, you need to change more frequently. Since this is directly related to how much waste your creatures are producing, levels that stay dangerously high or persist in climbing may mean you’re overstocked.

A freshwater tank’s nitrates should stay safely below 40ppm; a saltwater tank should be around 10-20ppm, the lower the better, especially for sensitive reef tanks.

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Water changes are the best time to do some easy cleaning chores.

Replace Filter Media

Most filter cartridges and chemical filter media need to be replaced roughly once a month (follow directions).

Biological media should only be rinsed if it is clogged with debris, but never rinse a significant portion at once; do it in rotating batches and let a week or more go by before you do the next. A light film of slime shouldn’t be cause for concern. Biological media normally doesn’t need to be replaced, and shouldn’t be.

Make sure you power off and unplug any equipment you are working on.

Rinse pads and sponges in aquarium water – do this during a water change, so you can use the water you removed from the tank. If they are so clogged they can’t be cleaned, it’s time to replace them. Do this every two weeks instead if they’re growing dirty quickly.

When you clean your media, observe the inside of your filter components – if there is a lot of gunk clogging up the works, remove it with a flexible cleaning brush.

Using chlorinated water will cause temperature change and can kill the bacteria that accumulated.

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Monthly Aquarium Service

It’s a great idea to record monthly maintenance tasks in a log or journal when you do them, so you can easily tell when you need to do them next; also to follow developing trends, identify possible problems and keep up on refill changes.

Testing Equipment

Unless you’re in a period of transition – new fish, recently dead or ill fish, etc – you can probably get away with testing pH levels, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates monthly – but keep records of the results, days and times that you took them. (pH varies throughout the day, so measuring at the same time matters.)

If water conditions ever seem suspicious or there is a mystery problem in your tank, measure these levels and check for changes. You can then refer to these measurements if you ever need to consult other hobbyists or experts about your problem. They will go a long way towards figuring out what is wrong.

Replace filter media biweekly

General inspection of all equipments for proper operation.

Check expiration dated on the boxes and bottles of your aquarium supplies that you use.

When required

Algae clean up on aquarium glass and decorations.

Good water quality ensures health for your saltwater fish and other inhabitants. Remember that you have to be fully dedicated to this kind of hobby to avoid not only saltwater fish and other inhabitants’ loss but also your money’s worth.

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