Your Fish Tank requires periodic Water Changes. The fish excrement and leftover food leads to contamination which leads to the generation of ammonia and nitrates.
If periodic replacement of the water are not carried out, the levels of these harmful substances will increase in the aquarium. The fish will eventually die. Periodic changes remove these harmful and toxic chemicals and keep their levels within limits in the aquarium.
Some people mistakenly believe that a good filtration system is sufficient to maintain water quality. No filtration system can be a substitute for periodic water changes. Hence, maintaining water quality is of paramount importance.
It is not necessary to change all the water in the tank. In fact, doing so change lead to fluctuations in temperature and water properties like pH. The replacement of water must be made in small amounts.
Regular water changes are necessary. Change 10% of the water every week. The water should be replaced with dechlorinated water. Change 25% of the water in the tank every month. Doing a water change is easy.
Just get a siphon available at any hardware store. Get a bucket and place it near the aquarium. Start the flow of water through the siphon by squeezing the bellow in the siphon. Once the water starts flowing, the flow will continue.
Move the suction point of the siphon inside the tank and so that dirt at the bottom of the tank are sucked out. In addition to water changes, the water parameters like pH, nitrate content should be measured periodically and recorded.
Once the water has been removed. Let it settle down for a about 10 minutes. Getting the new water ready. This should be free of chlorine.
Check the pH. The new water to be added should at the same temperature as that of the aquarium. Add the water to the tank in small amounts, with a small bowl so as not to agitate the tank. Otherwise, the aquarium can become cloudy.
Aquarium Siphons
An Aquarium Siphon is a very useful maintenance tool. Any hobbyist needs to have an aquarium siphon. The siphon is useful in changing water in the aquarium. The Aquarium siphon is similar to ordinary siphons which are found in hardware and home improvement stores.
However, there are certain differences in its design. The suction point has a filter which prevents the entry of substrate such as gravel. It has a large mouth which distributes the suction pressure evenly and cleans with minimum agitation.
The siphon can be firmly held and directed in any specific direction. This helps in easy clean up of detritus which would have fallen to the bottom.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9168182
No comments:
Post a Comment