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It’s no secret that aquariums are not just a hobby but a true passion. At times, they can be challenging, too, especially when maintaining the perfect environment for your fish.
Although keeping an aquarium involves a lot of trial, error and experimentation, there are a few simple tips you can use to easen things. Keep reading to learn how you can improve your household aquarium.
Pick the Right Size Tank
Aquariums come in all shapes and sizes, so you should pick a large tank to house the type of fish you want. However, there are unique considerations for different types of aquariums — if you’re going to keep live coral, it requires much more space than just simply keeping a few goldfish.
To get started, do your research on the size requirements of your desired tank setup. For example, saltwater tanks with live coral will require about 30 gallons per fish.
As a general rule for beginners, it’s best to start with a 20-gallon aquarium. This will give you plenty of room to accommodate several fish and experiment with different types of environments.
Keep Your Fish Tank Clean
Keeping your fish tank clean should be your number one priority for the well-being of your fish. And the rule of thumb when it comes to cleaning your tank is that you should change 10-20% of the water every 1-2 weeks. Doing this will deter nitrogenous waste, which could cause ammonia poisoning.
It’s also essential to keep a close eye on the nitrate levels in your tank since they can accumulate quickly and affect your fish. A good test kit will help you determine when to change the water in your aquarium simultaneously.
Additionally, you should also vacuum the gravel at the bottom of your tank during each water change to remove uneaten food, waste, and other debris. To prevent it from building up and polluting your aquarium environment.
Add Plants
Adding plants to your aquarium provides a natural look, provides shade and slows algae growth down while also adding oxygen to the tank. There are many different types of plants that can thrive in an aquarium environment.
For instance, you can consider aquatic plants like Anubias and Java fern, which require low-maintenance and work well in an aquarium setting.
Test the Water Regularly
You should test the water in your tank regularly to ensure that it provides the right environment for your fish. Every week, test the nitrates, nitrites, ammonia and pH levels in the water. As a general rule, these elements should be at zero, seven or eight parts per million, respectively.
If you find that the levels deviate from the above, consider water changing. Once you know how to improve aquarium health by keeping an eye on these factors, you will have peace of mind that your fish are in their ideal environment.
Add colorful fish to your household aquarium
You can add different types of colorful fish to your household aquarium to improve its ambience and appearance. For example, some species of neon tetras come in several different forms of colouration.
You can get them in red, blue, purple and metallic green colors. Adding colorful fish species to your tank will create a much more visually appealing atmosphere for yourself and your house guests. There are plenty of places that have freshwater shrimp for sale which can be a great addition to your aquarium.
Alternate Light Settings
Specimen-specific lighting is essential for most aquatic species and can be as simple as adjusting the light cycle to mimic the natural 24-hour cycle of a particular region. For example, suppose you’re keeping fish native to South America.
These types require lights for about 10 hours every day, with a gradual increase and decrease in light intensity that simulates sunrise and sunset. Additionally, you can also provide some “moonlight” in the tank by using a separate moonlight circuit, or blue LED strip.
This helps to mimic nature and provides a soothing visual effect when you want to relax.
Hopefully, after reading this article, you should have a good idea about what it takes to create your freshwater or saltwater aquarium. You can visit nearly any pet store and purchase everything you need to start, from tanks, lighting and filtration systems to the species of fish you want to include.
Best of all, if you find that the aquarium is more work than you bargained for, you can always sell it for a fair price online or at your local pet store when you decide to move on.
