Archivarium 2004

[cool fish dude]

Final work


Aquarium Maintenance




So you have gone through the cycling process and are starting to get the hang of the hobby of fish keeping. But you must take care of it by doing maintenance. Maintenance is taking care of your fish by changing water and monitoring it. We do Maintenance because we want to keep are tank clean and our fish very healthy. We maintain our fish tank by taking care and having respect for the fish. Things you should have on hand for Maintenance and to maintain you fish tank are siphon, gravel vacuum, large bucket, towel, chlorine neutralizer, other chemicals that will make you tank safe, and a net. If you keep up on your fish tank and take care of diseases you will have a great looking tank that can make a center piece in a room!

Tank Maintenance
Water changes, gravel vacuuming, algae scrubbing, watching levels of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, GH, KH are very important. Without water changes you fish would die from polluted water. For giving your tank a water change you should have the following equipment:

[Marcos Avila]

OK, since I had some time today and saw this article marked as [ready] I copy/pasted it and spent a couple hours working on adding it to its final page. I was almost done revising and editing it when I became COMPLETELY baffled by the last few lines. First of all:

[Azrien]

Yeah I see something wrong with this too. It's almost a necessity to perform water changes when keeping fish unless live plants are present. Even then, the water needs to be replaced to replenish minerals. Also, not changing the water could result in a pH crash.

Large cichlid keepers often need to do water changes every other day. I know of some frontosa keepers who've built automatic water changing systems to perform a constant water change on their tanks.

I think this article needs to be carefully reconsidered with the majority of fishkeepers in mind..

As to the rehoming thing, that encourages people to buy fish regardless of final size because they can just "rehome it later." This contributes to the throwaway practice already too prevalent in our hobby (and really, all across the board when it comes to keeping animals).

Also, dechlorinator can be added while adding water to the tank. I use the Python and I always drip in dechlorinator while filling the tank. Doesn't make a difference. There is also no need to unplug the filter UNLESS the intake is to be exposed. So long as the intake remains submerged, the filter should be kept going to pick up kicked up wastes.

This is a good start for people with small tanks. Do you have any experience with systems like the Pythons? If I used a bucket on my 75g, I would be here all day

[Marcos Avila]

It looks like the author isn't visiting the board regularly anymore, so I switched the subject line back to [draft] and I guess we'll just leave it here until (and if) he comes around again to clarify...
_________________
Are you a Fish-HAVER or a Fish-KEEPER?
Success with a fish/tank is measured in YEARS, not months or weeks...

[Azrien]

Mind if I take a whack at rewriting this? I've a lot of bucket/python experience.

I hope that guy comes back.. I wonder if he realizes his tank could be brimming with nitrates..

[Azrien]

Okay, here's my stab at aquarium maintenance, considering a partial water change article was already made.

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A Procedural Guide to Aquarium Maintenance

This guide assumes that the aquarist understands basic maintenance procedures such as partial water changes and water testing. This article is meant for a reference as to when certain tasks should be performed rather than how.

Daily

-Feed the fish very small feedings several times a day. This is a preferred feeding method as opposed to one or two large feedings per day. At each feeding, feed only an amount that the fish will eat within ten seconds. Four or five feedings a day with this method is good. If this is not possible, feed a meal in the morning and again in the evening.
-Examine all individuals. Check for health, missing scales, abnormal behavior, aggression, color changes (in some fish, this is normal), signs of disease, appetite, etc. There are some fatal diseases than can be treated if caught early, so it is worthwhile to get to know the normal looks and behaviors of the fish in order to quickly catch anything that may be amiss. Also, if a fish is a target of undue aggression, this may need to be spotted and rectified immediately lest the fish die from injury. Finally, make sure none are missing.
-Inspect the filter. Listen for any strange noises. ensure that nothing is clogged and that nothing blocks the intake.
-Check heaters for cracked glass. If there is anything suspect, UNPLUG THE HEATERS before putting hands into the tank!
-Check the temperature of the tank. Adjust as necessary.
-Remove any plant debris found floating.
-Sit back and enjoy your fish

Weekly

-Perform a partial water change. Depending on tank stock, this may need to be done more than once a week or even less.
-Test the ammonia and nitrates. No need to test for nitrites unless the ammonia registers above zero. pH should be tested if manipulations to the system are done that could alter the pH such as CO2 injection, and may be better off done daily until the pH is stabilized.
-Fast the fish once a week. This will not harm them.
-Clean algae off the glass, the decorations too if desired. Cleaning the glass of algae may need to be done more often.
-Prune plants if needed.

Monthly
-Rinse filter cartridges or change them. Skip a water change or delay it in order to prevent the aquarium from going through a cycle shock from the low bacteria. Do not use tap water, only tank water or dechlorinated water.
-Clean the glass tops to ensure the full strength of the light goes through.
-Stir the sand, if sand is used, to prevent dead spots.
-While filter media are being changed, clean out the whole filter (do not rinse any biowheels, just float them in the tank). Clean the impellor as well and ensure that it functions properly. Clean the intake tube using a brush cleaner.

As Needed

-For normal output fluorescent lights: Change every six months to maintain proper intensity and spectrum.
-For compact fluorescent lights: Change bulbs every year.
-All other lights, change according to recommendations.
-Clean filter and impellor if the filter makes noise or malfunctions.
-Replace carbon every 4-6 weeks if used.
-If there are any major issues with aggression, alter tank stock to rectify the situation either by adding more fish, dither fish, or removing the aggressor. Add more territory if needed.

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Additions are most definitely welcome!

[cool fish dude]

OK I am back. I can't remember that part marcos. I think you can just delete it out of it

and for Azrien I think marcos you and me can add some of that into the article