How to Keep Your Exotic Fish's Tank Clean
A favorable environment is essential to the survival of your fish. And that includes ensuring regular cleaning of your aquarium. If you do not clean it frequently, metabolites and nitrates fill up your tank. As a result, they might change your tank's interface and temper your fish's health. There are several alternatives for cleaning up your artificial pond, such as filters, but sometimes they are ineffective. Whether you keep your fish for commercial or subsistence purposes does not matter. What matters is your pond's cleanliness and your fish's health. As this is a challenge to most fish rearers, below is a breakdown of best practices to ensure your fish tank remains clean always.
Rinsing the Inside Glass
It should be the first procedure in your cleaning routine. The recommendable tool to use is the algae scraper. They are available in various types and sizes, depending on the nature of your tank. However, it would be best if you acquired these scrappers from a pet shop rather than a general store. Even though they might appear similar, algae pads from the general store might contain unhealthy chemicals that might not favor your fish. The ones from the pet shop are designed while considering the well-being of the fish. You might opt for a razor blade if the glass has excessive growths. Use a plastic blade to avoid scratching the glasses or even cutting yourself. Wiping the interior of the glass should always be part of your cleaning routine.
Avoid Direct Sunlight Exposure and Overfeeding
Even though the sun is healthy for your fish, it provides conducive conditions for the rapid growth of algae. However, if your aquarium is filled with seaweed, you might use your hand or a fine net to filter it out. To prevent further growth, regulate the feeding of your fish. Many people have an assumption that overfeeding leads to accelerated growth. Even though the assumption might hold some truth, it is not the case. Instead, it accelerates kelp growth due to much nutrients in the water. It would be best if you supervised feeding your fish, and after they are done, remove any leftovers from the artificial pond. Experts claim that the size of the fish's eye correlates to its stomach. Therefore, an average feeding of two minutes is enough. Remember to remove the remnants since they pollute the water as they decay, which might be stressful cleaning up.
Changing Water frequently
Dirty water is not conducive to the well-being of the fish. It would be best to have a routine, say draining the water every 2-3 weeks and filling the aquarium with fresh water. It will help remove any accumulated substances. However, you need to consider precautions for refilling the pond. Ensure that the water has no chemical concentrations since it may harm the pond’s ecosystem. Similarly, for a safer environment, you can put sulfur pellets in the aquarium. They help eliminate phosphates in the artificial pond. Excessive phosphates are poisonous and trigger algae growth that might kill the aquarium’s ecosystem. Besides, sulfur has several benefits such as improving the fish's immune system.
Using a Convenient Aquarium
You should select a tank depending on the number of fish you intend to rear. The aquarium gets dirty quicker when it is filled beyond its capacity. On the other hand, you should not choose an oversized aquarium since the fish will not have a good hiding place. Besides, cleaning will not be easy for large tanks and requires more effort and resources. Therefore, when setting up your artificial pond, remember to engage the experts for good estimates and quotations. With a convenient tank, cleaning the glasses will be easier. If the glass is stained with fingerprints and other germs, a proper tank will be easier to wipe for easier viewing. Most importantly, in the process of brushing the glass ensure that the chemicals or other germs do not spill into the water.
Conclusion
The cleanliness of the aquarium should be your highest priority. Frequent little sanitization is much more beneficial than waiting for the whole tank to get dirty. Regular cleaning is helpful at keeping the tank’s environment favorable even if you skip a day of cleaning.