How to maintain aquariums. Aquarium maintenance as a business. Aquarium service

With that said, here are a few simple rules that you can follow to ensure that your aquarium (and the fish and plants, and all life inside it) thrives and thrives:

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Rule No. 10

These are 10 simple rules that will help you maintain a healthy aquarium. It really doesn't take long, it just takes discipline and consistency. Good luck!

Breeding fish is a very responsible occupation, since the process of caring for the inhabitants has a number of difficulties. To make the fish feel comfortable and live as long as possible Special attention It is necessary to pay attention to the maintenance of their home - an aquarium.

Fish feeding procedure

First of all, you should decide on the procedure for feeding the fish. The frequency and type of food depends on the type of fish that will live in the aquarium. Large individuals can be fed once every 3 days, while small and medium-sized ones can be fed more often. It is always important to pay attention to appearance fish, their condition and activity, since illness and improper feeding can affect one of these indicators.

Aquarium Maintenance

In general, the entire process of maintaining and caring for an aquarium can be divided into daily and weekly care. You can do this work yourself, or you can entrust it to companies such as. Daily procedures include:

• establishing the integrity of the aquarium;
• regulation and control of water temperature;
• control of filter operation;
• checking the purity and transparency of water;
• a close inspection of all the inhabitants of the aquarium.

All these procedures will not take much time, and their regular implementation will reduce adverse risks, which will allow pets to live in comfort.

Weekly procedures are reduced to:

• cleaning the aquarium;
• air supply control;
• soil cleaning;
• removal of damaged and rotten parts of algae and other vegetation;
• fertilizing vegetation and thinning it;
• changing water.

The health and appearance of the inhabitants of the aquarium depend on the listed procedures, so it is impossible to skip or irregularly perform a set of daily and weekly procedures. If you cannot independently maintain the microclimate in the aquarium or monitor the health of the fish, you should contact professionals and specialists. You can also get advice from any pet store.

Thus, with a competent and responsible attitude towards the maintenance and maintenance of the aquarium, its inhabitants will delight their owners for a long time!

Content:

Purchasing an aquarium with its living inhabitants and fauna is the beginning of a new responsibility for its owner. Maintenance of aquariums is an essential and integral part of human care for the life and health of fish, plants and other hybrids. This process requires patience and regular action, which will contribute to the best stabilization of the internal life and biological balance of the aquarium.

It is important to remember that unnecessary interference and disturbance of the inhabitants will only serve to disrupt the natural processes occurring and irritate the fish. But at the same time, it is better to perform a series of actions daily than to devote it a couple of times a month in a thorough manner. Such general cleaning will bring stress to both the fish and the owner of the aquarium.

Daily procedures

After launching and arranging the aquarium, you will need care and a schedule of necessary actions that need to be performed regularly. These processes take 10 minutes daily and a maximum of 2 hours weekly. The daily task list consists of the following activities that need to be checked:

• integrity of the aquarium, elimination of leaks and cracks;
• correct temperature on the thermometer;
• smooth operation of the installed equipment: filters, aerator, lighting fixtures;
• purity and transparency of water. In cases of contamination, install a filter and take appropriate measures;
• correct operation of the heater, checking the temperature at the surface of the water and at the bottom;
• If algae appears, remove it immediately;
• feeding the fish;
• counting all inhabitants. If a dead fish is found, then you need to establish the cause of its death, remove the corpse, and also remove excess snails from the aquarium;
• removing food residues from the ground using a siphon;
• Observe the appearance and behavior of fish and plants. If you detect signs of illness, immediately remove the patient and begin treatment.

Maintaining aquariums every day will not cause much trouble; during these processes, the owner will be able to get to know his pets better, show care and respect.

Weekly care

Every week it is necessary to carry out basic operations, on which the health and vitality of the inhabitants of the aquarium mainly depend. This includes:

• checking the tightness of the air supply system;
• cleaning the cover glass;
• washing the mechanical filter;
• cleaning glass from algae;
• cleaning the soil using a siphon;
• thinning of floating and other plants;
• removal of dead and damaged parts of plants;
• if necessary, fertilize the roots of the plants;
• removal of detritus not collected by the filter;
• replace fresh water with the same temperature and other water parameters.

In cases of doubt or lack of certain skills, it is better to entrust this work to a trusted specialist.

Marine aquariums

The saltwater aquarium is quite common nowadays due to the colorful fish and plants it contains. Maintenance of marine aquariums involves a number of additional actions:

• replacing settled water taking into account the correct dosage of salinity;
• fish are fed no more than 2 times;
• optimal water temperature 25-27°C;
• acidity level up to 7.8;
• examination permissible level ammonia and nitrite content;
• removing a dusty film from the surface of the water in an open container;
• Regular cleaning of the aquarium and its equipment.

The most difficult to maintain is the reef saltwater aquarium, which requires careful attention and detailed maintenance.

Water change

Water changes should be carried out regularly, its frequency and volume depend on the parameters of the aquarium. On average, 20% can be replaced weekly, not counting cases of poisoning, when a third of the volume is replaced.

This procedure is carried out by pumping out the required amount of water using a siphon and adding fresh, settled and dechlorinated water with the required parameters.

Important information for aquarium owners

1. Strength. The aquarium is designed to be durable both at the seams and in terms of glass thickness. This eliminates the possibility of leakage. But under no circumstances should you move the aquarium without first draining all the water from it! You can leave no more than 10-15 liters.
2. Feeding. Fish should be fed no more than once a day. A portion of food should be eaten by the fish within 5-7 minutes. Excessive feeding leads to rotting of the remains, and consequently to disease and death of fish and plants.
3. Light mode. An aquarium with live plants should be illuminated no more than 10-12 hours a day, and with artificial plants no more than 8-9 hours.
4. Temperature regime. The aquarium is equipped with a thermostat, which serves to set and automatically maintain constant temperature. The temperature is set once using the knob located on the top of the thermostat. Under normal conditions, the thermostat should operate around the clock. Check the temperature of the aquarium water daily. Do not remove the thermostat from the water while it is plugged in!
5. Filtration. The filter must work around the clock. Stopping the filter for more than 3 hours is dangerous for the biological balance in the aquarium and can lead to the death of fish and plants.
6. A. Once a week - change 10-20% of the water with fresh water. B. Once every two weeks - washing the filter material in running water. It is not permissible to use any household detergents when caring for an aquarium. B. As necessary, clean the internal walls with a scraper to remove fouling (the more often you do this, the easier it is to remove the plaque), clean the soil using a siphon.

More detailed information on aquarium care is available in the section " Your first aquarium ".

Safety precautions when servicing aquariums

In order to protect yourself from an accident, you must follow the following safety rules.

1. If you find that your aquarium is leaking, unplug it immediately.
2. Do not use appliances that have damaged cords or plugs, are not operating properly, have been dropped, or have been damaged in any other way.
3. In order to prevent the plug and wall socket from getting wet, you need to install the aquarium as follows. The cord should sag, forming a loop for digging. This rule must be followed for any electrical cord coming out of the aquarium. If the plug and socket become wet, DO NOT unplug the cord from the outlet. In this case, you must turn off the power to the outlet to which the aquarium is connected, and then remove the plug from the outlet. Before turning electrical appliances back on, you need to check if there is water in the outlet.
4. Be especially careful if there are children near the aquarium.
5. To avoid accidents, do not touch thermostats, reflectors, light bulbs or similar hot or moving parts.
6. Before adding or removing any components from the aquarium and before cleaning, unplug electrical appliances. To remove the plug from the socket, never pull on the cord. Gently grasp the plug directly and remove it from the socket.
7. Never use the aquarium for any other purpose. The use of devices not recommended by manufacturers violates the safety regime.
8. Never store or use an aquarium in areas where the temperature may be below freezing point.
9. Make sure that all accessories are securely fastened inside the aquarium before you start using it.
10. Read and carefully review all instructions for all aquarium accessories.
11. Use only cords that are rated for the amperage and voltage you require. If you use cords rated for lower amperage and voltage, they may overheat. Please note that the cords must be plugged into the outlet in such a way that no one can trip over them or become entangled.
12. Never use an extension cord if the plug cannot be fully inserted. If you have problems inserting the plug into the outlet, do not attempt to replace the plug.

Every aquarist knows that as soon as the “house” for the fish begins to operate (the equipment is installed and running, and the fish are introduced), the problem of regular cleaning procedures will immediately arise. They are of great importance both for the life of the aquarium inhabitants themselves and for the long-term functioning of the equipment. Today we will talk about how home aquariums should be maintained.

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Daily

Remember that each aquarium is individual, and the requirements for the timing of its cleaning will vary. Thus, maintenance of an aquarium depends on a number of factors: the size of the water space, the size of the inhabitants, equipment, soil, design and decor, the presence of vegetation. In general, it is worth noting that daily aquarium cleaning procedures take from 10 to 20 minutes a day, and in addition – about 2 hours for deep cleaning once a week.

The main task of regular care comes down to feeding the fish. In addition, the condition of fish families is regularly inspected, as well as equipment is checked. Next we will talk about how to properly care for an aquarium.

Fish inspection

Remember that there is no better time to inspect your fish than during feeding. Usually at this moment even the most timid inhabitants of the aquarium get out of their hiding places. If your pets prefer to be nocturnal, then the examination will have to be carried out in dark time, using small additional light sources for this. Please also note that some types of fish prefer to hide in special shelters. The owner should inspect them too, knowing where these secret holes are located.

If everything is fine with the fish, then you can safely feed them and start the second part of your daily care. But if you notice any oddities in the behavior of your pets, then further maintenance of the aquarium needs to be interrupted and you need to start looking for the cause of the fish’s ill health. Do not forget: in the event of a fish death, the corpse is removed from the aquarium immediately.

Equipment check

This stage, aimed at the holistic maintenance of aquariums, is best carried out in the morning or evening (at the time the light sources are turned on or off). Pay attention to whether the water temperature is set and maintained at the correct level. In addition, it is worth paying attention to the operation of aquarium filters. So, the liquid should pass freely through all the tubes, and the air pump could easily supply oxygen. Don't forget to check that the lighting fixtures are working correctly.

Weekly

Weekly maintenance of aquariums is aimed at replacing part of the water mass with a clean and fresh one. Also important in this process is the removal of any remaining detritus that was not collected by the filters. In addition, complete cosmetic cleaning is carried out: washing glass, inspecting and strengthening plants. Next we will take a closer look at each of the points.

Water change

Proper aquarium care requires regular water changes. The amount of water changed will always vary. The fact is that this indicator is determined depending on the level of nitrates in the water. On average, every week you need to clean at least 20% of total mass liquids. Remember that if the amount of nitrates becomes critical, the fish will be poisoned. Except for situations where the amount of contaminants is at a critical level, it is not recommended to remove more than one third of the liquid in one cleaning.

The procedure itself is carried out using a special siphon, which, while cleaning the soil, takes the required amount of water along with detritus. In addition, after this, clean water is poured, the temperature and chemical parameters of which do not differ from those in the aquarium.

Soil cleaning

Typically, the same device is used to clean the soil as for replacing water. But here you need to be careful and understand that such mechanical soil cleaning will damage the fragile biological filtration system. However, in large quantities In cases, large fish waste does not sink to the lower layers of the soil, but accumulates on its surface, which, if properly cleaned, will make it possible to treat the bacterial layer as neutrally as possible.

Waste

As for waste, there are a number of difficulties associated with keeping fish. The fact is that waste, even if it accumulates in special filter materials, still causes harm to the aquarium. They participate in general process water circulation, which means that, continuing to decompose, one way or another, they get to the fish. It is also worth remembering the fact that solid fish waste is unpleasant to look at and can carry infectious diseases, but in general it is harmless to their bodies.

Filter care

Remember that the regularity of filter cleaning in a process that serves as aquarium maintenance is carried out based solely on the type, model, brand of filter, and in addition, taking into account the filter material. As a rule, chemical filtration media need regular replacement (coal and peat), while mechanical components (sponge or synthetic threads) can only get by with regular washing.

If problems with filter clogging often occur, then the entire mass of solid particles should be removed using mechanical filtration. Usually sponges are used for this, which can be washed once a week until they are worn out. The moment the filter needs maintenance, the first thing you need to do is reduce its load. Also, remember that if you clean a biological filter, you will have about 60 minutes before the beneficial bacteria in it die, which should be enough to get the filter back to working.

Plant care

remember, that vegetable world The aquarium also needs regular care. Dead leaves should be trimmed and some types of plants should be pruned regularly. This is important because some species of aquatic flora grow in such a way that they reach towards the surface, leaving most of the aquatic stem completely bare. By pruning them, you can achieve the appearance of additional side shoots, which for a long time will remain green and thick. In addition, there is a group of plants that need regular thinning, otherwise they can easily take over the entire aquarium.

A common food for aquarium flora is nitrates. If their supply to the root system is disrupted, the plant begins to weaken and die. In order to help him at this moment, you need to feed him, which will be part of the process responsible for maintaining the aquarium.

• During regular inspection of the aquarium, you need to monitor the water level. If some of it evaporates, then you must add new portions.
• In addition to cleaning the filter, you must also clean other equipment in the aquarium, such as the aerator.
• It is best to feed aquarium plants with special complex fertilizers.

Video “Cleaning the Aquarium”

From the video “Cleaning the Aquarium” you will learn a lot of interesting things.