Maintenance is largely a matter of continuing to apply the principles learned when setting up your
aquarium, , Siberian Husky thus ensuring continued optimal living conditions for your fishes. What is needed, and how often, depends on the individual
aquarium , Nonius and Furioso Horses and its occupants, and must be determined by you, the aquarist; the routine suggested below is suitable for the average general community.
Daily: Check temperature, health of fishes, and that equipment is working.
Weekly: Make a 25 per cent water , Dartmoor and Exmoor Ponies change, siphoning any accumulated debris from the substrate surface. Remove dead vegetation. Check nitrite level.
Monthly: Clean filter(s); "hoover" gravel if necessary. Check nitrate level. Remember to adjust the chemistry and temperature of "new" water , Sarplaninac to match tank , Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever conditions, and to eliminate any nasties such as chlorine.
Filter and substrate maintenance disrupts bacterial populations, so reduce feeding for a couple of days before and after monthly maintenance sessions. For routine maintenance you will need a bucket and a piece of tubing for siphoning off water , Australian Cattle Dog from the aquarium. Optional extras are a gravel cleaner (bottom right) and siphon starter (centre), though many aquarists start their siphon simply by sucking the tube. Siphon off the required amount of water, , Australian Kelpie using the siphon to remove any "mulm" (accumulated debris) and other detritus. Take care not to siphon off fishes or plants! If the tank , Havana Brown Cat is sited near a window or outside door, it is quicker, with less risk of spillages, to siphon on to the garden using a long tube, instead of into a bucket. The substrate can be "hoovered" periodically with a gravel cleaner, taking care not to uproot plants.
Avoid excessive hoovering, however, especially where under gravel filtration is used, as it disrupts populations of beneficial bacteria living on and in the substrate. When refilling, pour the new water , Colorado Range Horse and Pony of the Americas into the palm of your hand to avoid disturbing the substrate and decor. Alternatively stand the bucket on the hood and siphon the new water , Lokai and Tersk Horses into the tank. , Blue Fronted Amazon Obviously, action is required if any check reveals a problem. Counter high nitrite with twice-daily 25 per cent water , Blue Fronted Amazon changes until the level returns to zero; identify and eliminate the cause(s) for example over feeding or inadequate or interrupted filtration. An increase in nitrates suggests a need' for larger (maximum 30 per cent) or more frequent water , Lokai and Tersk Horses changes, or adjustments to the tank , Persian population or feeding regime. The importance of regular observation of the fishes cannot be over emphasized; abnormal behaviour loss of appetite, clamped fins, increased respiration, scratching or shimmying is usually the first warning of an environmental problem or outbreak of disease. Prompt action may make all the difference.
