Posts tagged Maintenance

Many situations can arise in an aquarium that demands immediate attention from the hobbyist in order to protect the fish and invertebrates that are housed within. Described here are warning signs of an emergency, the equipment you should have to determine what the problem is, and equipment necessary to correct it.

Warning signs

1. Fish behavior

The behavior of the fish should be your first indication of problems within the aquarium. Some of the signs to watch for
include:

• Livestock losses

• Rapid breathing

• Irregular movements

• Color loss

• Unusual markings or growths

• Fish stop eating

2. Environmental changes

Changes in the general appearance of the aquarium can also be an indication of water problems. Some of the typical signs related to imbalances in water chemistry include:

• Poor expansion in corals and invertebrates

• Poor growth or death of plants

• Cloudy water

• Water with a strong smell

• Increased algae growth

Equipment to determine the problem

• Test kits

A quality test kit should always be on hand and should include tests for ammonia, nitrite, pH, nitrates, phosphates, and a

• hydrometer if it is a saltwater aquarium.

The following is a general guideline to the problems that the different water parameters can cause in the aquarium along with a solution. Compare the warning signs that your aquarium exhibits to the following, and test those parameters to determine if they are the culprit.

• Ammonia and nitrite:

Excess amounts of either of these nutrients can be responsible for all the signs listed above. If toxic levels of either are present, perform 25% water changes daily until the values return to zero, and incorporate a chemical

ammonia neutralizing media into the filtration.

• pH:

The pH of the aquarium water can be responsible for all the signs listed above. If abnormal, perform a 25% water change and add the necessary pH buffers.

• Nitrates:

Excess nitrates in the aquarium will lead to excessive algae growth as well as health problems with the fish at high levels. Perform 25% water changes with nitrate free water weekly, and incorporate a nitrate reducing chemical media into the filtration.

• Phosphates:

Phosphates encourage algae growth, cyanobacteria in saltwater, as well as inhibiting the calcification process within corals and coralline algae. Perform 25% water changes with phosphate free water weekly, and incorporate a phosphate adsorbing media into the filtration.

• Equipment to correct the problem

Water changing equipment
Keep on hand all of the equipment that you need to perform a water change. This equipment should include:

• Siphon hose

• Buckets or garbage cans large enough to hold at least 25% of the aquarium’s water capacity

• Power head or air pump, for aerating the make-up water

• Heater and thermometer, for make-up water

• Dechlorinator, if using tap water, and salt for a saltwater aquarium

• Chemical medias

The following chemical medias are useful in both emergency situations, as well as general maintenance:

• Ammonia neutralizing medias

• Activated carbon or organic removing resin

• Phosphate and nitrate adsorbing media

• Toxic metal or copper remover

• Appropriate pH buffer and spare media bags

Hospital aquarium
A hospital aquarium is a separate aquarium that is much smaller than the main aquarium, and used to medicate ill fish, and for quarantining new fish before acclimating them to the main display. One of the Eclipse systems ranging in size from 2 gallons up to 12 is an excellent option. This system will need to have a heater and thermometer, preferably a dark colored gravel, and some form of shelter for reducing stress on the fish.

• Medication

If any of the fish in the aquarium show signs of disease, it is important to transfer them to the hospital aquarium. In the event that illness should become evident in the aquarium, having a broad range of treatments on hand will help save valuable time in combating the illness.

The medications that we suggest for emergencies are:

• Furanase

• Erythromycin

• Copper

If copper is used, you will also need a copper test kit to monitor the levels within the hospital aquarium.

Drs. Foster & Smith Educational Staff

An overstocked aquarium is an aquarium that either has too many fish, or is too small for the few fish it has, even if that is just one to two large fish.

There are general rules of thumb for stocking both freshwater and salt water tanks, but these rules are impacted by many factors and must be adjusted as such. They are also based on very small fish and don’t apply to fish that grow large.

A safe rule of thumb for small-to-medium freshwater fish is 1″ (2.54cm) of fish per 2.5 gallons (9.5 liters) of water, and for marine, 1″ (2.54cm) of fish per 5 gallons (19 liters). In both cases one should use the adult or eventual length the fish will reach. Not the length when purchased. Otherwise your fish will outgrow your aquarium. A medium fish can be considered up to 4″ (10cm) full grown.

Fish that grow very large count exponentially more than fish that remain small. They require more swimming space and better filtration. They produce more waste and are often aggressive if cramped. A deep-bodied 18″ (45.7cm) fish, for example, requires a minimum 250 gallon (946l) tank to be able to turn comfortably and have a little swimming space. That’s about 14 gallons (53l) per 1″ (2.54cm) of fish! By this example you can see how the rule of thumb escalates dramatically for larger fish.

Since surface area affects the oxygen exchange in a tank, tanks that are taller and narrower support fewer fish than tanks that are longer, even if both tanks hold the same amount of water. Also, most fish swim horizontally, not vertically, so width is more desired than height.

Tanks that are overstocked will not only provide a stressful environment for the fish that will likely lead to disease, but overstocked tanks produce a lot more work for the aquarist. Maintenance must be done more often on a tank that is overstocked.

Signs that might point to an overstocked tank are:

* Fish are aggressive.
* Nipped fins or split fins.
* Disease seems a constant factor.
* Maintenance is required more than 1-2 times a month.
* Nitrates keep rising even with 25-30% monthly water changes.

If your tank is overstocked there is a way out. Most local fish stores will gladly take fish off your hands for credit if the fish is valuable, or as a courtesy, if not. Either way you win by reducing the population in your tank. Check with your local fish store before bringing in any fish. Or if you really want all the fish you have, you can consider upgrading to a larger tank.

Overstocking is the most common mistake made, and the costliest to fish and aquarist alike. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to care for fish and being unsuccessful for all your efforts. If this sounds like you, your tank may be overstocked. Reduce the population and see how much more rewarding the hobby can be. Your fish will appreciate it too!
R. Kayne

So, your tank is doing well. No fish losses, no diseases, and crystal clear water. Everything seems fine. Then all of a sudden…


In a closed system keeping an aquarium in balance depends on many factors. Everything that has been added to the tank will remain there in one form or another.

Even evaporating water leaves all the minerals and impurities behind as only pure H2O evaporates.aquarium fish

Considering this, there will always be some accumulation or declination of various elements. The lack of proper maintenance will not be immediately noticeable. Fish adjust to environmental problems, which go un-noticed to the human eye, adding to the potentially dangerous situation, which in the long term will be detrimental to your fish.

Often the problem becomes noticeable when new fish are added. we look toward our fish store when a new fish becomes ill and does not do so well. In many cases however, new fish introduced into an established tank are shocked by the harsh environment to which your tank inhabitants were able to slowly adjust.

Fish are able to adapt slowly to even the harshest environments, but get shocked by sudden environmental changes.

The shocked fish will be susceptible to diseases and a tank wide out-break can threaten the entire fish population, since all the fish are weakened and stressed by the negative conditions even if they had enough time to adjust to the environment.

The first sign of “old tank syndrome” is rising nitrate levels. The nitrification process, which oxidizes ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate, is continuous. The same process also produces hydrogen ions. Hydrogen ions directly influence the pH level. PH, in simple words, is the bonding of carbonate ions (buffer) with hydrogen ions. The more bonding, the higher the pH. Accumulating hydrogen ions will use up all available buffers. If none are left hydrogen ions will acidify the water, resulting in a steady but continuous decline of pH.

If left unchecked, the pH will eventually drop below 6. At this point, the beneficial bacteria will be in serious danger and cease to convert ammonia into less toxic compounds (nitrite, nitrate). The consequence is a build up in ammonia.

aquarium fishEven at this point, there are no visible signs of something going badly wrong, except if the basic water parameters are checked on regularly.

The increase in ammonia at this stage will not have a big impact but harbors a potential and deadly threat. Ammonia consists of either ammonium (NH4 – not very toxic) or ammonia (NH3 – very toxic). At a pH below 6 ammonia is in the less toxic form of NH4 which in effect protects the remaining fish.

Adding new buffers by replacing evaporated water, the old tank syndrome shifts slightly over to more acceptable pH readings and acceptable ammonia, but will be high in nitrates and water hardness. (Carbonate hardness = buffers).

To remedy the old tank syndrome, water changes are essential. A few Gallons per day will eventually raise the pH to the point where the beneficial bacteria are “re-activated” again, solving the ammonia problem. This has to be done slowly to prevent any disaster by drastic changes in the environment. Ammonia has to be monitored and the water changes should be paused if pH is rising but ammonia not declining. The bacteria need to catch up first. Remember ammonia gets toxic with rising pH.

Prevention of course is the best remedy. Regular maintenance of the tank will prevent the old tank syndrome. Maintenance is essential.

Aquarium Maintenance Simplified

The aquatic ecosystem in its complexity is an interlinked set of variable factors. A good maintenance schedule will keep them in balance and can prevent most if not all problems related to a neglected aquarium.

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