How to care for an aquarium

Recently, a popular element of the design of a house or apartment has become an aquarium. It is included in the interior in terms of decorativeness, but often do not take into account the fact that the aquarium - it's not beautiful furniture, but a member of the family! Yes, that's right, the aquarium is correctly considered as a complete living organism, or rather a biocenosis - that is, a set of living organisms that inhabit a certain space, including all types of interactions between them. In addition, it is incorrect to assume that the inhabitants of your aquarium are fish and, perhaps, a beautiful twig of algae. In addition to them, there are many more inhabitants who you do not see, but, nevertheless, very important. These are microalgae and bacteria. Of course, not all these inhabitants are useful, they often cause disease and death of fish, as well as contamination of the walls of the aquarium and stagnation of water.

Thus, the need for careful and systematic care of the aquarium is becoming evident . It implies not only the feeding of animals and the periodic change of water, it is also the cleaning of aquariums, inspection, checking the operation of equipment and many more events. With the realization of this need, the question sometimes comes up of how to properly care for the aquarium. Care depends on the type of pond, its inhabitants and your goals.

How to take care of an aquarium where only fish live

Do not forget to feed fish daily. Choose food in accordance with their individual needs. In addition, carefully dose it, as the surplus food, settling to the bottom, will not only mechanically pollute the water, but also contribute to the growth of unwanted flora. During feeding carefully examine the fish, analyzing their behavior: if a fish is passive, does not eat, behaves unnaturally, it should be planted from a common aquarium in order to avoid the spread of a possible disease.

Also, do not forget to replace the water in time. In this case, do not completely drain it - it's a common mistake for beginners. In the aquarium water, a useful microflora lives, which should be preserved, and a complete replacement of water can lead to disruption of microflora and the development of pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, it is correct to drain some of the water and top up fresh. The amount of water to be replaced should not exceed 30%. In doing so, try not to mix the soil covering the bottom. If a large amount of waste has accumulated in the ground, the amount of food should be reduced, since this means that the bacteria can not cope with the processing.

How to care for an aquarium with complex equipment

If your aquarium is equipped with a filter, compressor and other equipment, it should be cleaned regularly (at least once every 2 weeks). Mechanical filters should be cleaned every 2-3 days. If you do not have such an opportunity or desire, purchase aquarium filters of other types. Chemicals also require regular washing and periodic replacement of the filler. With biological filters, one should be extremely cautious: one should not wash all the filler at a time - only one-third of it. In no case can not wash such a filter with tap water. This can adversely affect the population of bacteria and significantly reduce the quality of filtration.

An important point is cleaning the aquariums. The walls are conveniently cleaned with special magnetic devices. However, be careful with scrapers that have blades - you can scratch the glass.

How to care for an aquarium with algae

Aquarium plants, like terrestrial plants, require nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide and light for their normal development. In addition, it is better to remove the damaged (dead or decaying) leaves and twigs as quickly as possible. If the concentration of nitrogen in the water is low, it is necessary to make additional fertilizers. However, do not do this at random, it is better to conduct a water analysis, because otherwise you can permanently disable the aquarium. Just like in terrestrial plants, water should be formed to escape, so that it has a decorative appearance, by cutting off excess parts.

How to care for an aquarium in the summer

In the hot season, the care of the aquarium is somewhat different from the winter one. Thus, the rate of evaporation of water increases , and therefore there is a need to add it. Do not forget about the quality of the water that you pour into the aquarium.

In addition, the problem of overheating may occur. Many fish do not tolerate heat, so watch the thermometer carefully and, if necessary, spend an extraordinary change of water cooler. But at the same time avoid too sudden changes in the temperature regime. Alternatively, you can put a plastic bottle or a plastic bag of ice in the aquarium. In addition, you can use special devices for cooling.

Systematic and high-quality care of the aquarium will ensure not only the decorativeness of the reservoir, but also the health of your pets.