Keeping an aquarium can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you would like it to be. Knowing what you want out of the tank will be the most important ingredient in determining the cost of the set up and maintenance of your aquarium. Having said that, there are tons of ways to make this hobby affordable and fun right from the start!
Are aquariums expensive to maintain?
No! After the initial setup it is relatively inexpensive. With a little bit of knowledge and elbow grease - daily, weekly and monthly maintenance can be cheap, easy and a fun way to be hands-on with your aquarium. With the help of the right tools this can be as easy as wiping down the glass and changing about 25% of the water every few weeks. There are many objects around the house that may be of use too! Razor blades, sponges, tupperware and buckets can all be used when cleaning your aquarium. The easiest way would be to contact Nick’s Aquatic Maintenance for a free consultation!
What should I look for when seeking maintenance on my aquarium?
Knowledge is power! First you will want to know what Rhythm your aquarium calls for. This can be done by answering the following questions. How big is it? How many fish are in it? How long are your lights on? How often do you feed the aquarium? What type of filtration is on your fish tank?
There are certain daily tasks such as feeding, testing the water and spot cleaning the glass. Weekly tasks may consist of changing out filter socks, adding water due to evaporation, fully wiping down algae and testing the water. Monthly or biweekly maintenance may consist of water changes, testing the water, checking and cleaning pumps and powerheads. you will notice that testing the water has been mentioned a couple of times. Depending on how mature the fish tank is, you may need to be checking different parameters more frequently than others. The bottom line is that it is always highly suggested to consult with an aquarium specialist about how to not only get your fish tank up and running but also what the recommended maintenance pattern should be.
Another thing you should be seeking when looking into maintaining your aquarium Is having the right tool for the right job. There are many tools out there to help with the maintenance of an aquarium and here’s a list of some of the essentials. You will need something to remove the water and that would be a gravel vacuum. Also something to catch the water, this would be any leak proof container.
