Easy Maintenance Of Saltwater Aquariums

By Author: Richard Gilliland
Total Articles: 1
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The underwater flora and fauna have never failed to amaze and attract the attention of all those who explore the underwater environment. The beauty of naturally occurring enthralling colors of fishes and planktons just takes your breath away. To think of owning a small part of this natural beauty within the four walls of your own captivity is not only exciting but also mesmerizing an experience. Most of the common people prefer to own a freshwater aquarium thinking that it is easier to maintain. The fact is, Saltwater aquariums are equally easier to maintain if one follows procedures as per certain basic rules of maintenance.

A saltwater environment is a bit difficult to nurture but if you really care about your aquarium you would find it easier to follow certain fundamentals. It is a good idea to allow for a stable environment for your marine pets by including considerable numbers of coral reefs into your saltwater fish tank. As part of your first step towards maintenance, you must make sure if all the electric support gear is in good working condition. The electric set up includes, air and water pumps, lighting supply, ...
... heaters and coolers. Next is to check for ammonia or nitrates by smelling the water or observing the change in its texture. If the fish look darting around the tank, gasping for air or not moving at all, a partial water change is indicated. You must make sure you always have access to salt and dechlorinated water whenever its time to change the tank water.

Replacing the tank with water at regular intervals is the best way to keep the nitrate concentrations at bay. In most cases small quantities of water changes on a regular basis is much preferred over larger amounts of water changed at irregular intervals. Make sure to disconnect all the electric supply before you change the water. Remove and clean all the glass portions of the tank if required. Changing water in saltwater tanks have been made convenient by making commercially available salt mixes. While changing a part of water from the tank make sure you rinse and clean the pumps and hoses. Using a commercially available salt mix and dechlorinated tap water make a batch of new saltwater. Make sure that the temperature and salinity of the new batch of water matches that of the existing water in the tank. Once this is checked you can gradually incorporate this water into the tank and switch on the power back on.

You must also keep a watch on the pH levels of the water in the tank. The pH value has a tendency to lower down as time passes by. To correct this condition you must add sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). Add this mixture over intervals of an hour or two. The pH drops for a short while but returns back to 8.2 over time. You must also make sure to check water temperature and maintain it accordingly. You must check for salt creep on the top edges of the tank and clean them periodically, and check the fishes for signs of distress or disease. You must also remove uneaten food from the fish tank else it would begin to decompose and destroy the saltwater environment in the tank. Also check for algal growths and get rid of them on time. As far as food is concerned, feeding your marine pets flake foods may seem sufficient but alternating foods are highly recommended to keep the necessary nutrients made available to the fishes. A variety of fish food combinations like cut shrimps, clam, flake food and frozen or live brine shrimp makes a good staple diet for the fishes.

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