Mike’s Fish Tank – Daily & Monthly

Aquarium maintenance is the most important thing for the health of your fish. Basic daily aquarium maintenance includes checking your equipment to be sure there are no malfunctions. This includes filters, heaters and lights.

Water temperature: always check the temperature. Fish are not resistant to large temperature variations. You should check your tanks temperature every morning and at night.

Watch the fish every day, take a little bit of time to observe the fish swimming and eating, as they could have behavioral changes that would indicate signs of stress or disease.

Weekly Maintenance tasks. Count your fish. In the case of death,a small fish can decompose quickly and can result in high levels of ammonia or nitrate. If you have live plants, try to remove the dead parts of the plant. Change the water through a siphon hose. This will remove excess waste and food from the bottom of your tank.

Clean your gravel. If a lot of algae is on your gravel, just turn it over. Once the light cannot reach the algae, it will die off. You can keep rotating your gravel weekly.

Using an aquarium sponge, wipe the inside of the aquarium walls. This will remove the slime coat that may build up on the inside of your glass. At the same time, you can wipe off any of the algae that may have build up on the inside of the glass too.

Replace your filter cartridge once a month. If it needs changing more often, go ahead. A clean filter cartridge means clear water.

Feeding your fish: Be careful not to overfeed your fish. Any food the fish does not eat will pollute the tank. Experts suggest feeding your fish 3 to 4 times a day but small amounts.

Pets A Plenty is located in the Blockbuster Video Plaza, Rte 281 Cortland, 753-9213. Open 7 days a week. We now have a website. www.petsaplety.biz. check it out. I post care sheets, coupons, new animal arrivals, contests and more. Any questions, email me at friskyy@hotmail.com

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