Change the water in the aquarium

Many people like pets, but not every apartment can have a cat or a dog, and not everyone can stand it for health reasons. The most comfortable animals you can keep at home, taking a little time to care and care, are aquarium fish. The variety of sizes, colors and characteristics of these pets attracts the attention of both adults and children. In order for the fish to live long and give life to a new generation, it is necessary to be able to properly care for them and change the water in the aquarium in time.

Water is the main habitat of fish, because its quality, purity and chemical properties play an important role. In nature, the aquatic environment renews itself, doing it gradually, without creating discomfort for its inhabitants. Ideally, aquarium fish need the same conditions, and if desired, they can be created. There are several ways to change the water in the aquarium:

• By completely replacing content
• due to the replacement of a small amount of moisture with a new one.

Each of the methods has its advantages and disadvantages, so the choice must be made conscious, otherwise you can harm the fish.

In a new aquarium, which is bought for existing fish, usually there is no water, and before filling it is qualitatively wash the inside of the tank, cleaning it from dirt and dust that accumulated there earlier. For surface treatment, it is important not to use strong detergents, the remnants of which can linger inside and dissolve in water, adversely affecting the health of aquarium fish.

A qualified specialist will clearly explain all the nuances, and new pets will master in the new environment much faster. If the seller does not have such extensive knowledge, then you must independently determine the type of water change and the time for this procedure.

A partial change of water for aquarium fish is a necessity, since waste from the life of the fish, plants and other inhabitants begins to accumulate, which interferes with their normal functioning. Having at its disposal a large aquarium and a modest number of fish and plants, as well as using good cleaning filters, you can leave the water untouched for a long time without making any changes. If a dozen or more fish live in the aquarium, it is important from time to time to update the aquatic environment and monitor the cleanliness of the contents of the aquarium.

Any natural reservoirs where fish live, must have currents, which introduce new water, providing circulation of flows. If this does not happen, then the process of formation of harmful microorganisms begins, and all life gradually dies due to an increase in the level of toxins and nitrates. If you make a partial change of fluid, you can reduce the number of harmful components, which will favorably affect all the inhabitants of the aquarium, in the opposite case, the fish will begin to die out.

The fears of professionals in the aquarium fish industry about replacing water are related to the fact that After this procedure, the microclimate and ecological balance change, even if only one fifth is replaced. Positive in this case will be the fast speed of restoration of a normal environment and the well-being of all the inhabitants of the aquarium.

Since there are two options for replacing water in an aquarium, you need to know in which cases to use this or that method. To do this, you should evaluate:

• general condition of the aquarium;
• level of filtration applied to water;
• the time period during which the change of water in the aquarium;
• the use of chemical compounds.

If you update the aquatic environment weekly, then the optimal amount will be the replacement of 10% of the volume and no more, which will make it possible to remove excess organic compounds, normalize the pH level. If you carry out this procedure twice a month, then you can increase the amount of changeable moisture up to 20%, and in some cases up to 30%. During this period, the amount of chemicals increases significantly and begins to harm the fish. If there is a need to make any fertilizers, it is recommended to change 30% of the water in order to remove excess substances that are no longer needed in the aquarium.

Partial replacement is recommended in the case of a heavily contaminated aquarium, and during the introduction of planned medications. Replacing more than 50% of the aquatic environment is considered harmful to fish. A complete substitution involves emptying the tank, and pouring completely new water, for which good reasons are needed, these are:

• the active growth of algae, which turns into a real problem and is not eradicated in any other way;
• the presence of fungal mucus in the aquarium or decorative objects inside it;
• soil pollution and the beginning of the process of its acidification;
• the appearance in water of infections that affect plants and fish.

Fish that have already formed a certain ecosystem for themselves, lose it and are forced to adapt to new conditions, which may differ significantly from the previous ones. Plants also go through a certain stage of adaptation, which may result in a change in the color of their leaves, which will become lighter.

The procedure for changing the aquatic environment in an aquarium can be carried out with different frequencies, which is interconnected with the age of the fish tank itself and the ecosystem created in it. Three ages of such an aquasystem are distinguished:

• young;
• Mature
• the old one.

In the case when the aquarium was purchased recently, and new fish were launched into it, fresh plants were planted, it is best not to change anything for several months, allowing the formation of a new ecosystem. In this case, something can be changed only as a last resort, if it is impossible to do without it.

Once the aquasystem has formed, a small part of the water can be automatically replaced not more than once a month. The permissible volume is considered to be 10-20% of the aquatic environment, which must first be settled. The daily procedure is considered undesirable, as it will interfere with the stabilization of the microclimate in the aquarium, however, such events too rarely will also affect the health of fish and plants.

As soon as the time period of six months passes, the aquasystem goes into the mature stage, but it is maintained in the same way. In the case when the vegetation and the fish feel good, the water is clean, the walls of the aquarium are not contaminated, it is better not to intervene, and from time to time to skip the liquid change measures.

If the aquarium is already old, and the ecosystem is in a stable position for up to two years, then rejuvenation is recommended, which consists in changing the mode of supplying clean water to the aquarium. The optimal schedule would be to carry out the procedures twice a month, in addition, it becomes mandatory to clean the soil, and sometimes its extraction and washing.

Use only specially prepared water for the aquarium. If you pour a simple liquid from the tap, it will harm the plants and the fish themselves due to the presence of a large amount of air and chlorine. Water of this quality can cause gas embolism, due to which air bubbles appear in the blood, clogging the vessels, which leads to a slow opening of the gill covers, and soon the fish dies. This problem is related to the fact that the liquid formula is not at all H2O, but much more complex, which negatively affects the inhabitants of the aquarium.

To protect the living creatures in the aquarium from the negative consequences, water must be sedimented before use. Thanks to such measures, oversaturation of water with oxygen and harmful chemical compounds can be avoided.

If you want to use lake or river water, then you need to heat it to 80 degrees in order to eliminate all dangerous microorganisms. Using rainwater for an aquarium is considered improper, as there are many impurities in it, and without good filtration, the liquid will only harm.

Water sedimentation is considered the most effective option for preparing material for filling the aquarium. The duration of the fluid preparation period will depend on several factors:

• purity of water in the tap;
• water quality;
• the presence or absence of chlorination.

Under the most favorable conditions, it is worth leaving the water to settle for one day, and with the most neglected condition - at least 2 weeks. All harmful substances sink and settle to the bottom, and the upper part neatly flows into the fish.

To make a replacement of water in the aquarium with your own hands, you need to know the correct sequence and prepare everything you need. To work, you must have:

• prepared clean and soft water at room temperature;
• a clean container where fish or decorative items will be removed;
• ladle for catching fish;
• hose for pumping water out of the aquarium;
• scraper to clean the walls of the aquarium from dirt.

The system for updating the aquatic environment in a large and small aquarium is similar, only the scale of the work and the frequency of their implementation differ. If the capacity is large, then you can not change the water in it longer, while with a small aquarium you will have to do this 1-2 times a week, updating no more than one fifth of the total volume of liquid.

Replace the water in the aquarium in a certain sequence.

1. Remove all decorative elements and equipment from the aquarium.
2. A small replacement of water can be carried out together with the fish, for which the old liquid is carefully scooped up, after which a new one is poured.
3. If there is a need to replace a fairly large part of the water, it is necessary to catch the fish and place them in the prepared water in a separate container.
4. When the excess water is scooped up, the walls of the aquarium should be thoroughly washed to remove all dirt and deposits that clog the aquarium.
5. The soil must be cleaned or washed of fish and plant waste products. Plants and algae must be thinned, old ones removed and existing ones trimmed to give a neat and effective appearance.
6. Decorative elements are washed in the water that was drained from the aquarium. This is important in order to preserve the right microorganisms.
7. As soon as everything is ready, you can gently pour in new water and run fish in the aquarium. If most of the aquatic environment has changed, then it is worth giving several days to normalize the microclimate in the new environment, and only then let the fish into it.

With a small product there are fewer problems, and you can cope without much effort compared to large aquariums, but the frequency of such procedures will be significantly greater, which not everyone likes.

If you want to have a beautiful aquarium with fish, but there’s not much time to constantly care for it, you can get out of the situation and plant a large number of plants that will become a natural filter and help maintain cleanliness inside the fish tank, maximizing the period from one water change to another . To ensure a comfortable habitat for fish, it is important to know the hardness of the water and the level of its acidity. It is extremely difficult to independently verify such indicators, because it is worth buying a special litmus paper, which will give all the necessary values.

It is necessary to determine the frequency of the water change, so as not to overexpose the fish in dirty water, and not to injure them with too frequent changes, because both of these options will lead to negative consequences, and the fish population may die.

You should not rely solely on your opinion and feelings in the process of caring for the fish and changing the moisture for them, since there are extremely clear rules that allow you to get a beautiful aquarium with healthy inhabitants without much hassle and care.

For more information on how to replace water in the aquarium, see the next video.