Maintaining good water quality in your aquarium is probably one of the most essential tasks you can perform to keep your fish healthy and happy. All living things need to get rid of waste from their digestive systems, but this waste is also the very source that could poison your fish if it is allowed to build to dangerous levels in the aquarium. Spectra Pure manufactures some of the best aquarium filtration systems on the market, which will help to keep the quality of your water at consistently high levels. Continue reading to learn how to maintain good water quality and then call us to learn which aquarium filtration system is right for you.
Test Your Water
Testing the quality of your water is a crucial factor in being able to maintain the quality that you want. If you don’t know where the levels of alkalinity and acidity inside your tank are currently, then you can’t determine what adjustments should be made. As we mentioned, waste products from decaying matter, such as fish waste, are full of harmful substances such as ammonia and nitrites. In nature, these waste products are naturally filtered out by bacteria and plant life. In your aquarium, however, filtration equipment takes the place of those natural filters. You can purchase a test kit from Spectra Pure that will analyze the pH of the water, the levels of hardness, nitrate and nitrite levels, as well as ammonia levels. Based on the results, you may need to test your water weekly to make sure that the aquarium filtration system is able to maintain the water quality that your fish need.
Water Changes and Safety
One of the easiest factors to identify when trying to create the big picture of what impacts the quality of your water is the source of the water inside your aquarium. You should determine whether your water comes from a municipal source or a well. The food you feed your fish, as well as the amount of algae growing in the tank, are also factors that affect water quality. Depending on the size of your tank, weekly water changes can be a good habit to get into. Rather than dumping out all of the water, cleaning around 15 to 20 percent of the total volume of your tank will help to fix many potential problems with water quality. Removing water is a big factor in ridding the aquarium of excess ammonia and nitrate that build up over time. Your fish, and any live plants you have placed in the aquarium, also contribute to the problem, as they use trace minerals in the water. Replacing the water helps to replace these important minerals. Maintaining a high level of quality in your water is critical to the health and well-being of your aquarium and all of the fish and plants that call it home. Finding the right aquarium filtration system should be the focal point for any aspiring or veteran aquarist. Spectra Pure produces a variety of water filtration systems that can benefit you and your aquarium. Browse our online store today to find the perfect system for you and be sure to call us with any questions you may have.
