There are three main questions that people who recently bought aquariums ask. How to change the water in the aquarium? How often do this? And finally, how long does it take to defend the liquid to protect the fish from exposure to harmful substances? In this article we will try to answer these questions.
The main thing that a beginner aquarist needs to learn is that he does not breed fish or snails and does not grow algae, but contains a biological environment. This is not a cat or a dog for you. And not even a turtle. Aquarium is a closed ecosystem, it is all the efforts that should be directed to maintaining its vital activity. And in a healthy environment and the inhabitants live well.
Aquarium Life Cycles
If you pour water into the tank, even if it is standing up, you will not create a biological sphere that is comfortable for fish. Moreover, when released into such a sterile environment, many inmates can die from shock. First you need to put the soil, plant the plants and only a week later launch the first fish. But even at this time it cannot yet be said that the hydrobiological environment has fully formed. This condition is called by experts "new aquariums."
How to change the water in this type of aquarium? This should be done no earlier than two months after the launch of the inhabitants. Water substitution can slow down all the processes of establishing balance, and in small containers it will cause a catastrophe and the mass death of fish. It is allowed to drain 10% of the water in a month and fill it up to the previous volume with fresh.
New aquariums
How to change the water in the aquarium two or three months after the launch of the first fish? The hydrobiological environment is still quite young. But already on the ground and glass can accumulate some deposits. Once every two weeks, use a special siphon to drain 10% of the fluid. If you do not have such an opportunity, it is permissible to change the water once a month, but then you need to update 20% of the filling capacity. During this procedure, do not forget to clean the soil and glass. Also remove wilted algae leaves. Even if you put catfish and snails into the aquarium, there is no guarantee that they will fully cope with their task of cleaning bottom sediments and sticking to the walls. The question arises of how to clean the soil if the water is not completely drained. We will return to this problem.
Mature aquariums
How to change the water in the aquarium during this period and when will it be completely in biological balance? This happens about six months after the installation of the aquarium. Moreover, the larger its volume, the more difficult it is to shake this balance. Therefore, beginners are advised to start large aquariums (per 100 liters) so that they do not violate the aquatic environment with their inept actions . In this maturity period, which lasts up to a year, we only do that every month we change 20 percent of the liquid, simultaneously removing garbage from the ground and cleaning the mucus from the glasses. However, care must be taken so that the water does not “bloom” (does not turn green). With its regular cleaning, the eyes of the crystal clear aquarium and the playfulness of the fish inhabiting it will be happy for a long time.
Old Age: Reboot
After a year and a half, the habitat in a closed tank begins to degrade. To return her second youth, it is necessary to change the water once every two weeks. Along with regular updates (in the amount of 20% of the total), you can practice the following procedure from time to time. For experienced aquarists, it is called "super-substitution." So, your aquarium is filled to the brim with water. We merge 60%, clean the walls and add only 30%. The next day, remove half of the remaining liquid and add the same amount. We repeat this manipulation for the next two days. And finally, we add the aquarium by 30% to the previous level. Thanks to super substitution, the concentration of harmful substances will decrease by 92%.
How to change the water in the aquarium
So, we have considered the proportions that must be adhered to so that the renewal of the liquid does not damage the biological balance of the living environment. But how exactly to change the water? Special siphons are sold in pet stores (with a manual blower for pumping air or running on batteries), but these devices also have a more affordable alternative. Take a regular tube. It is better not to use a rubber hose - rubber releases harmful substances. A transparent polyvinyl chloride tube will be optimal. Wrap one end of it with a piece of gauze. Prepare a bucket - set it below the level of the aquarium. Dip the tip of the tube with gauze in water, and take the other in your mouth. Start drawing in air until fluid comes in. After that, quickly lower the tip of the tube into the bucket. Water according to the laws of gravity will pour from the aquarium into the tank. You just have to control its quantity. And with the tip of the tube with gauze, drive along the walls and the ground to remove adhering dirt.
Water quality
The amount of liquid topped up is not the only indicator important for the health of the inhabitants. Qualitative characteristics - temperature, salinity (for marine fish) and water hardness in the aquarium - are also of great importance. A sharp change in any indicator is a shock to the inhabitants. For tropical fish, topped up water should be heated to a temperature 1-2 degrees higher than what is in the aquarium. The marine biosystem also needs the fluid to have the right ppm. To this end, NaCI, MgSO 4 x7H 2 0, KBr, SrCl 2 x7H 2 0, MgCl 2 x6H 2 O, Na 2 CO 3 , KCI, CaCl 2 , H 3 BO are dissolved in distilled or reverse osmosis water for three days 3 , NaF and NaHCO 3 .
How much to defend the water for the aquarium
It’s not a secret to anyone that we do not have fresh spring water from the taps, but a liquid in which almost the entire periodic table is dissolved. This is easy to notice by conducting a simple experiment. Pick up a can of water and see what happens to it for several hours. Firstly, gaseous impurities. Would be nice if it was oxygen. Although its overabundance is harmful to the health of fish. Bubbles through the gill slits penetrate the bloodstream and can provoke thrombosis. But ozone, which in some cities is used to disinfect water, is poison. Chlorine and its compounds are also undesirable elements. It is good that the gases leave the liquid quickly - enough hours. But limescale and rust, washed from old water pipes, settles at the bottom of the can after 12 hours. Dissolved impurities can be neutralized with special conditioners (for example, Sera Toxivec). Here is the answer to the question. There is no sense in upholding water for more than a day. Everything that could precipitate or disappear already did it. And then the water just starts to go out, harmful microorganisms start up in it and dust flies.
In what situations should a complete water change be carried out?
Only emergency cases - the mass death of the inhabitants or the global "bloom" of water - can cause the entire aquarium to be emptied, sanitized and started all over again. But if the liquid does not yet produce a sharp unpleasant odor, the matter is fixable without a complete replacement. To remedy the situation, you need to understand the reason why the water in the aquarium turns green. Perhaps it's all about the wrong lighting. Then the situation will be corrected simply by moving the aquarium into a shaded corner of the room. If the reason was the reproduction of a primitive floating algae euglena, then you can buy live Daphnia - this is cleaning green vermin, and feeding for fish. Catfish, pecilia, molliesia, and snails are also happy to devour euglena. In pet stores you can buy special chemicals from the rapid flowering of water.