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Aquarium Maintenance

Building and operating a healthy aquarium system is a lot of work. There’s no getting around that. The only thing an aquarist has some control over is the amount and kind of maintenance that is necessary. More specifically, you can make the task easier and more enjoyable by following certain rules and choosing your tools/equipment wisely. This begins the moment you add your first livestock. Stocking a system too soon or, especially, overstocking, can make routine maintenance a total nightmare long after the initial set-up. Fish in particular can dirty up a tank in little time; without exception, nuisance algae follows. It is far easier to prevent these algal blooms than it is to eliminate them! Beyond this key consideration, minimizing long-term aquarium maintenance is a lot less straightforward. It requires constant and thorough visual inspection, water testing, etc. In the least (and before you even get your hands dirty), it requires a plan! A reactionary aquarium maintenance routine simply swings at problems (most of which are totally avoidable) as they appear. The alternative is a consistent, carefully and thoughtfully regimented plan of action that focuses on putting in place natural controls. These biocontrols help to prevent harmful excesses of detritus and dissolved nutrients--as well as the “bad” algae and pests that these issues give rise to. In this section, you will learn how to prevent common reef aquarium problems (thereby reducing the need for intensive maintenance) by effectively utilizing clean-up crew animals, planted refugia, beneficial bacteria, etc.

50 Posts

Natural Water Quality Management for Non-Photosynthetic Reef Aquaria

There was once a time when zooxanthellate corals (especially SPS corals) were considered impossible to keep in captivity. Then
Read More about Natural Water Quality Management for Non-Photosynthetic Reef Aquaria

What Do I Need for a Saltwater Fish Tank?

Whether scouting for your first aquarium, or “graduating” from a freshwater aquarium, there is something about a saltwater aquarium
Read More about What Do I Need for a Saltwater Fish Tank?

3 Saltwater Aquarium Pests

There are a few things that any hobbyist dreads finding in their aquarium. Aquarium pests can appear out of nowhere and can spread like
Read More about 3 Saltwater Aquarium Pests

4 Macroalgae for Beginners

Macroalgae are a great addition to any aquarium. They remove excess nutrients in the water column (such as phosphates and nitrates) and
Read More about 4 Macroalgae for Beginners

Utilizing the Peppermint Shrimp for General Tank Clean-Up

Maintaining a squeaky clean aquarium environment is no easy task. It requires frequent water changes, constantly rinsing mechanical
Read More about Utilizing the Peppermint Shrimp for General Tank Clean-Up

a Beautiful Scopas Tang

5 Overlooked Algae-Eaters

When it comes to your clean-up crew in your saltwater aquarium, you usually will think of snails, crabs and starfish. However, there
Read More about 5 Overlooked Algae-Eaters

Aiptasia Anemones can be a horrible pest

How to Get Rid of Aiptasia

When you're first starting out your aquarium, you usually will spend all day checking on everything in your tank ensuring everything is
Read More about How to Get Rid of Aiptasia

Green Bubble Algae

Identifying Saltwater Algaes

Hundreds or even thousands of species of microalgae and photosynthetic bacteria may appear in your aquarium. Before treating any type
Read More about Identifying Saltwater Algaes

There are tons of useful tools for aquarium maintenance

Aquarium Maintenance 101

So, you've set up your first tank and it finally finished cycling and you're just starting to stock it with fish and invertebrates.
Read More about Aquarium Maintenance 101

A healthy Reef is a beautiful thing!

Are Water Changes REALLY Necessary?

We are asked this all the time: “Is it absolutely necessary to perform regular water changes?” Let us waste no time in answering that
Read More about Are Water Changes REALLY Necessary?

Corals in a Box of Water: Creating a Natural Reef Tank

We’ve come a long, long way in advancing natural marine aquarium keeping. Those of us who started out in the 80’s with barren
Read More about Corals in a Box of Water: Creating a Natural Reef Tank

iodate atomic weight

Dosing Iodine in the Reef Aquarium

Reef aquarium hobbyists already have enough on their plates trying to keep levels of minerals such as calcium and magnesium levels up
Read More about Dosing Iodine in the Reef Aquarium

UV light Sterilization Icon

Should I Use a UV Sterilizer?

The two most hated things for a saltwater aquarium keeper are fish diseases and “bad” algae. Some hobbyists make an attempt to go all
Read More about Should I Use a UV Sterilizer?

Some snails are great detritus eaters!

A Look at the Detritus Cycle

One of the biggest challenges of keeping a successful reef aquarium, especially over the long term, is maintaining the purity of the
Read More about A Look at the Detritus Cycle

Chaeto in the wild

Chaeto for Major Tank Cleaning

Whether from a lack of experience, or an abundance of neglect, some aquarists allow their reef tanks to reach a state of utter
Read More about Chaeto for Major Tank Cleaning

Understanding the Nitrogen Cycle

We are finally starting to see a surge of interest in the nitrogen cycle &  the “aquarium microbiome.” That is a very, very good
Read More about Understanding the Nitrogen Cycle

The Whole Package: Integrating AlgaeBarn’s Kits & Combos

AlgaeBarn is hardly the only aquarium hobby-centered business to produce phytoplankton and macroalgae. But we like to think that we’re
Read More about The Whole Package: Integrating AlgaeBarn’s Kits & Combos

hair algae can be real trouble for marine aquariums.

How to Control Hair Algae

Hair Algae Happens Algae Happens. Even the types that we don’t want in our aquaria--and actively try to eradicate (like hair
Read More about How to Control Hair Algae

a group of bubble algae that has been removed from a tank

Bubble Algae: How Bad Is It?

Every reef tank has some form of hardscape--a reef base. Unless they are obtained dry, these materials almost always have some form of
Read More about Bubble Algae: How Bad Is It?

Check for the proper pH level and maintain stability in your tank!

What Does pH/Alkalinity Actually Mean?

“Some aquarists delight in testing the water for its pH. If you must do this (and believe me it is not necessary), then use the
Read More about What Does pH/Alkalinity Actually Mean?

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