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.