How To Change Water In Your Saltwater Tank

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How To Change Water In Your Saltwater Tank
Changing the water in your saltwater tank is important for a number of reasons. If you don’t change it, algae will arrive in large quantities and that is harmful to both the plants and livestock in your tank. As the water becomes stagnant, its composition will change and thus your fish may suffer illness-like symptoms as all of the nutrients and chemicals they need become depleted. Therefore, changing the water in your tank no matter its size is a necessary task for the aquarium hobbyist.

First off, the idea that you should change all of the water in your tank is incorrect. All you need to do is change ten to fifteen percent of the water every two weeks, which adds up to a cumulative twenty to thirty percent change over the course of a month. Of course if you are having a major problem with algae or your fish are exhibiting signs of strange behavior and you discover it is because your water levels are off, then you may need to perform a 50% or 30% in one water change. But regular upkeep is different and it is unnecessary to change all of the water, just a portion so that the nitrate levels in the water are reduced which deters algae and helps your livestock. Why not change all the water all the time? Fish become acclimated to their environment, and a full on water change is a shift in the environment. Too many of these may be a shock to your fish, one which they will not survive.

Naturally you will have to brew your own saltwater, but this is no longer as complicated a process as it once was, thanks to one-step salt mixes created specifically for this purpose. Once you have the necessary water prepared, the next phase is to ensure your safety and that of your livestock by disconnecting the electricity from your tank. Attempting to perform a water change-over while live currents are flowing to your tank is extremely dangerous and there is no good reason to attempt it. Remembering safety comes first, do not proceed further until you are certain that all the power is off.

You will then remove ten to fifteen percent of the existing water. This is a great time to make sure that the filters, the inside glass of the tank, and pumps are cleaned of algae or other waste. Now you are ready to put the new water slowly into your tank, but before you do that you should make sure that the water is approximately the same temperature as the water already in the tank, or you may harm your fish by giving them a drastic temperature shock, which most fish do not respond well to.

You can check your power sources while they are off and make sure there isn’t any waste or salt creep that has leaked into them. Essentially, when you replace your water is a very good time to clean every aspect of the aquarium, including changing mechanical filters, as you will then be ensuring the complete upkeep and not just small portions.

Now simply replace the lid, and turn the power back on, and you should see positive effects occur as your fish will be happier and your algae will not!

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December 07 2007 10:41 pm | Fish and Pet Care

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