HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LOOK AFTER AN AQUARIUM?
How long does it take to care for an aquarium? The editors of the xVet.ru veterinary forum will help us find out. Ahead of time, it is not as much as it seems. All types of care, from daily to annual, are described in this article. From an experienced aquarist with experience in simple and comprehensible language.
A beautiful aquarium at home or in the office always attracts attention, boosts the mood, energises. However, an aquarium is not just a container of water. It is a real live ecosystem, the maintenance of the biological balance in which lies entirely on the aquarist.
There is a perception that an aquarium is very time-consuming. This is not entirely true. Rather, it requires varying degrees of attention depending on the time factor. In other words, some manipulation with him to do daily, while others - at intervals of several months. Let's take a closer look at them.
Daily care
Naturally, it is feeding the fish and other inhabitants, if any, such as crustaceans or amphibians. Feeding does not mean pouring food from the heart. A quite moderate portion which the fish will consume in a few minutes is sufficient. Very useful once a week to arrange a "day off", i.e. do not feed. The fact that the fish spend much less energy in the aquarium than their counterparts in the wild, and therefore prone to obesity. The feeding process takes a few minutes.
Weekly maintenance
- The water needs to be changed weekly. Substitution, not a complete change, as inexperienced aquarists. Replace approximately 25-50% of the volume of the aquarium. The old water is drained, in its place is filled with fresh water. Complete replacement of the water can not be done, because it puts the ecosystem of the aquarium out of order.
- Clean glass and decoration (stones, driftwood) from algae growth. It is best to clean with a small sponge or a toothbrush in narrow or hard-to-reach places. If the glass is heavily encrusted, it can be cleaned with an old razor blade, such as a Neva. This may not have to be done every week if the aquarium is well balanced and the algae growth is slow.
A weekly cleaning and water change takes from ten minutes to several hours. This depends on the size of the aquarium and the number of tanks.
Monthly maintenance
- If there is an internal filter in the aquarium, it should be cleaned approximately once a month. It is best to rinse the filter sponges in water drawn from the aquarium. The procedure takes approximately ten minutes.
- Trimming the plants ("trimming"). Some plants have a high growth rate. Over time, they begin to break out of the overall design of the aquarium and overshadow their slower growing neighbours. Contrary to popular belief, it does not harm the plants but promotes their growth and the emergence of new shoots. It takes from ten minutes to a few hours, depending on the size of the aquarium.
Half a year and longer
Long maintenance periods usually require an external filter. It is best to rinse the filter material in water drawn from the aquarium. Depending on the filter model, this can take up to an hour.
Like any other hobby, the aquarium certainly requires some attention. But the time is more than compensated by the positive emotions from the process of maintaining the aquarium, and from observing the life of the beautiful underwater world.
