Surely every aquarium hobbyist wants his/her aquarium to look impressive and provide many pleasurable experiences connected with uninterrupted possibility of admiring beauty of the underwater world. This pleasure can be literally ruined when the water becomes unclear due to excessive growth of algae and protozoa. Here are some tips for keeping crystal clear water in your aquarium.
The answer seems obvious – take care of the aquarium competently. This, of course, requires our commitment and therefore also a lot of work and regular maintenance.
When setting up an aquarium we first of all have to take care of proper lighting and effective filtration. To make the tank look attractive, the light should have optimal power and spectrum appropriate for good plant development (e.g. with color temperature of 6500 K, combined with red light 600-700 nm, supplemented with white light with high color rendering index Ra >90). Well-maintained, healthy plants also have an influence on water clarity as they absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. Therefore it is necessary to take care of good condition of the plants and to support their development by supplying them with adequate amounts of micro and macro elements (iron, potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus) as well as C02.
Experienced aquarists recommend a large enough filter (e.g. bucket filter, preferably with capacity twice as large as recommended by the manufacturer) with a sponge and ceramics – filtration media that should be systematically cleaned (rinse the sponge once a month with water taken from the aquarium and the whole filter every six months).
Impurities that significantly affect the clarity of the water, so all food remains, fish excrement, decaying plants, can effectively remove a good quality filter. Some, in order to increase efficiency and provide the desired water movement, use two or more external filters, one of which is used as a pre-filter for pre-cleaning the water. Good filtration is thus the foundation of a properly functioning aquarium.
However, even the most efficient filtration will not be effective if we do not limit pollution (piles of excrements and food leftovers at the bottom of the tank) resulting from overpopulation and overfeeding of the fish. It is therefore worth placing an appropriate number of fish in our tank, as well as providing them with food in appropriate doses, feeding only 1-2 times a day. It would also be a good idea to invest in some gouramis or algaecides that will pick up food from the bottom. Furthermore, regular water changes (e.g., once a week at 10-20% of the aquarium capacity) are required, along with substrate maintenance and desludging.
If only we take care of the piece of nature in the aquarium, it will quickly repay us by presenting its full glory. Clean and clear water will significantly facilitate this process.
Featured photo: Delbert Pagayona / unsplash.com
