The Quick Guide to Perfect Aquarium Water
Want to know one of the best ways to keep your tropical fish healthy and happy for a long time? It’s simple. Maintain the right habitat for them.
And for fish, that means making sure the water is perfect.
Each species has different environmental requirements for the aquarium, so here’s a quick guide to making sure your fish have the perfect aquarium water for them.
Temperature
Having the right aquarium temperature is extremely important. You know how you feel when the thermostat isn’t set quite right in your house? Yeah, fish want a comfortable temperature too.
When the temperature isn’t right for the species, fish end up stressed, and any exotic pet keeper knows that stress is the road to poor health for animals.
So how do you get the temperature right?
The first factor is to make sure the temp remains somewhat constant. Vast and rapid temperature changes are stressful and can promote health problems as the fish struggle to adapt to the changes.
Easy ways to keep temperature constant include:
- Keeping an aquatic thermometer, like a Marina Floating Thermometer or a ZooMed Digital Betta Thermometer, in the tank.
- Using an aquarium heater, such as the Aqueon 200-watt Submersible Adjustable Glass Aquarium Heater.
- Matching the temperature for water changes (don’t put cold water into the tank, for instance).
- Choosing an aquarium location that is away from doors and windows.
Keep in mind that some fish prefer a cold water aquarium, such as goldfish and some loaches, and these fish do not need a heater. Room temperature in your home should put their water into the preferred range of 60 to 70 degrees fahrenheit.
For tropical fish that require warm water, most need a constant heated range of about 75 to 80 degrees fahrenheit. Of course, you’ll want to check the requirements for the specific species you have, as it can vary.
Waterflow and aeration
All fish need water circulation and aeration. This provides several benefits, such as:
- Increased oxygen availability in the water.
- Reduction of anaerobic (bad) bacteria.
- Balance of ammonia in the tank from waste.
Gaining these benefits is easy. You just need to add an air pump to the aquarium. The main consideration you’ll need to make is how powerful the pump is. You’ll want a pump that is effective for the size of tank you need without stressing out the fish. Different species tolerate different levels of water movement strength.
Here are some recommended supplies for providing water circulation and aeration:
Cleanliness
Finally, fish need a clean tank. Algae can build up quickly in an aquarium, but it’s not healthy for your fish. Some fish will help remove algae by eating it. But if your tank seems to build up a lot of growth, an algae remover like the Seachem 3 in 1 Algae Scraper makes removal easier.
Shrimp are one aquatic species that helps keep the tank clean.
Selecting fish
You may have noticed that for the main water requirements the specifics depend on the fish. That means that when you select fish to live together in a particular aquarium, you need to make sure you pair up species that live in similar conditions to one another.
Talk to the team at The Tye-Dyed Iguana in Fairview Heights to learn which fish live well together.