A well-designed aquarium is a beautiful addition to any home. With their bright colors and diverse array of life, they’re just as fun to observe as they are to cultivate. However, when you live a busy lifestyle, you don’t always have time to take thorough care of your marine pets. As such, finding ways to reduce the maintenance requirements of your tank could be the key to keeping them healthy longer. Use our tips for building a low-maintenance aquarium so that you can have the ecosystem you want without the extra work.
Plan for a Larger Tank
First, it’s important that you opt for a larger tank size if you want to minimize the amount of regular maintenance it’ll need. While this might seem strange, it’s important to note that it’s actually smaller tanks that need more regular care. Because they have less volume to dampen the effects of chemical changes, you’ll need to provide clean water more often to keep them healthy. In larger tanks, on the other hand, you have more time before chemicals reach dangerous quantities. As such, you can more likely get away with a water change every couple of weeks instead of every other day.
Understock With Marine Life
You should also consider understocking your aquarium if you want to reduce the number of cleanings you’ll need to do. It’s only natural that more fish and corals will produce more waste and increase your chances of overfeeding them. Both factors dirty your tank quicker, making cleanings a regular part of your daily routine. Fortunately, you can nip this problem in the bud by simply buying fewer of them.
Use a Powerful Filter
Another helpful tip for building a low-maintenance aquarium for your home is to set it up with a powerful pumping and filtration system. Though a quality filter can’t keep your tank completely clean on its own, it can do a lot to slow down how quickly food debris and waste build up. Because of this, they’re one of the most important investments when trying to create a self-regulating aquarium.
Purchase Plenty of Invertebrates
We recommend purchasing several invertebrates to live in your aquarium as well. Also known as cleanup critters, these organisms feed on the debris and waste left in the tank after your fish and corals eat. This cuts down on the number of excess particles floating in the tank and prevents algae growth, keeping your tank looking nice. Some of the top cleanup critters you should have include Nassarius snails, scarlet hermit crabs, and peppermint shrimp.
You shouldn’t have to choose between time with your family and taking care of your aquarium. With the help of these tips, you can create the perfect setup for you and ensure it lasts for a long time to come.
