The cleanliness of an aquarium tank is very important for the health of your fish and other aquatic animals that you keep. It can be quite taxing to do water changes frequently as you will need to move the fish, drain the tank, clean the sides and fill it up with clean water to transfer the fish again. There are some things you can do to ensure you go longer periods between water changes.

You have to look at aquarium filter types that you can use for the tank. There are many different types of filters such as external filters, submersible, and hang-on filters. There are chemical, mechanical, and biological filters that you can use. Mechanical filters are generally, cotton, sponge, or form cartridges that can remove the debris from the water physically. Biological filters help convert harmful ammonia into nitrites by the use of nitrate forming and nitrite forming bacteria. Chemical filters are made of carbon and they can break down harmful chemicals in the water. A good rule of thumb is to use a filter that is a size bigger than the capacity of your tank. You need to think about how regularly you can carry out maintenance and affordability when choosing a filtration system.

You need to make sure that you don’t take the old filter out immediately after you install a new filter. Let both filters run for about three weeks before you remove the old one. This way, the new filter has some time to build up its own bacteria. This is something you need to keep in mind when replacing chemical or biological filters. When it comes to mechanical filters, these can be changed at any time.

The chemicals in the water in the tank need to be monitored regularly. You have to check the ammonia levels as well as the nitrate and nitrites. There are certain tests that you can carry out to check the levels. If you’re still having problems with the cleanliness of the tank even after installing the filter, you need to look at what you have as aquarium ornaments. There are some decorations or ornaments that need more cleaning than others.

The ornaments need to be appropriate for the fish that you have as well. If you have live plants inside, make sure that that they are safe and the size of the plant is appropriate to the size of the tank. Live plants can also help with the quality of the water as they can convert some of the harmful chemicals dissolved in the water. There are also certain species of fish that need to have live plants. One such example is angelfish that prefer planted environments.

You also need to see what kind of plant that the fish you have like to eat. The base of the tank will depend on the type of fish you have as well because some fish will like rocks and others will prefer sand. If your aquarium has elaborate decorations like castles, you will need to clean them more frequently.