In order for any fish tank to have crystal clear water and happy healthy fish, there are a few simple steps that should be taken every few weeks and months to maintain it correctly. At the end of the Norrom Aquarium‘s setup and instruction manual, we include a suggested fish tank maintenance schedule setting out what to do to keep the aquarium clean.
Maintaining any fish tank properly is all about keeping the water clean and balanced, and the easiest and most effective way to do this is to perform regular partial water changes.
Our suggested fish tank maintenance schedule applies not only to the Norrom Aquarium but also to any small or medium sized tropical fish tank.
Fish Tank Maintenance Schedule
| Once per day | Feed your fish a small pinch of high quality food (as recommended for each species). Your fish should completely consume the food within 2-3 minutes, otherwise you are over-feeding them. Switch off the aquarium’s lamp each night to give your fish a rest. In order to minimize algae build-up, do not run the lamp for any longer than 6 hours per day. |
| Once per week for the first 8 weeks, then once every two weeks | Replace approximately 25% of the aquarium’s water with fresh water. Before being added, new water should be treated with tap water conditioner to remove dangerous impurities, then measured with a thermometer or left standing for 6-8 hours in order to ensure it matches the temperature of the existing water in the aquarium. |
| Once every 2 weeks | Gently wipe the inside of the aquarium and the mirror with a non-abrasive soft sponge to remove excess algae and dirt. |
| Once per month | Remove the filter sponge and thoroughly rinse it with some water taken from the aquarium (not tap water), removing all old carbon pellets. Refill sponge with new carbon pellets, then rinse again gently before placing sponge back in to the aquarium. Preferably replace the air stone with a new one. Clean away any algae near the bottom of the lift tube and inside the filter chassis. |
| Once every 2 months | Use a gravel cleaner to clean waste and dirt around the pebbles and ceramic rings, or take them out of the aquarium and clean them with some water taken from the aquarium (not tap water). |
| Once every 3 months | Replace filter sponge with a new one. |
| Once every 18 months | As air pumps can wear out over time and become less efficient (and noisy), it is advisable to replace the air pump once in a while. |
More Information
For more information on how to keep your fish tank clean, there is loads of advice in this article here on our website: How to Keep your Aquarium Clean
