For aquarium enthusiasts, keeping fish in their homes or offices proves a rewarding experience. Aquariums in Nairobi are pocket friendly to acquire and maintain. There is also a broad array of fish species available to stock your aquarium. Upon purchasing their first fish tank, most people are hooked for life as it quickly turns into a hobby, and they look for more or bigger aquariums.

For the majority of newbies, the journey to masterful tank maintenance is often a bumpy one. Knowing which fish to acquire, basic maintenance routines like when, and how much to feed, among other details, are essential for the survival of your fish.

Let’s explore five basic maintenance routines to maintaining your aquarium in top shape.

1.    Avoid overfeeding

A cardinal rule for all fish keepers never overfeed the fish. Uneaten food pollutes the water. Your kindness may prove fatal to your aquarium pet. It’s best to feed enough food for the fish to finish within five minutes. Excesses lead to possible disease or pest snails outbreaks, a dirty tank, or glut in algae growth.

Most fish will do well on dry flakes. Purchase the high quality and well-known brands. Pet shops are littered with a wide range of flake foods and best practices to rotate between different kinds to ensure a balanced diet.

You may put your fish on a fast schedule, where you don’t feed them for one or two days a week. This allows for healthier fish and a cleaner tank. Keep in mind that whatever goes in your fish must come out; the less you feed your fish, the better it is for your tank.

2.    Manage exposure to light

Managing algae poses a considerable challenge, mostly for new aquarium owners. Similar to other plants, algae require light to flourish. You’ll light up your tank, but how do you go about it without spurring algae growth?

Start by managing the amount of direct sunlight reaching the tank. Also, minimize the tank lighting to 12 hours daily. It’s possible to do with less. Bear in mind; the tank light serves an aesthetic purpose rather than the fish. Moderate daylight intensity suffices as they’d experience the same in the wild.

For persons with live plants in their aquariums, a 12-hour lighting period daily will be necessary. The light plants will take-up the bulk of nutrients required for algae growth, hence keeping algae levels in check.

3.    Conduct due diligence on the type of fish to keep

As you ponder the fish to keep in your aquarium, take your time to understand pets’ characteristics. Research their space requirements, the fish they get along with, temperament, and how large they get.

A classic rookie mistake is to buy fish based on aesthetics alone. You risk buying non-compatible or aggressive fish. You should thus consult your aquarist to ensure you are getting the right kind of fish.

4.    Routine water changes

Routine water changes must form part of your aquarium maintenance. The frequency, however, varies depending on the size of your aquarium and fish numbers. Smaller but heavily stocked fish tanks require frequent water changes in comparison to larger and sparsely stocked tanks.

We recommend changing 10 to 15% of water weekly. Supposing your tank is heavily stocked, that may rise to 20% weekly. A lightly stocked tank may get by with water change every other week or every four weeks, the latter being the maximum length between water changes. Ensure you avoid overstocking your tank so that you can do a water change after a duration of 4 weeks which is less tedious .Aquarium cleaning & maintenance services  are also readily available in Nairobi and Kenya in general at an affordable budget  also for those who don’t want to do it on their own .

Learn on the go

At face value, the effort taken to maintain a healthy fish tank may deter most people. However, once you’re all set up, the care and maintenance won’t consume much of your time. Perhaps an hour or so a week is all you need, hinging on your fish tank size.