Common problems in aquariums

Regardless of anything you do that’s worth your time, you’re bound to come across some problems from time to time and while we wish things were different – aquariums aren’t all that much different. Today, we’re going to talk about some of the most common problem tank owners come into contact with and how some of it can be overcome.

Most of the major problems are caused by clarity, color and smell – and all of them can be solved. With the right mix of filtration media and bioballs, you can get your tank back to being crystal clear in no time!

Here are some of the most common issues you’ll encounter. Let’s jump right in!

Green water

If you have fish in any setting, you’re bound to deal with at least a little green water now and then. Water turns green when there is too much algae suspended in the water. This usually happens because there’s either an excess of sunlight – or more commonly – a surplus of necessary nutrient at their disposal.

Your run of the mill clarifier should take care of the problem – but when used in consort with the right filtering media, you shouldn’t have to worry about dealing with green water on an ongoing basis. If this doesn’t work, then you might have a bigger problem on your hands and you’ll have to do some leg work in order to find out where the source of the algae is.

Smelly water

Anytime you have a tank with a lot of fish in it, it’s bound to get a little smelly from time to time. If you come across this issue on an ongoing basis, then it likely stems from one of two issues: You either have too many fish or your tank is too small. The quick, albeit expensive choice is to simply buy a bigger tank. But in practical terms, you probably don’t need to.

The likely source of the issues comes from active carbon – and making sure both your chemical balance and filtering media are in good, working order. The other issue often comes from simply giving your fish too much food – and that odor is just coming from all the decomposing food resting at the bottom of the tank.

High ammonia levels

Ammonia is toxic to fish, therefore it’s imperative that you keep it at sustainable levels. Ammonia levels usually spike with a fish dies or when there’s an excess of decomposing food at the bottom of the tank. This can be fixed with a water change that’s equal to the same pH as the aquarium. You should also change the ammonia eliminator as well. Make sure that you’re testing the chemical composition regularly as sometimes swings can happen out of nowhere.

Maintenance is the solution to everything

At the end of the day, most to all of these problems can be avoided by simply keeping up on your tank’s regular maintenance. That means partial changes of water, cleaning your gravel and crystals as well as providing your weekly dose of beneficial bacteria and insuring that you’re using the right filtering media. Do that and you should be in pretty great shape. Good luck!