By Wangeci Kanyeki
Did you know the aquarium is a stress buster? Researchers claim that watching the fish swim calms one, reduces anxiety and lowers blood pressure.
In addition to being a living piece of art for your dÈcor, fish tanks are able to captivate the interest of children and calm down the hyperactive ones. It is no wonder that you find aquariums in paediatric and dentist’s waiting rooms to soothe and lower patient’s anxiety.
Whilst aquariums have the benefits of owning a confined pet, cleaning it can be a daunting task.
Here are some guidelines for cleaning the tank to safeguard and prolong the life of the fish you have so heavily invested in.
• Scoop out the fish from the aquarium together with some of the old water using a small container.
• Scrub the tank with a sponge using the water in the aquarium. Avoid using scotch bright as it may scratch the glass. Also avoid cleaning with soap as it will kill the fish.
• Once clean, drain the water from the aquarium, remove the stones and ornaments and wash them with clean water. Do not use soap.
• Return the stones and the ornaments and fill the tank with water using a hosepipe. Keep in mind the amount of water required depending on the size of the tank.
• Chlorine in water is hazardous to the fish so for every 20 litres of water, add one teaspoon of water conditioner( available at the pet shop).
• To further purify the water add one teaspoon of bionitrivec to 20 litres of water.
• Leave the fish pump to run for half an hour for the chlorine to be removed and then return the fish.
• To prevent algae build up, either add ten drops of algae stop in 40 litres of water when cleaning or buy an algae eating fish such as corydoras, which range from Sh300 depending on size.
• Do a full water change on a monthly basis but maintain the tank by replacing 20 per cent of the aquarium water on a weekly basis.