Lockdown Special: Some quick fixes every aquarium owner should know

Today the entire world is struggling from the coronavirus pandemic. We are not sure when our lives will be back on track and when we’ll start living a normal life like before. Since we have to follow lockdown for our safety purposes, we all are learning different activities to keep our sanity. Whether it is cooking, cleaning, or disinfecting the entire house, we have come a long way and learned so much. Isn’t it? So, let’s take this lockdown in a positive way and learn a little bit more.

Today, we are here with some quick-fix solutions for the aquarium owners. Since lockdown has made us all stuck inside our four walls, calling a helper to resolve certain issues with the aquarium is not possible. So, if you are an aquarium owner, this content is definitely going to help you not only in this lockdown but till the time you own an aquarium.

Quick fixing a crack in an aquarium

Freaking out by seeing a crack in an aquarium is obvious, especially when you know that shops are closed, and you can’t get a new tank soon. But the good news is you can work on this crack and mend it easily. Here are the steps involved-

Remove your fish and keep them in a secure backup tank (you can use a big bucket with a lid or a similar tub). Make sure you transfer water from the current aquarium to prevent a change in water temperature for fish.

• Remove the entire decoration stuff or live plants from the tank.
• Drain off the excess of water from the tank slowly without causing any strain on the crack parts.
• Dry the tank with a paper towel.
• Now clean the cracked area properly with the help of white vinegar and later rinse it off.
• Now use aquarium-safe silicone gel and apply its thin layer over the crack.
• Do this on both parts- inside and outside of the tank.
• Wait for around 40-48 hours and let the gel to dry and set.

Now you can add water and check if there is no leakage. Once confirmed, you can decorate the tank-like before and add your fish to the repaired tank.

Quick fixing a dirty tank

If you see cloudy and dirty water, again and again, you might be doing something wrong. It could be anything like-

• Feeding too much to your fish
• Too much exposure to the sunlight
• There are no live plants that act as a natural cleaner in the tank.
• There are too many fish in the tank.
• You are not siphoning out the leftover food particles.
• Waste materials are settling at the bottom of the tank like fish poop or the older leaves of the plant.

So make sure you are avoiding such practices and removing the waste products, fish excreta, and dead plant parts routinely. At the same time, the cloudiness of an aquarium could result due to excess of algae production. So don’t overuse your tank lighting. Until the lockdown is not over, you can change the location of your tank if it is placed near the window. Direct sunlight may enhance algae production and create high-temperature fluctuation as well.

Quick fix fish food

If you are running out of fish feed, try these three simple fish food recipes and give them during the normal feeding schedule. All the ingredients are easily available.

• Chop high protein vegetables like carrot, spinach, zucchini, etc. and boil them with green peas. Once cooled, blend them together and freeze an ice cube trays, your one awesome fish meal is ready to serve.
• Take peas, cucumber, spinach, and shrimp and blend them together to make a fine and thick paste. Now make a gelatin mixture and add the vegetable paste. Freeze in an ice cube tray and serve whenever required.
• Use oats if shrimp is not available and make the same mixture. Add it to the gelatin mixture and freeze in the ice cube tray. It’s a high-protein fish food perfect for serving the hungry fish if you are out of stock of industry feed.

Quick fixing high pH in an aquarium

It is important that the pH level is maintained in an aquarium for the well-being of fish and live plants. pH determines how much oxygen the fish are getting inside the tank to survive. Lowering pH relates to more oxygen in the tank, and higher pH means less oxygen is there in the aquarium. In general, pH within 5.5 to 8 is considered favorable. If you are experiencing a sudden increase in pH and water becoming alkaline, you can use one of the below tips to overcome it-

• Peat Moss– Add natural peat moss after soaking them in water for at least four days to prevent the tank’s water from getting yellow or brown. At the same time, make sure you use a filter bag to prevent the peat moss from floating.
• Almond Leaves– Use almond leaves that not only act as a natural pH controller but also beneficial for the fish due to their anti-inflammatory properties. However, soak them in water for 24 hours before introducing them in the tank, which will remove the tannins and prevent the tank’s water from getting yellow.
• Natural driftwood– Introduce 1 or 2 pieces of natural driftwood that act as a natural filter for the tank. Before introducing, make sure you boil and clean them thoroughly and remove all the dirt and dust to get the best result.

Quick fix sick fish

You never know what could make a fish sick. Although there could be plenty of reasons, only an expert can figure out the correct one. The reason could be the poor quality of water, bacterial infections, viral infection, water mold, or maybe due to some parasite and even lack of oxygen. However, if one of your fish seems in stress or a little bit sick, the first thing you have to do is isolating that particular creature from the others in a separate water container.

Later, you may call the vet or n fish expert and tell the symptoms. He will give the right suggestions and medications. In the meantime, you can perform the following activities-

• Keep the temperature of the tank subtle
• Avoid contaminated live food
• Keep the filter running
• Test water quality more frequently now
• Change water regularly
• Aerate and filter properly

So these are some easy tips that can help you in maintaining your aquarium and fish during this lockdown. Once things get normal, you can proceed with your usual activities for the maintenance of the tank as well as fish. For now, stay inside and stay safe.