A healthy aquarium doesn’t just happen—it takes regular maintenance and careful cleaning. Proper aquarium care keeps your fish, axolotls, and other aquatic pets thriving while preventing disease, algae overgrowth, and poor water quality. At Roxy’s Pet Shop, we want to make keeping your aquatic pets as easy and stress-free as possible.

• Water Quality: Uneaten food and waste produce ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates, which can harm your pets.
   
• Prevent Algae Growth: Cleaning surfaces and monitoring light prevents unsightly algae blooms.
   
• Healthy Environment: Plants, substrate, and decorations need care to support your aquarium’s ecosystem.
   
• Detect Problems Early: Routine checks help you spot disease, leaks, or equipment failure.
   

• Check Your Animals: Observe for unusual behaviour, signs of stress, or illness.
   
• Feed Appropriately: Avoid overfeeding; remove uneaten food after a few minutes.
   
• Check Equipment: Ensure filters, heaters, lights, and air pumps are working correctly.
   

• Water Testing: Test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, and other parameters depending on your species.
   
• Partial Water Change: Replace 10–25% of the tank water with dechlorinated water to dilute waste and toxins.
   
• Clean Glass: Use an algae scraper or magnet cleaner to remove build-up from the tank walls.
   
• Check Decorations & Plants: Remove debris, dead leaves, or decaying plant matter.
   

• Filter Maintenance:
   
  • Rinse filter media in tank water (never tap water, which can kill beneficial bacteria).
     
  • Replace carbon or other consumable media according to manufacturer instructions.
     
• Gravel/Substrate Cleaning:
   
  • Use a siphon or gravel vacuum to remove trapped waste.
     
• Equipment Check:
   
  • Inspect heaters, lights, pumps, and air stones for wear or buildup.
     

Full tank cleanings should be rare—usually only when setting up a new tank or if there’s a severe problem.

• Remove decorations, rinse with tank water (avoid soap), and gently scrub algae if needed.
   
• Do not clean all filter media at once—this keeps beneficial bacteria alive.
   
• Avoid shocking your animals with sudden temperature or water chemistry changes.
   

• Do not overfeed: Excess food is a major cause of poor water quality.
   
• Maintain a cleaning schedule: Consistency prevents algae and toxins from building up.
   
• Use proper tools: Gravel vacuum, algae scraper, buckets dedicated to aquarium use.
   
• Monitor water quality: Regular testing is essential, especially for sensitive species like axolotls.
   
• Avoid harsh chemicals: Never use soaps or detergents—they are toxic to aquatic life.
   

Axolotls are very sensitive to water conditions, so:

• Perform more frequent partial water changes (20–30% weekly).
   
• Keep substrate smooth or bare-bottomed to prevent impaction.
   
• Avoid strong water currents that can disturb them during cleaning.
   

Maintaining a clean aquarium may seem like a lot at first, but with a consistent routine, it becomes simple and ensures your pets thrive. At Roxy’s Pet Shop, we stock all the tools, test kits, and cleaning supplies you need to keep your tank sparkling and your aquatic friends healthy.