How Often Does Each Aquarium Need Care?
| Aquarium | Water change (source) | Recommended visit |
|---|---|---|
| Freshwater community | About 25% weekly (OATA) | Weekly; every two weeks if you do the change in between |
| Planted, dense with CO2 | About 25% weekly (Tropica) | Weekly |
| Planted, low maintenance | About 25% weekly (Tropica) | Every two weeks; you do the change in between |
| Marine / reef | 10% weekly or 20% every two weeks (Bulk Reef Supply) | Weekly; every two weeks for mature auto-dosed systems |
| Hotel, office, restaurant, clinic | By type, as above | Weekly; twice a week for large reefs |
| New aquarium | 25–50% a couple of times a week for 3–4 weeks (Tropica, planted) | Once or twice a week while it matures |
A monthly visit only makes sense when the owner does the weekly water change; it then becomes an inspection and deep-clean visit.
What Happens on a Visit
A visual check of livestock and equipment; a partial water change with dechlorinated, temperature-matched water (salinity-matched for marine); siphoning the substrate; cleaning glass, lid and light; filter and sump care, rinsing media in tank water rather than tap water so beneficial bacteria survive; checks on pumps, heater, timers, CO2 and dosing; trimming and algae removal; and, optionally, water tests with a report.
Why Water Testing Matters
Clear water is not necessarily clean water; ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are invisible. OATA recommends testing freshwater aquariums at least weekly, and weekly tracking of alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, nitrate and phosphate is fundamental for corals. Testing and reporting on visits is optional; we recommend it for reef aquariums.
Sources
- OATA, Tropical Freshwater Fish: How to care for tetras & pencilfish, 2022
- Tropica, Starting a new aquarium
- Bulk Reef Supply, Saltwater aquarium guide: water changes
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