There is nothing more balanced than an ecosystem. Mother Nature put together the best of the best when nature was created. Of course, the ecosystem of a freshwater aquarium that we create may not be all that great. This is why we must perfect it and maintain it as needed.

Normally the hardest part of maintaining a freshwater aquarium is at the very beginning when everything is new. Each part of the system has to go through a cycle and once the cycle is complete, then there shouldn’t be any other issues unless there is a major upset within the ecosystem. The water, the fish and the filter system, even the decorations and plants, all contribute to the ecosystem of a freshwater aquarium.

As just noted, when you first start a freshwater aquarium, it must go through a cycle. The cycle lasts about a month and when looking at it you may think that you have done something wrong. The water be become very cloudy and you may not be able to see through to the back of the tank. Do not be discouraged, as this is normal.

When the water becomes cloudy, everything is trying to make their way through the storm. The level of phosphates, carbon dioxide and nitrogen as well as other chemicals and toxins in the water are battling with each other while the filter system and live plants are trying to break up the fight. You can add a dH or a pH additive to help reduce certain levels of chemicals within the tank. Sometimes a quality pet store will check your aquarium water for you so you know exactly where the ecosystem stands.

It can be a difficult balance to maintain between the chemicals in water when it’s replaced or even in reducing the ammonia from fish waste if there are too many fish in the tank or it’s been awhile since the tank was cleaned. The ecosystem of a freshwater aquarium can go out of sync when new fish are introduced or even new plants. If you decide to start over with all new equipment and decorations, be fully prepared to spend about a month for the aquarium to cycle.

In reviewing your current aquarium ecosystem, is everything working as it is supposed to? Is the water clean and the temperature is within reason? Is the filter working and the disposable cartridges clean? Is there a sufficient amount of oxygen being added to the water? Are all of your fish alive and healthy? If you have live plants, are they healthy? If your plants are synthetic, are they clean and is the substrate and decorations clean? If you don’t clean these, they eventually have a slimy film covering them and this film does nothing to help balance the ecosystem of a freshwater aquarium.

The newness will eventually wear off, but the care you take to ensure that the ecosystem of a freshwater aquarium in your home stays must not waiver. Your aquarium holds a small part of our world that cycles itself every day. Keeping the balance is easy if everything works together.