My 46gallon Bow-front saltwater aquarium is a real show piece in my home. Friends, family and beginner reefers often ask me how I maintain such an aquarium with corals, an anemone, fish and various pumps and such. This is how I keep up with my aquarium maintenance.
Daily:
1. Top off water, I have a line drawn in my sump and I top of my water using only Ro/Di water.
2. Nightly checks on my cpr overflow to make sure that the air is releasing from the overflow and there is no blockage.
3. Scrape off the side of the glass to prevent filamentous algae from forming.
4. Clean skimmer cup.
5. Check for any general problems with the tanks inhabitants and plumbing.
Weekly:
1. Blow off live rock with a turkey baster then perform a 10% water change.
2.Clean powerheads if they need to be cleaned.
3.Wipe off light shield with a vinegar water solution.
4. Test water for any ammonia, nitrite and nitrate buildup.
5.Wipe off glass with a vinegar water solution.
6. Wipe off any salt creep that had accumulated.
Monthly:
1. Clean and maintain return pump and skimmer pump
2. Clean skimmer
3. Suck Any detritus that made it into my sump
4. Check calcium and alkalinity levels ( I mainly have a soft coral tank with very few calcium loving inverts, those of you with a lot of LPS and SPS corals should do this more frequently).
5. Change my phosphate media and clean out my phosban reactor. As well as change out carbon.
6.Test TDS (total Dissolved Solids) in my Ro/Di water.
Yearly:
1. Change light bulbs ( when needed sometimes its as early as 7 months).
2. Purchase new pumps if needed.
3.Purchase new Ro/Di filters if needed.