A 55 Gallon Aquarium just like any other sort of aquarium, needs to be maintained properly, if the perfect environment is created for the fish and marine life residing in it. One task that should be part of any maintenance program that you have in place for a 55 Gallon Aquarium, is to change some of the water on a regular basis. Doing this helps to remove more of the waste and debris that can accumulate in them, as well are replenish certain nutrients that can be lost from the water over time.

When, you actually change the water in a 55 Gallon Aquarium, will depend on a number of different factors. The first being what kind of aquarium it is – cold water, tropical or reef. The next thing will be whether you will be using purified, or tap water to replenish that which you have removed.

Although you may have spent a small fortune on your 55 Gallon Aquarium’s filtration system, they are not capable of removing every piece of waste or nitrate from the water in the tank. Also you need to consider that these filtration systems aren’t capable of actually getting nutrients and minerals back into the water as well, only this can be done by adding more freshwater to the tank.

When Should I Change The Water In My 55 Gallon Aquarium?

Ideally you should be looking to change around 25 percent of the water in a 55 Gallon Aquarium every week, if you want to keep the nitrate levels in it low. If you intend to use tap water to replenish your aquarium, then first test it to see what the pH levels and water hardness are like. Kits are readily available for you to use at home from your local aquarium supply store, or from an online supply store. At the same time as getting the testing kits, make sure that you get any chemicals or agents needed to bring the composition of the water to its appropriate levels, before you add it to the aquarium.

When using tap water to replenish that removed, you need to make sure that the levels of nitrate in it are not too high. Ideally when looking to use tap water for your 55 gallon aquarium, the nitrate levels in it should not go above 40 parts per million. If they are, then you will need to use water from another source or you will need to use a water purifier.

55 Gallon Aquarium – Equipment For Changing The Water

The main pieces of equipment needed when it comes to changing water in a 55 gallon aquarium, is two buckets and a siphoning kit. These items are readily available from your local aquarium supply store, or for one of the many aquarium supply online stores. It is important that when you have these items they be used solely for the purpose of changing the water in your aquarium, and not for other tasks around the home such as washing your car.

Another thing you need to think about is the storage of any water you are going to be using, in order to replace that which you have removed from your 55 Gallon Aquarium. At all times this should be stored in ones that are made from food grade plastic; if not, then the chances of harmful chemicals leaking into the water is high.

It is also important that the water kept in a dark place to prevent algae from growing in it, as well as keeping the water aerated. Aeration through use of air stones, will help to maintain good levels of oxygen in the water, and also help to maintain the water’s pH levels as well. Water, if left un-aerated over time will turn acidic, and if added to a 55 Gallon Aquarium could prove extremely harmful to the fish and marine life in it.