Water Testing
There are three things we should test for, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Ammonia and nitrite are toxic to fish and in sufficient amounts will kill them. Nitrate is less harmful and can be tolerated by fish to certain levels. Taking this into consideration the ammonia and nitrite levels should always be at 0ppm (parts per million). Nitrate should not be allowed to go above 40ppm but is much better if held at or below 10ppm. You should test once a week and I prefer a liquid test kit which will give more accurate results than test strips.
Water Changes
Water changes are done to lower nitrate levels and remove waste from the tank. There are several different methods but my favorite is with a Python No Spill system. It is attached to the faucet and pumps water and waste right down the drain. Water chages should be done as often as needed to keep the nitrates below 10ppm and in my opinion a gravel vac should be done every time.
Filter Cleaning
Filter cleaning should be done when a slow down of water flow is observed in the filtration. Don't replace the filter media unless absolutly necessary. Remove the filter media from the filter and rinse in tank water only. Do not rinse the media in tap water or you will loose all the beneficial bacteria and cause the tank to cycle. Clean other parts of the filter such as the impeller re-assemble and return to service.
