A 55 gallon aquarium, just like any other size of aquarium, needs to be looked after correctly if you want to make sure that the right environment is established for the fish and marine life to live in. Changing the water in your 55 gallon aquarium is crucial, as it helps to remove waste and debris which can accumulate in the tank and will replenish certain nutrients that can be lost over time.

When, you change the water in a 55 gallon aquarium, will depend on a number of different factors. The first of these being whether it is a cold water, reef or tropical aquarium, and the second being, what kind of water you are using to replenish the tank with.

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.

55 Gallon Aquarium - When Should The Water Be Changed?

When you own a 55 Gallon Aquarium, you should be changing around 25 percent of the tank's water each week, as this will help to keep the nitrate levels in the water under control. If you intend to use water directly from a tap to replenish that which has been removed, then you need to carry out some tests first, to check the pH levels and the hardness of the water. Such test kits can be purchased online or through your local aquarium supply store, along with the products you need to get the chemical composition right in the water before adding it to the tank.

Also you need a test kit which checks the levels of nitrate in the tap water. If you find that the water you intend to use for your 55 Gallon Aquarium contains nitrate levels which exceed 40 parts per million, then you need to get your water from another source, or use a water purifier to help remove them.

55 Gallon Aquarium - Equipment For Changing The Water

The main items that will be required to change the water in your 55 Gallon Aquarium are a siphon kit and two buckets. All can easily be obtained online, or through your local aquarium supply store. It is important that these pieces of equipment only be used for changing the water in your aquarium, and not for any other purpose such as washing your car.

Storage of water that is going to replace that which is removed from a 55 gallon aquarium, should be kept in containers made from a food grade plastic. If not, the chances of chemicals that are harmful to the marine life in your tank leaching into the water, is increased.

Any water that you are storing, should be kept in a dark location to prevent algae growth. If you can, place some form of aeration system (air stone) into the container so that oxygen levels remain high, and this will ensure that the water remains fresh. Plus, air stones are actually helpful at keeping the levels of pH within the water balanced. If you don't aerate the water in the containers regularly, then you will find over time it turns acidic, and when added to your 55 gallon aquarium can prove very detrimental to the health of the fish and marine life within.