Aquarium Maintenance 101: A Quick Guide for New Owners

Living Oceans

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Living Oceans Aquarium Maintenance Guide: Simple Tasks for a Healthy Reef

One of the biggest advantages of a Living Oceans Aquarium is that routine maintenance is simple. Every aquarium is designed around natural biological processes, so instead of maintaining complex filtration equipment, you'll spend just a few minutes each week caring for your reef.

Like any pet, however, your aquarium still requires regular attention. A consistent maintenance routine is the best way to keep your fish, corals, and clean up crew healthy while preventing small issues from becoming larger ones.

A Simple Maintenance Schedule

Following a regular schedule keeps your aquarium looking its best while maintaining a balanced ecosystem.

Daily (1 minute)

A quick visual check is all that's needed each day.

Take a moment to make sure:

  • Your fish and corals look healthy.
  • All equipment is operating normally.
  • Water movement and lighting are functioning as expected.

These daily observations help you identify any unusual changes early.

Weekly (4 minutes)

Twice each week, use the included Magnet Cleaner to remove soft algae from the glass. At the same time, gently stir areas of the sand bed to prevent detritus from settling.

In most established aquariums, your Clean Up Crew will take care of much of the rockwork and sand naturally. During the early stages of the aquarium, or following a temporary nutrient spike, you may notice slightly more algae than usual, which is completely normal.

Monthly (10 minutes)

Once a month, complete a few simple maintenance tasks that help keep the aquarium running smoothly.

These include:

When refilling the auto feeder, always remove the entire unit from the aquarium before opening it. This prevents accidental spills that could release excess food into the tank and cause unnecessary nutrient spikes.

For the ATO reservoir, we recommend maintaining approximately 15 litres of fresh water, which typically lasts around four to six weeks, depending on evaporation.

Using the Glass Scraper Correctly

While the magnet cleaner handles everyday algae, harder algae will occasionally develop on the glass.

The Glass Scraper is designed specifically for removing this tougher growth. Its sharp blade easily clears stubborn algae while also helping remove light brown diatom films from the sand surface when required.

Because the blade is extremely sharp, use it carefully and avoid applying excessive pressure to the glass.

Every Three Months (30 minutes)

Preventative maintenance is one of the most important parts of long-term reef keeping.

Every three months, perform a preventative water change using the included Maintenance Kit. We generally recommend changing around 50% of the aquarium water, which helps replenish essential trace elements while restoring nutrient balance without causing unnecessary stress to the livestock.

Your first water change is particularly important and should not be skipped. Completing this maintenance at around the two to three-month mark gives your reef the best possible foundation for continued growth.

Choose DIY or Professional Maintenance

Water changes are designed to be straightforward, and many owners enjoy completing them as part of learning more about their aquarium.

Your options include:

  • Performing water changes yourself using the included Maintenance Kit.
  • Booking a Maintenance Service Site Visit (Perth Metro).
  • Contacting the Living Oceans team for additional maintenance support.

Whichever option you choose, maintaining a regular schedule is far more important than waiting until problems appear.

Support Every Step of the Way

Every Living Oceans Aquarium includes access to our Support Hub, where you'll find step-by-step training videos covering maintenance, livestock care, troubleshooting, and water changes.

Each video is short, practical, and easy to follow, making it simple to build confidence as your aquarium matures.

Small Tasks, Big Results

A healthy reef doesn't require hours of maintenance each week. It simply needs consistent care.

By following this routine of daily checks, weekly cleaning, monthly servicing, and quarterly water changes, you'll keep your Living Oceans Aquarium healthy, balanced, and thriving for years to come.