Finfern honest freshwater care · finfern.com Aquarium care schedule
Tropical community — care routine
The standard heated community tank of small tropical fish.
Every day
- Feed once or twice — only what's eaten in a couple of minutes — and remove anything uneaten.
- Top off evaporation with dechlorinated water; check the heater is holding temperature.
- A quick look — everyone swimming, eating and breathing normally, no fin-nipping?
Weekly
- Test your water (nitrate especially; ammonia and nitrite too if the tank is still young).
- Do a ~20–25% water change with dechlorinated, temperature-matched water and vacuum the substrate.
- Wipe the glass and check the filter flow and heater.
Monthly
- Rinse the filter media in OLD tank water — never tap water (chlorine kills your beneficial bacteria).
- Clean the glass thoroughly and check equipment (heater, air pump, lids).
Every few months
- Replace worn filter media a little at a time — never all at once (you'd lose the bacteria).
- Deep-clean décor and stubborn algae; check the heater's accuracy against a thermometer.
⚠️ The one thing to watch
Overfeeding and skipped water changes are what let nitrate and algae climb. Feed light and change water on a schedule — that alone runs a healthy community tank.
Read your test numbers → New tank? Cycle Coach →
Coldwater / goldfish — care routine
Goldfish and other coldwater fish — big appetites, big bioload.
Every day
- Feed modestly (goldfish will always beg — resist) and remove any uneaten food.
- Top off evaporation with dechlorinated water; check the temperature is stable (no big swings).
- A quick look — everyone active, upright, and breathing normally?
Weekly
- Test nitrate — goldfish are messy, so it climbs faster than you'd expect.
- Do a larger water change (~30–40%) with dechlorinated, temperature-matched water; vacuum the substrate well.
- Wipe the glass and check the (over-sized) filter is coping with the load.
Monthly
- Rinse the filter media in old tank water; clean the glass; confirm the filtration is keeping nitrate down.
- Check equipment and lids (goldfish are boisterous).
Every few months
- Reassess stocking and space — goldfish grow far bigger and need far more tank and filtration than they're sold with.
- Upgrade filtration or tank size as they grow; replace worn media gradually.
⚠️ The one thing to watch
Goldfish produce a huge bioload for their size — under-filtering and small tanks are the number-one problem. Big tank, big filter, generous water changes.
Read your test numbers → New tank? Cycle Coach →
Planted tank — care routine
A live-planted aquarium — plants are livestock too.
Every day
- Feed the fish lightly; if you run CO2, check it's coming on and off on schedule (drop checker green).
- Top off evaporation with dechlorinated water; a quick look at plants and fish.
Weekly
- Dose fertilisers to your routine and test nitrate; trim and replant as needed.
- Do a water change (bigger in high-tech/CO2 tanks, smaller in low-tech) with dechlorinated water.
- Clean algae off the glass and check the light timer.
Monthly
- Rinse the filter media in old tank water; clean the glass thoroughly.
- Check the CO2 diffuser/drop checker and clean it; inspect the lighting and timer.
Every few months
- Refresh root tabs, do a deep trim and thin out fast stem plants.
- Service/refill the CO2 system; replace worn filter media a little at a time.
⚠️ The one thing to watch
Light, CO2 and nutrients have to balance — strong light without matching CO2 and ferts feeds algae, not plants. Change one variable at a time and give it a couple of weeks.
Read your test numbers → New tank? Cycle Coach →
Betta / nano — care routine
A small heated betta or nano tank — big personality, less margin for error.
Every day
- Feed a tiny amount (a betta needs just 2–3 pellets) and remove anything uneaten.
- Check the heater and temperature — a small tank swings fast — and top off evaporation with dechlorinated water.
- A quick look — active, fins healthy, gentle flow (bettas dislike a strong current)?
Weekly
- Test the water; small tanks drift faster, so testing matters more, not less.
- Do a ~25–30% water change with dechlorinated, temperature-matched water; wipe the glass.
- Check the filter flow is gentle and the heater is holding steady.
Monthly
- Rinse the filter sponge in old tank water; clean the glass thoroughly.
- Confirm the heater is accurate against a separate thermometer.
Every few months
- Replace worn filter media gradually; reassess stocking — resist the urge to overstock a nano.
⚠️ The one thing to watch
Small water volume means fast swings in temperature and parameters. A heater, gentle flow, and steady small water changes keep a betta stable — unheated bowls and vases are the classic, avoidable mistake.
Read your test numbers → New tank? Cycle Coach →
Shrimp / soft-water — care routine
A shrimp or soft-water tank where stability is everything.
Every day
- Feed sparingly — shrimp graze biofilm, so a tiny amount every day or two is plenty; remove leftovers.
- Top off evaporation with remineralised RO or dechlorinated water; check the temperature.
Weekly
- Test your parameters — shrimp are sensitive to swings, so watch GH, KH and TDS as well as nitrate.
- Do a SMALL water change (~10–15%) and drip it in slowly to avoid a parameter swing; clean the glass gently.
Monthly
- Rinse the (pre-filtered, shrimp-safe) filter media in old tank water; make sure no copper has entered the system.
- Check the sponge pre-filter isn't clogged.
Every few months
- Reassess your remineralisation and target TDS; replace worn media gradually.
⚠️ The one thing to watch
Shrimp die from sudden swings and from copper — not from a slightly-off but stable number. Keep everything slow and consistent, and never use a copper-based medication.
Read your test numbers → New tank? Cycle Coach →
A sensible starting routine, not a rigid rule — adjust to your own tank, fish and test results.
The rhythm is standard freshwater husbandry; what your specific numbers mean lives in the
water-parameter interpreter. Your pick is remembered on
this device only — no account, nothing sent anywhere.
Quick answers
What daily, weekly and monthly maintenance does a freshwater aquarium need?
Daily: feed lightly and remove uneaten food, top off evaporation with dechlorinated water, and check the temperature. Weekly: test your water, do a ~20–25% water change with dechlorinated, temperature-matched water, vacuum the substrate and wipe the glass. Monthly: rinse the filter media in old tank water (never tap water, which kills the bacteria) and clean the glass thoroughly. The exact rhythm shifts with your tank type — a goldfish tank needs bigger changes, a shrimp tank needs smaller gentler ones. This tool lays out your version so you can print it and stick it by the tank.
How often should I do a water change on a freshwater tank?
A common, sensible default is around 20–25% weekly with dechlorinated, temperature-matched water. Messy, heavily-stocked tanks (goldfish, cichlids) need more — often 30–40% — while shrimp and soft-water tanks do better with small 10–15% changes dripped in slowly. What matters more than the exact percentage is consistency: regular smaller changes keep parameters far steadier than occasional big ones.
How do I clean my aquarium filter without restarting the cycle?
Rinse the media in a bucket of OLD tank water you removed during a water change — never under the tap. Tap water contains chlorine or chloramine that kills the beneficial bacteria living in your filter, which can crash your cycle and spike ammonia. Give the media a gentle swish to shift the gunk, and when media finally needs replacing, swap only part of it at a time so the bacteria carry over.
Does this scheduler tell me exact parameters or doses?
No — on purpose. Your safe ranges depend on your fish and your water, so the scheduler points you to the water-parameter interpreter to read your test numbers, and to the cycling tracker for a new tank. The scheduler covers the care rhythm (when to test, change water and clean), not tunable numbers that could mislead if generalised.
Water-parameter interpreter ·
Cycle Coach ·
Water-change guide ·
All tools
Free tool · print & stick it by the tank