March 25, 2016

That "other benefit" of routine maintenance...

Have you noticed that, after you change the water in your tank, it just sort of takes on a....sparkle-or something?

Like that "healthy glow" on a beautiful woman's face when she's happy (sorry for the utterly chauvinistic example, but I AM a guy- and that came to mind quickly at 6:30AM...), an aquarium after a water change- routine or otherwise-just seems to "pop" with a vibrancy that is distinctive from the everyday.

I used to see this in reef aquariums in a big way- the corals would really extend polyps or open up- and I used to wonder...

Is the "vibrancy" we see in aquariums after a water change because the environment is being "refreshed" or otherwise "stimulated" via the exchange, or is it something else?

Perhaps increased oxygenation as a result of removing/adding water to the system? Perhaps some minor ionic "hit" the system takes from an influx of fresh, non-nutrient-laden water? Does it roughly simulate what happens during a rainstorm or other sort of "disruptive" event in nature, thus triggering certain positive responses in animals?

Could this be the reason why fishes often spawn after water changes?

Yeah, I'd wager so.

Beyond just the environmental benefits, that incredible look, the smell- the feeling the hobbyist gets after performing a routine maintenance on his or her tank is satisfying in a way that only those who love their animals understand. Knowing that you're doing something beneficial for animals under your care is beyond merely satisfying. It's gratifying, really.