How often should you clean your aquarium? Once a week. That’ll prevent toxins from building up, which can affect the well-being of your fish.
Take nitrates, for example, they can make them more susceptible to disease. Not only that, but they can also stunt growth and damage organs.
Are you interested in taking care of fish? Looking for a guide on how to clean a fish tank? If so, you’re on the right page. We’ll be going over the process below.
Keep reading to learn more!
1. Clean the Inside of the Glass
Start by cleaning the inside of the tank. Chances are, there will be algae on the glass, which you can remove with a scrubber. While they aren’t harmful to your fish, per se, they can make your tank look dirty and unkempt.
For the best results, work from the top of the tank to the bottom. That way, the algae that you scrape off will sink to the bottom and you’ll be able to siphon it up with your vacuum afterward, leaving you with a clean fish tank.
Tip: You can use a razor blade to remove stubborn algae. Hold it at a 45-degree angle to the glass and scrape gently.
2. Clean the Rocks and Decorations
Remove all decorations, including plants, rocks, and other props that are noticeably dirty. Don’t clean them with soap—any particles that are leftover can harm your fish. Rather, give them a good scrub in warm water with an algae scraper.
If necessary, you can soak the items in a 10-percent bleach solution—that’ll help get rid of any algae. For live plants (click here to learn more), use a 5-percent bleach solution and soak them for two to three minutes.
Wait until you’ve vacuumed the gravel before replacing the decorations.
3. Use a Water Siphon
Use a water siphon to clean the gravel. It’ll stir up the substrate and remove any debris that’s accumulated on the bottom of the tank.
At the same time, it’ll drain dirty water from your aquarium. Generally speaking, you want to remove 25% of the water. The amount that’s removed should then be replaced with dechlorinated water.
Never add water straight from the tap—it’s not safe for aquarium fish. For one thing, it contains chlorine, which can damage their sensitive gills.
4. Clean the Filter
The filter should be cleaned once every month. Remove it from the tank after turning it off and place it in a bucket. Carefully disassemble the filter and clean the different parts (e.g. motor, plastic cover, filter media) with conditioned water (you can also use tank water).
Never use tap water, as that’ll kill the beneficial bacteria that reside within the filter media. For the same reason, you never want to replace all of a filter cartridge at once.
Knowing How to Clean a Fish Tank
And there you have it—a short guide on how to clean a fish tank. As you can see, it’s a pretty straightforward, but important process. A clean tank makes for happy and healthy fish!
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