Clean, safe environments are essential for happy community aquariums.
You should not completely destroy beneficial bacterial colonies which eliminate animals’ waste. Your fish will be happy and healthy if your aquarium is properly cleaned. Your aquarium will be in tip-top shape again with a few easy cleaning products.
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What You Will Need
- Algae scraper/pad
- Razorblade (plastic knife for acrylic tanks)
- Bleach
- Water siphon (gravel vacuum)
- Bucket: Use a bucket only for your aquarium.
- Lime remover/glass cleaner (made for aquariums)
- Filter media
- Filter brush
- Bath towels from the past
- Use paper towels
- Aquarium water conditioner (chlorine remover)
Take Care Of Your Aquarium By Following These Steps
- Inside glass
- Decorations (rocks, plants, etc.)
- Gravel
- Exterior glass and fixtures
- Filter
1. Cleaning The Inside Glass
Begin by cleaning the glass from the inside using an algae pad. There are many options for algae scrapers, including long-handled and magnetic ones.
Instead of buying algae pads in a regular shop, go to a pet shop. They may appear the same but the housewares pads could have soap residue or chemical residue. It doesn’t matter what you do to clean your kitchen sink; however, it can cause death for your fish.
To remove stubborn residue from the glass, you can use a razor blade. Be careful not to cut your own fingers. Use a plastic razor blade if your aquarium is acrylic. Standard razors can scratch acrylic.
2. Cleaning Decorations And Rocks
After the glass has been cleaned, take out any decorations, rocks, or artificial plants that are causing significant algae growth. You should not use soap or detergents to clean them. It is very difficult to remove soap completely and can cause damage to fish.
Make a 10% bleach solution and soak the items in it for 15 minutes. To remove any residual bleach, scrub the items with a sponge and rinse in warm water. You should not put them back into the aquarium until you are satisfied with the chlorine smell. To remove chlorine, you can rinse them with water that has been diluted with dechlorinator (sodium trisulfate).
To remove algae from live plants, bleaching can be done. Stem plants are not sensitive to bleaching. Bleach live plants by using a bleach solution of 5 percent. After soaking the plants for 2 to 3 minutes, rinse them well.
While you are removing gravel, decorations and rocks, be sure to remove any plants. This will ensure that no gravel particles settle on the rocks.
Make sure you get a brand new bucket that is only for aquarium use. You could accidentally introduce chemicals to your aquarium by using a bucket with soap or detergent.
3. Clean Aquarium Gravel By Siphoning
Next, clean the gravel with a water siphon. This will remove any remaining debris. There are many siphons that work the same, and there are many. The gravel vacuum should be used to stir the gravel and remove any debris. It must not eat the gravel. Make sure you vacuum all gravel surfaces thoroughly to remove any debris.
Dechlorinated water is used to replace the water that was contaminated by the gravel vacuum. This is a water change for your aquarium. Make sure that the replacement water has the same temperature as the aquarium water. To prevent your aquarium heater from becoming exposed to the air, unplug it during water changes. A monthly water change of 25 percent is sufficient for cleaning.
4. Exterior Glass And Fixtures
After cleaning the aquarium’s interior, wash the light bulb, tank top and outside glass. Regular glass cleaners contain ammonia which is toxic for fish.2 You can clean the outside of the aquarium with vinegar or an aquarium safe cleaner. Finally, rinse the surfaces with a damp cloth.
5. Filter
The rocks, plants and other decorations can be returned to the tank once the outside has been cleaned. Wait a few weeks before you clean the filter. Wait! You should not wait!
You have not caused any harm to the ecosystem by changing the filter media. However, there are many beneficial bacteria that live within the filter media. You could cause a dangerous ammonia spike if you change the filter simultaneously. This is because there aren’t enough beneficial bacteria to eliminate the toxins.
Filter media that contains carbon, ammonia absorbers or ion exchange resins should be replaced after three weeks. After a few weeks, the media’s absorbing properties have become exhausted and the media no longer serves its purpose.
Medium that acts as a mechanical filter and not absorbs toxins (i.e. Ceramic rings, filter fibers, and sponges should be gently rinsed to remove any debris, and then returned to the filter to replace them. The bacterial colonies that are growing on the media will not be destroyed if the water is at the same temperature as the aquarium.
Make sure to clean the filter tubing as well as other parts of your filter assembly. The filter brush can be used to remove the sludge from all crevices.
6. Ongoing Maintenance
After you have cleaned your tank, you should make sure to clean it regularly so that it doesn’t need another major spring cleaning. You should scrape the glass every week, vacuum the gravel each time you do a water change, as well as clean any rocks and plants that you find algae or debris.
You can clean the filter by either replacing the media or simply rinsing it every month. To keep your fishnets soft and clean, you can also soak them in a disinfectant solution. Your aquarium will always look great with regular care.
How To Clean An Old Fish Tank ?
Using an old fish tank is a great way to provide the right home for your fish without the expense of purchasing a new tank. For your fish to thrive and survive, it is important that your old fish tank is properly cleaned and sanitized.
- Emptying the Tank
- Sanitizing the Glass
- Scrub and scrape any remaining white residue or hard water build up.
When the water spots are too stubborn, you can use WPG Sander SEA Under Water Handheld Power Scrubber.
With Scouring Pad (Orange), the material is soft and will not scratch the glass.
WPG Sander SEA Under Water Handheld Power Scrubber has IPx8 waterproof rating. It is no problem to clean while flushing. - Washing the Removable Tank Decorations
# How To Clean A Fish Tank ? # How To Clean The Fish Tank ?
# Cleaning A Fish Tank # Cleaning Aquarium