If you own a fish tank you will notice it gets dirty and filthy over time. This doesn’t look attractive and is bad for the fish too. Hence cleaning your fish tank is important. Since fish tanks build up colonies of beneficial bacteria over time, its not a good idea to completely remove and put it back together. Its easier and a better option to clean the tank as it is. Here are a few steps that will help you clean your fish tank without taking it apart.
Things you will require:
- Algae pad/scraper
- Bleach
- Razor (use a plastic razor if you own an acrylic tank)
- Water siphon
- Lime remover or a glass cleaner used for aquariums
- A bucket
- Filter brush
- Filter media
- Paper towles
- Bath towels (old/used ones)
This is the order you should follow for cleaning yout aquarium:
- The inside glass
- Rocks, plants and other decorations
- The gravel
- Outside the glass and external fixtures
- The filter
First step you must take is use the algae pad and give the inside side of the glass a good scrub. Make sure you buy algae pads from your local pet store and not from the house ware department of your local store since the ones available at the pet store are made specifically for fish tanks where as the ones available at the local store are sure to contain harmful chemicals which can kill your little fishes. If the residue on the glass is extremely stubborn then use a razor and scrape it off. Be careful not to cut yourself. Use only plastic razors on acrylic tanks.
Bleach cleaning:
Now the inside of your glass is clean. Once this is done, remove all the artificial plants, rocks etc and other decorations which have any sort of algae growth or dirt on them. Never use detergents or soap to clean these. Use the algae scrubber to scrub these decorative items. If this doesn’t work mix one part of bleach in ten parts of water and soak the items inside this solution. Remove and rinse after about 15-20 minutes. Let it air dry. Use a new bucket for this whole process. Using buckets with even a tiny bit of soap traces can kill your fish.
Using a siphon:
Use a water siphon and clean the gravel. Vacuum the gravel entirely so all the debris are removed. There are many types of siphons available but using any one of them will work. Python siphons are a good choice since they will empty dirty water directly into the sink and hence eliminate the need to have buckets.
The outside of the glass:
Now the insides of your aquarium are clean. Its time to move on to the outside glass, the tank hood and the tank top. Using general purpose glass cleaners is a bad idea as it contains ammonia which can kill your fish. Using cleaners specifically made for washing aquariums or vinegar is a safe choice. Once done rinse throughly, then rinse some more…you do not want dead fish…
Cleaning the filter:
To clean the filter wait for a couple of weeks after cleaning the rest of the tank. Cleaning your aquarium would have cleared all the beneficial bacteria which would otherwise absorb toxins. Leaving the filter unclean will give the beneficial bacteria a chance to settle once again in the tank. After a couple of week you are ready to clean the filter. Filters which contain ammonia absorbers, carbon or resins for ion-exchange should be replaced every three weeks. This has to be done since after a few weeks such filters lose their effectiveness. If you use filters that use ceramic rings, sponges, or filter fiber then take these out and then gently rinse them to remove debris. Make sure you also clean the tubing and the rest of the parts of the filter assembly. You can use a filter brush to clean the sludge that will build up in small nooks and corners of the filter. Its improtant to clean the filter at least once a month. Follow the above steps and you will have a beautiful looking, fresh and clean aquarium at all times.
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