How to Properly Clean Your Fish Tank
You are passionate about aquarium fish but are frustrated when you see algae growing so fast in the tank. Don't worry. This article will show you how to change your aquarium water properly and give tips to help you keep the water in your tank less cloudy. Now let's go.
How often do you need to clean your fish tank?
Someone say once a week, while others say once a month. The answer depends on your aquarium community in the tank. The size of the aquarium also shows an essential part of the question: "How often do you change the water in your aquarium?"
Do you take fish out of the tank when cleaning?
No, leave your fish in the tank. You won't drain all the water in the aquarium, so there will be plenty of water left for them to swim in. In addition, using a fishing net will stress the fish more than when you slowly clear around them.
You should use dechlorinated water for your aquarium. This is a must unless you keep fish that prefer hard water in a pond.
What toiletries do you need?
If this is your first aquarium tank, you may need some tank maintenance materials, such as:
Dirty tank water bucket.
Algae scraper blade accessories.
Toothbrush to clean algae from decorations or plants.
Dechlorination solution.
Glass cleaner water.
Cotton or paper towels.
Check water quality
If your aquarium has just been purchased, you must test the water in the tank for 0 ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrite and less than 40 ppm nitrate. Please make sure these parameters follow the regulations.
Cutting away tough algae should be easy if you have a blade attachment. Scrub the walls of the tank with an algae scraper. If algae grow on the lid, you can quickly rinse it off in the sink.
Do not use soap during the cleaning process of the aquarium. Finally, if algae cover your aquarium decorations, rocks or plants, use a toothbrush to gently brush it off, either on the sink or in the aquarium.
Control algae by regularly removing algae and balancing light and nutrient levels in your aquarium.
This is an excellent time to remove dead leaves and prune overgrown foliage. If you have tall plants, you can propagate them quickly by cutting a few inches off the top and replanting them in the medium.
If floating plants have covered the entire surface of the water, remove about 30% to 50% of them so that the plants underneath get enough light, and the fish get enough oxygen. You should clean them only partially, or you will lose the good things your fish need to survive after cleaning the aquarium.
Pruning helps focus nutrients on the healthiest leaves and allows light to reach the leaves at the bottom of the stem.
Turn off all aquarium equipment.
Turn off or unplug all devices. Aquarium heaters and filters to prevent equipment from running out and burning out
Using a siphon removes fish waste, uneaten food and dead leaves from the gravel or sand, old tank water and excess nitrates.
At least once a month, you should clean the filter. Filters are like waste collection bins, but you must clean them regularly to remove all the dirt before the filter becomes clogged or overflows.
If you have a hanging, canister, or corner canister filter. In that case, the easiest way to maintain it is to wash the filter media in a bucket of water. Do not use soap. Use only water. If you have a sponge filter, remove the foam and squeeze it several times in the old bucket of tank water.
Try to adjust the temperature of the new water to the water in the tank to keep the parameters stable, and your fish will be happy with this.
To have crystal water in the tank, wipe down the outside walls of the tank with aquarium-safe glass to remove any water spots and streaks. Once the inside of the aquarium has been cleaned, clean the top of the tank, the lights, the top of the aquarium, and the outside of the glass.
Through the article, we hope you have enough information so that whenever you clean your tank, you are constantly saving time and always satisfied with the water quality in your community aquarium.