Fish make great pets because they are relatively low maintenance and can add a soothing aspect to your home. Fish don’t need to be walked or any special attention plus they are inexpensive as well. Maintaining a healthy fish tank is essential to keeping healthy fish. Many first time owners aren’t sure how to clean their tanks. This article will help you understand the proper way to clean a fresh water fish tank.
You’ll need the following supplies before you clean your tank:
- Strainer
- Bucket
- Bowl or temporary tank
- Clean towels and rags
- Algae scraper
- Water siphon
- Aquarium cleaner
- Filter media
- Filter brush
Clean your aquarium in the following order:
A – Inside
B – Toys, gravel and decorations
C – Outside
D – Filter
Never use any cleaning products on your aquarium that weren’t specifically made for safe use in the environment. Use of regular glass cleaner, bleaches or other non-approved cleaners may harm your fish.
- Inside
Use an aquarium-approved algae pad and scraper to clean the inside of the glass. There are many good algae tools available at your local pet store. Do not buy any pads or scrapers from a regular store as they may have chemical residues that are harmful to your fish. You may need to use a razor blade or plastic scraper, if your tank is acrylic, to remove stubborn spots.
- Toys, gravel and decorations
Remove the plants or other decorations for cleaning. Under running water, use an algae pad or scraper to remove any growth on the decorations. Use a water siphon to vacuum the gravel or remove it to a strainer and clean it under running water.
- Outside
Clean the outside of the glass of the aquarium using an approved cleaner for fish environments. Do not use regular glass cleaner even on the outside of the tank. Clean the hood, tank top and light as well.
- Filter
After you’ve cleaned the inside of the tank, the decorations, the gravel and the outside of the tank, replace all the decorations and top up the water. Wait for two weeks or so before cleaning the filter. The filter contains some of the beneficial bacteria you may have just removed during cleaning. By waiting to clean or change the filter, you will restore the beneficial bacteria back to your tank environment. This will return your tank’s eco-system back to a fish-friendly place. Changing your filter right away may introduce ammonia to the environment and kill your fish.
When you are ready to clean your filter, those with carbon filters or ion-exchange resins should not replace them if they are less than three weeks old. Filter media such as ceramic, fiber or sponge should be rinsed and returned to the filter, not replaced. Clean the filter tubing and other parts of the filter also. A small brush may be helpful to remove debris.
A nice, clean fish tank helps you get more enjoyment out of your fish. Clean your tank on a regular basis to avoid needing a major cleaning and risking an environmental upset. To maintain your clean tank, scrape the glass every week and vacuum the gravel regularly. Clean any decorations or plants as soon as you notice any algae on them. Follow the manufacturer’s directions on how often to change your filter media or if you should rinse it. After you’re done cleaning your tank, clean all tools and supplies and make sure they are only used for the fish tank. For more information, there are many videos online to help you learn how to clean your fish tank like this one.
