Is the water in your aquarium looking not-so-fresh? Follow our simple 8-step guide to how to clean a fish tank.
When it comes to cleaning, your fish tank is a lot like your kitchen sink: It's best to stay ahead of the mess. Poor conditions (think: algae overgrowth) will lead to stressed fish who are more susceptible to disease. So, how do you clean a fish tank? We’re breaking down how to clean your freshwater aquarium and make sure the critters in your tank are living their best lives.
1. Prepare to Clean
Throw on that oversized T-shirt you wear to bed (or other clothes you don’t mind getting dirty) and gather all your supplies in one accessible place. These include:
An algae scrubber, scraper or blade
Water siphon tube and/or gravel vacuum
A bucket for collecting water during water changes (one that’s just for aquarium water)
Water conditioner
Enough water for at least a 25% water change
Plain white vinegar
New filter media
Old bath towels and/or paper towels
An old toothbrush (optional)
Water test kit (optional)
Shop everything you need for your fish at Chewy: [ Ссылка ]
Then, wash your hands and forearms well. “Scrubbing in,” as doctors often call it, helps to avoid the introduction of potentially harmful substances into your aquarium water. Make sure to wash soap off thoroughly.
2. Turn Off Your Filter and Unplug Your Heater
As you clean your aquarium, debris will be circulated around the tank, and it's much easier to remove if it’s allowed to settle on the bottom instead of being sucked into the filter. So go ahead and switch that filter off while you clean.
Why unplug the heater? Removing it from water, which you’ll do during water changes and to scrub the heater, will expose it to air—and if you do that while it’s hot, it can burn out the machine.
3. Clean the Inside Walls
There are many products you can use to scrub or scrape your aquarium walls: scrubber pads, razors and more. The most important thing to remember is to choose a tool that works with the material of your tank. If you have a glass tank, you can use harder and sharper tools to get the job done. If your tank is acrylic, however, using a tool like a razor blade can leave scrapes on your tank.
4. Clean the Décor
Remove artificial plants, decorations and large rocks that have significant algae growth and scrub them, using your algae scrubber and some warm water. Leave the aquarium gravel in the tank—we’ll clean that next. If the heater has algae growth, now would be the time to remove and clean it, too.
Do not use soaps or detergents of any kind as they are extremely difficult to fully rinse away and can be lethal to your fish.
5. Clean the Aquarium Gravel
Next, we need to clean the substrate. A gravel vacuum will be your best friend for this step. Gravel vacuums typically consist of a plastic siphon attached to a length of tubing. All you need to do is submerge the siphon in the water to create suction that pulls water from the tank through the tube into your bucket. You’ll know your gravel is clean when the water being pulled through the siphon is no longer cloudy and gray/brown.
All finished? Don’t dump out that bucket just yet—you’ll use the water you just siphoned out in the next step.
6. Clean the Tank Filter
First, squeeze out and rinse the filter pad or sponge in a container filled with tank water. (You can use the water you just removed from your tank.) Using tank water helps retain the beneficial bacteria that keeps your water clean.
If it’s time to change your filter media, this is a good opportunity to do so. Make sure you also rinse the filter tubing and any other parts of the filter that come into contact with water.
7. Add New Water
Fill your bucket with water from your tap, using a thermometer to test the temperature and raise or lower it as needed. Then, following the instructions on your water conditioner, add the correct amount for the number of gallons you’ll be introducing to your tank.
Now you’re ready to pour the treated water into your tank. Add it slowly so as not to run the risk of shocking your fish. Once all the water has been replaced, you can put your heater back into the tank, turn it on, and start your filter up again, too.
8. Clean the Outer Walls
Most household glass cleaners contain ammonia and other chemicals that are toxic to fish, so it’s best to avoid putting them on your tank, even on the outside. Instead, opt for plain white vinegar on a paper towel. Afterward, you can use a clean, dry paper towel or bath towel to buff your aquarium to a perfect shine.
Congrats! You’ve just made your aquarium a happier, healthier place for your fish to live. Read our full guide to cleaning a freshwater fish tank: [ Ссылка ]
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