As a fish hobbyist, have you ever had a fish tank that stinks or is full of algae? Have you ever had cloudy water or oily film in your fish tank? Aquarium cleaning is a task that fish hobbyists shall attend to regularly.
A lot of reasons can contribute to a filthy fish tank. Leftover food, dead fish, fish poop can all be the reason why a fish tank is not so clean or smells a little. So never to say, a fish tank needs to be cleaned regularly.
We must first have some ideas about what needs to be done when it comes to cleaning a fish tank.
1. Clean the inside glass
On spotting the sign of algae, it needs to be cleaned by using a stainless blade from our 6-in-1 cleanser or a magnetic cleaner. The magnetic cleaner is very strong and can help you get rid of the difficult-to-remove algae.
2. Clean the decor, rocks, and plants
Algae will grow on glass, rocks, and decors. Just scrape the rocks and decors thoroughly in warm water. Particles that continue to cling to artificial plants can usually be washed off by removing the plant from the tank and rinsing it in clear water. If that does not remove the particles, gently scrub with an aquarium-safe algae pad.
Take care to avoid the use of anything with soaps or chemicals, as even a small amount of residue can be hazardous or lethal to fish. Live plants are more subtle when compared with plastic ones. They could be cleaned pretty much the same as artificial plants. If there is an excess of algae overgrowth, then the live plants can be bleached as artificial plants.
3. Vacuum clean aquarium gravel
I cannot imagine how gross it is if you do not siphon or vacuum clean your gravel or substrate. All the debris, poops, and dust are left in the gravel or substrate. It can make the water smell bad. So, the siphon or vacuum cleaning shall be performed during a water change. A 25% water change is a good amount for a monthly water change during cleaning.
4. Outside glass and fixtures
Now it’s time to clean the outside of the fish tank, like the hood, light, heater, and outside glass. Vinegar or a cleaner designated as aquarium safe can be used to rinse the surface with a clean wet cloth.
5. Clean the filter half a month later
Beneficial bacteria will grow on any surface. After you do a major cleaning with the fish tank, you probably need to wait for another 2 weeks’ time before you can clean the filter. I know your filter might stink a little bit, but in order not to upset the ecosystem, you could do the cleaning for the filter later.
6. Regular maintenance
Once you’ve gotten your tank in shape, make sure you clean it regularly so it never needs a major spring-cleaning again. Rub the glass weekly, vacuum the gravel every time you perform a water change, and clean any rocks or plants as soon as you see debris or algae on them.
Clean the filter monthly, either by replacing the media or rinsing it. While you are at it, soak your fishnets in a disinfectant solution to keep them clean and soft. With regular care, your aquarium will look beautiful all the time.
Tools needed to clean the fish tank:
- Magnetic cleaner
- 6 in 1 cleaner
- Water siphon
- Bucket (aquarium only)
- Clean towel
- Paper towel to clean the oily film
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