Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning
• What you need

Cleaning the aquarium and changing the water once a week will help maintain a healthy fish life. Cleaning the aquarium is not difficult, especially when you try to clean the schedule so that the moss and dirt do not have time to build up. This article will show you how to clean a freshwater and saltwater aquarium.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Freshwater aquarium

1. 

   Prepare the supplies to clean the aquarium. Read through the supplies list to make sure you have enough tools and workspace ready.
   • Prepare enough water to replace the lake or water treatment agent to treat tap water.
   • Moss cleaning pad to clean the glass inside the tank.
   • Large tanks (20 liters or larger) are reserved for aquarium replacement water.
   • Simple type gravel cleaning straw (NOT battery-operated).
   • Filter material (filter, filter cotton, activated carbon bag, etc.) if you plan to change the filter.
   • Glass cleaner for aquariums or vinegar-based.
   • 1/4 cup bleach for every 10 to 15 liters of water in a separate container (optional)
   • Metal or plastic blade (optional, be careful with the acrylic glass aquarium as it easily scratches)

2. 

   
   
   Clean the moss around the lake wall with a moss razor sheet. Wipe along the glass and press lightly if necessary to remove any moss on the wall. If you do encounter stubborn stains, use a metal or plastic blade to scrape off the glass.
   • You should wear rubber gloves when cleaning the aquarium. Make sure gloves have not been treated with any chemicals.
   • Do not use the dish cleaning sponge or anything that could have residue of detergent or detergent. A clean tank dedicated to the aquarium will prevent harmful chemicals and soap from entering the tank.
   • You can also do this after 10-20% of the water has been drawn out.

3. 

   
   
   Determine how much water to change. If you cycle your tank and if the fish is healthy, at most 10-20% water changes once per week. If the fish is sick, you should change more water - 25-50% minimum.

4. 

   Suck out old water. Start using old water straws in a bucket, preferably a 20 liter (or larger if needed) bucket. It is best if you buy a new bin and use it only for tank cleaning; Soap residue or detergent can be harmful to fish. This means that you cannot reuse the laundry bin or the one used for detergent or dish soap.
   • You should buy a straw that can hook into the water bath. If you have this type of tube read through the instruction manual. It can also prevent water from overflowing from the tank. You should choose the suction power and the temperature when pumped water into the tank.

5. 

   
   
   Clean up the gravel. Push the straw through the gravel. Fish waste, uneaten food and other residue will be sucked into the tube. If the fish you keep is very small and weak, an unused sock can be wrapped on the outlet end of the hose (but make sure the mesh mesh of the sock is wide enough for the dirt to pass).
   • If you are lining the substrate with sand, do not scrape the sand with a straw. Use only the tip of the tube, not the plastic pipe body, and keep the tip of the tube about 2 cm above the sand surface to absorb the residue without disturbing the sand layer. You can use your fingers to scratch through the sand (as long as there are no animals below to avoid being bitten) to make the mud stuck in the sand float.

6. 

   Clean ornament. The aquarium decorations also need to be cleaned! Moss grows a lot due to excess nutrients in the water. You can use a moss mop or a soft bristled toothbrush that you have removed to clean the décor in the water that has just been drawn out. Avoid using soap as it can be dangerous to fish!
   • If cleaning the décor is difficult, remove it from the tank and immerse in a 10% bleach solution for 15 minutes. Then you pour boiling water over it and let it dry before you put it back in the tank. Wash the bleach very carefully to avoid danger to the fish.
   • If the decorations are covered with moss, feed the fish less or change the water more often.
   • Keeping fish to clean glass in a large tank can prevent the moss from overgrowing.

7. 

   Add new water. Replace the drained water with fresh water that has been treated at the aquarium's temperature. Use a thermometer to determine the water temperature.Water temperature within the required range is essential for maintaining the health of the fish. Remember that the warmth of the hand is too hot for most fish.
   • If you use tap water, it is imperative to treat the water to remove heavy metals and other toxins that the fish cannot absorb. Plan ahead for convenient work, at this time old boxes in your house will be effective. You poured water into the tank the day before and without the lid; One day is the time for chlorine to evaporate, and the water temperature is equal to room temperature, which is the temperature of the aquarium. If you can't wait then adding a drop of Decleor to the water will solve the problem. Then you just need to make sure the temperature is right. Too much temperature changes will kill the fish.
   • If the nitrate concentration is too high, you replace 50-75% of the old water with distilled water (normally should not be used because the distilled water is too pure, there are no trace nutrients for fish). You can also use bottled spring water to replace your pool water (no conditioning solution required) as spring water has only the right ingredients.

8. 

   Consider adding salt to your freshwater aquarium. Many fish species (including Molly fish, guppies, and jellyfish) will live a longer and healthier life in salty water. The salt used in freshwater aquariums also helps prevent diseases like white spot disease.

9. 

   Water tracking. Wait a few hours for all the cloudiness to dissolve and the water becomes clear. Although domestically made drugs are available on the market, they should not be used. If the water is still fuzzy, it's because of some potential problem and the potion made in water will just conceal the problem (can't be solved). Don't forget that fish need some free space between the water level and the lid to exchange oxygen carbon dioxide during respiration, and for them to comfortably stretch their dorsal fins.

10. 

    Clean the outside of the lake. Wipe the outside of the tank, including the glass, bulb and lid. Ammonia vapors from conventional detergents can be harmful to fish, so only use solutions specifically designed for your aquarium. If you want to make your own detergent, use a vinegar-based solution.

11. 

    Change the filter about once a month. The charcoal in the filter can become toxic to fish if not replaced. There are not many beneficial bacteria living in the filter, they mainly live in the gravel layer, so changing the filter will not affect the biofilter. You can rinse the filter weekly when changing the tank water if it becomes very dirty and you do not want to lose the bacteria that have formed in the filter. Flushing the filter cannot be considered the equivalent of replacing it, so you will still need to change the filter monthly. advertisement

Method 2 of 2: Saltwater aquarium

1. 

   Prepare the supplies to clean the aquarium. Saltwater aquariums have some special requirements in addition to the basic supplies used for freshwater aquariums. Prepare the following supplies:
   • Prepare enough water to replace the tank.
   • Moss cleaning pad to clean the glass inside the lake.
   • Large tanks (10 liters or larger) are reserved for aquarium replacement water.
   • Simple type gravel cleaning straw (NOT battery-operated).
   • Filter material (filter, filter cotton, activated carbon bag, etc.) if you plan to change the filter.
   • Glass cleaner for aquariums or vinegar-based.
   • Salt mixture.
   • PH paper.
   • Refractometer, hygrometer or salinity meter.
   • Thermometer.
   • 10% bleach in separate bottle (optional)

2. 

   Clean the moss. Use a cleaning pad to clean any moss growing in the tank. Use a metal or plastic blade to scrape off loose dirt.

3. 

   Suck out old water. For saltwater aquariums, change the water 10% every 2 weeks. This change is enough to remove nitrate from the tank. Open the straw to allow water to flow into a large barrel.

4. 

   Clean up the gravel. Push the straw through the gravel. Fish waste, uneaten food and other residue will be sucked into the tube. If the fish you keep is very small and weak, an unused sock can be wrapped on the outlet end of the hose (but make sure the mesh mesh of the sock is wide enough for the dirt to pass). For lake-lined sand layer, use only the end of the pipe, not the plastic pipe body, and keep the tube end about 2cm above the sand surface to absorb the sediment without disturbing the sand layer.

5. 

   Sanitary decoration. Use a moss mop or a soft bristle toothbrush that you have removed to clean the decorations in the water that has just been drawn out. You can also remove the trinkets from the tank and soak them in a 10% bleach solution for 15 minutes. Then you pour boiling water over them and let them dry before you put them back in the tank.

6. 

   Check for salt residue. As the salt water evaporates on the surface of the lake, it leaves behind salt residue. Clean the salt residue with a moss cloth and refill the evaporated water.

7. 

   Make a brine solution to fill the tank with. Adding water to a saltwater aquarium is more complicated than adding water to a freshwater aquarium. Make sure the water's temperature, salinity and pH are within the allowed range for the fish you keep. The water changes need to be prepared in the evening before you clean the tank.
   • Buy distilled or reverse osmosis water. You can buy this drink at the supermarket. Put the water in a clean plastic tank, it is best to use this only for the purpose of changing the aquarium water.
   • Warm up the water with a special dryer available at the pet store.
   • Mix the salt mixture. Salt for aquariums is sold at pet stores. Follow instructions for the amount of salt to be mixed based on the amount of water used. The general rule of thumb is to mix 1/2 cup of salt per four liters of water.
   • Leave the water exposed to the air overnight. The next morning, check the salinity with a refractometer, hygrometer or a salinity meter. An ideal number is between 1,021 and 1,025. You also need to check the temperature with a thermometer. For saltwater lakes, the water temperature is about 23-28 degrees Celsius.

8. 

   Check temperature every day. Saltwater fish live in relatively narrow temperature ranges. To ensure the health of fish, you should check the temperature of the tank daily. advertisement

Advice

• Do not use the aquarium soap because fish can die from poisoning.
• Leaving fresh water for a few hours in the air will help neutralize chlorine, but cannot neutralize chloramine, an equally toxic chemical. For fish safety you should use a water regulator. (One sign that chlorine is still high is when the gills are red. This is a chemical that heats the gills.)
• If you buy a piece of tube for the guide drinking water or food then the water change in the lake can be done easily by suctioning it directly out to the yard. Buy a fitting at your hardware store to refill the tank with water directly.
• Wear a bra or tank top to keep your sleeves from getting wet.
• The larger the aquarium, the less maintenance it will take and the less likely it is to make mistakes. Water parameters also change more slowly.
• There is no need to remove the fish from the tank during cleaning.
• Do not use tap water to wash the filter because chlorine and chloramine can harm fish.
• If using a machine-powered filter, you must periodically remove it and clean up the mucus in moving parts and structures. Do not clean the biological wheels.
• You can add an algae killer to your tank with a water regulator to make cleaning the décor and glass easier. This is also a good time to add phytonutrients to your tank (fish safe of course!) If you are growing plants in your tank.
• Buy the right size of gravel sanitary straw. If the straw is too small, it will take a lot of time to clean the tank, if the tube is too large the water will be sucked out too much before the job is completed.
• Clean the gravel sanitary straw with boiling water after each use. This is to ensure the destruction of bacteria or pathogens that may have existed in the tank at that time. In addition, you also feel more secure if you have to use your mouth to suck the tube next time.

Warning

• If you have not changed a large amount of water in a long time, you should change the water a little. You only change a small amount of water a week. Suddenly changing a large amount of water can adversely affect the aquarium environment and pose a risk of shock to the fish.
• Always wash your hands completely before and after dipping your hands into the tank or touching decorations in the tank. You can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Never remove the fish when it is not needed as this puts stress on the fish and exposes the mucus layer on the fish's body. If it is MUST to remove the fish for any reason, then you should add Stress Coat® or a similar product to the water.
• If there is activated carbon in the filter, you should change the charcoal after about two weeks. After this time coal begins to discharge toxins back to the lake. To replace the charcoal, remove the charcoal from the filter and replace the charcoal with a new one. Don't throw away the entire filter!
• Never put in the aquarium anything in danger of leaving soap on it. Examples are human hands, straws or fishing nets.

What you need

• Prepare enough water to replace the tank.
• Moss cleaning pad to clean the glass inside the tank.
• Large tanks (10 liters or larger) are reserved for aquarium replacement water.
• Simple type gravel cleaning straw (NOT battery-operated).
• Filter material (filter, filter cotton, activated carbon bag, etc.) if you plan to change the filter.
• Glass cleaner for aquariums or vinegar-based.
• Salt for freshwater aquarium (recommended for freshwater aquarium)
• Salt mixture (for saltwater lakes)
• PH paper (for saltwater lakes)
• Refractometer, hygrometer or salinity meter (for saltwater lakes)
• Thermometer (required for both fresh and salt water tanks)
• 10% bleach in separate bottle (optional)
• Metal or plastic blades (optional)
• SafeStart Products
• Mesh (when needed)
• Towels are used when water is splashed on you or on a wall
• Water regulator solution