I have many years of experience in keeping fish in aquariums. From my personal experience, I can say that fish waste, debris, and uneaten food particles accumulate in tanks, which creates poor water quality, stresses the fish, causes illness, and even leads to the death of fish and other aquatic animals.
How to clean aquarium. It is very important to know this as an aquarium keeper because regular cleaning and maintenance removes harmful substances, maintains water parameters, and creates a healthy and thriving environment for your pets.
How to clean aquarium
Here is a detailed step-by-step discussion of how I clean my personal tank. Newbies will get a lot of help cleaning their tanks, and veterans will learn a lot.
Step 1: Determine the appropriate time to clean the tank
Some say you need to clean the tank once a week, while others say you need to clean it once a month. In fact, from my personal experience, it depends entirely on the size of the tank, how many fish are in the tank, and how much filtration (i.e., nitrates and nitrites, fish waste, and decomposing food by-products, live plants) is present.
The most obvious signs are when the tank is high in nitrates and nitrites, fish waste, and decomposing leftover food by-products, and the water pH is not right. However, you can create a schedule like mine to clean the tank regularly; then, your tank will get rid of pollution easily.
Step 2: Prepare the necessary equipment to clean the tank
- Gravel vacuum or siphon
- Water Test Kits (pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate)
- Toothbrushes for cleaning pulp, large pebbles, and algae
- Scissors for pruning plants
- Towel to wipe up water splashes
- Algae scraper or magnet cleaner
- Bucket for holding tank water
- Thermometer
- Glass cleaner
- Filter media replacement (if needed)
Step 3: Turn off all equipment
I turn off and unplug all equipment in my aquarium, including heaters, filters, and lights, 15-20 minutes before I start cleaning the tank. This prevents any accidents or damage to the equipment during cleaning and makes it easier to clean.
Step 4: Change the water
Remove about 15-20% of the fish tank water using a gravel vacuum or siphon. If nitrates are too high, remove 25-30% into a clean bucket. As with everything in moving water, you have to be careful and slow. From my experience, there is no need to remove the fish from the tank during the cleaning process. In fact, it’s best to leave them because moving them will stress them at best and even hurt them at worst. I gently and carefully clean around them.
Step 5: Clean the glass inside the aquarium
The easiest way to clean the inner glass of a fish tank is to purchase a fish tank cleaning brush. I first dip the fish tank cleaning brush in and gently clean all four sides of the glass and the bottom of the tank. It removes the toughest algae without straining. This is definitely the best way to clean fish tank glass.
There are scrapers, power scrubbers, and a variety of other expensive gadgets that can be used to thoroughly clean the glass inside the aquarium. If these gadgets are to be used, they should be used in accordance with the instructions inside the product package.
Many aquarists use magnets to make easy work of algae. One magnet is placed inside the tank and the other outside. Dragging the magnet over the glass effectively scrubs away the algae.
It is important to be careful with these magnets because a single piece of gravel between the magnets can scratch the glass inside the aquarium.
Step 6: Remove decomposing waste
To remove decomposing waste, push down the gravel vacuum tube and carefully clean the gravel of fish droppings, uneaten food particles, and leaf litter. Repeat this until the bottom of the tank is clean. When removing waste, do so carefully so as not to harm the fish.
Step 7: Clean the aquarium filter systems
I have used three types of filters for freshwater in my aquarium fish-keeping experience:
- Gravel filter
- Hanging filter
- Canister filter
The method of cleaning them is different.
Gravel Filters
Gravel bottom filters are the hardest to clean, although they need to be cleaned often. You need an aquarium vacuum to clean an under-gravel filter. You can clean it using a vacuum once a week. To thoroughly clean an under-gravel filter, remove it from the tank and clean it thoroughly with an aquarium vacuum. This is usually done when a catastrophic event occurs that kills most or all of the fish in the tank.
Hanging Filter (or Back Hanging – HOB)
This filter is much easier to clean thoroughly. Once every few weeks, remove your filter cartridge and wash it in sterile cold water. The filter cartridge must be changed every three months because the filter media will clog, even with periodic rinses. You must also wipe the intake column when you change the cartridge.
If the tube is too long, you can tear off a small piece of sponge and force it down the tube. Use a pencil to push it to the other side. This will remove algae growth and give the intake a crystal-clear look.
Canister Filter
You can easily remove the entire unit from the tank and move it to a utility room before emptying it. There will be plenty of foam around the foam insert that protects the motor housing. It will wash off quite easily. The inside of the canister should not be washed! This is where the biological filter media is stored and where the bacterial colonies live.
If you clean it, you will kill the bacteria. Wipe the outside of the canister and the protective foam block only.
Step 8: Clean the aquarium decor and large rocks
Aquarium decor does not need to be cleaned every time the water is changed, only when it starts to build up algae and look bad.
My aquarium cleaner of choice is a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar. It is completely non-toxic and will not stain clothes. Remove the decor and large rocks from the aquarium and soak them in the vinegar solution in a bucket for 20-30 minutes. Then, scrub them with a new toothbrush or clean, wet cloth. After that, rinse with clean water and return them to the aquarium.
If it’s hard algae, I use bleach but never bleach inside the aquarium. I use bleach by taking out rocks or decorations and putting them in a bucket. Soak the decor in a bleach solution of 1 part bleach to 20 parts water for 10-15 minutes.
If the item is small or hard to reach, scrub it well with a clean, new toothbrush to remove any dirt or algae after removing it from the bleach. Rinse thoroughly with clean water, and dry it well before returning it to the aquarium.
Step 9: Clean tank plants
Live plants are a completely different story. Cleaning live plants requires the utmost care. Remove the plants from the tank. Use a pair of clean scissors to trim off the unwanted parts of the plants (these scissors are only used for my tank plants) and wipe the algae off the plants with a damp paper towel.
Gently scrub the algae off the plant leaves so as not to damage them in any way. Again, this is very delicate work, and some of your plants may be damaged. Remove affected leaves before returning the plant to the tank.
To clean plastic plants, remove them from the tank, put them in a bucket, wipe them with a mixture of 1 part alcohol to 3 parts water, and clean them before drying them well and returning them to the aquarium.
Step 10: Return the removed tank items
Once the tank and all items are cleaned, I reassemble all the aquarium equipment, including the heater, filter, and lights from my old fish tank, and place them in the tank.
Step 11: Refill the aquarium water
Refill the aquarium with fresh water around the same temperature as the old tank water, using a thermometer to check the temperature and adjust it as needed. Use test kits to check the water for pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels.
Step 12: Restart the equipment
Place all aquarium equipment, including the heater, filter, and lights, in the tank, reconnect them, and restart all equipment. Within an hour, the debris will settle or be sucked up by the filter.
Step 13: Clean the outside of your aquarium
Now that the inside of the aquarium is nice and clean, wipe the exterior and bottom of the tank with a clean, thin towel dampened with lukewarm water to clean the water stains on the outside walls of the tank, and your aquarium lid and stand. Now you have a truly Instagram-worthy aquarium ready to show off to your friends and family.
