To clean an aquarium, it is not necessary to remove the fish that are inside it. Many people think that the correct thing is to remove the fish with a net and remove them from the tank to clean it. But it is not necessary; the fish can stay inside the fish tank.
Necessary elements for the cleaning of the aquarium:
- – A siphon and gravel vacuum device (Helps remove gravel without emptying the tank)
- – A clean bucket or large container
- – An algae scraper
How to clean an empty fish tank?
First, you have to prepare the new water that you will put in the tank, to be able to replace it with the one you already have in your tank, which is dirty and unpleasant to the eye.
You have to prepare between 10 and 20 percent of new water, by the total volume of the aquarium. If you have saltwater fish, you will have to prepare the right proportion of salt and water, no matter what type of marine life you have in the fish tank, the proportion will always be the same.
The new water that you are going to put in the tank has to have the same temperature as the old water. The water that is going to put new, you have to let it rest for 48 hours or add a solution, to avoid creating an undue tension in the fish, since the new water that is going to put off the tap, contains many minerals.
Cleaning the aquarium
Use a clean container, not one you just used to scrub the floor, as there is a risk that the container contains chemicals such as soaps or other cleaning products, and these products could kill the fish.
For the same reason, you have to make sure that your hands do not contain any soap or lotion residue.
Before starting the cleaning process, do not forget to turn off and unplug the filters and other electrical components of the tank.
1. RUB THE SIDES OF THE TANK
It is important to keep in mind that any cleaning solution that is used inside or outside the fish tank could be harmful to fish and other inhabitants.
For this reason, we advise not to use a cleaning solution; it will save you time and effort. It is best to clean the floors of the glass inside the tank with an algae scraper, which can be found in a pet store or an aquarium store.
If you can not find the scraper in any store, you can try a razor blade. To scrub the outside of the tank, including the lid, the base, and the light, you can use a cloth or a sponge, wet only with water, or buy a special solution to clean the exteriors of the aquariums.
2. REMOVE A PART OF WATER FROM THE FISH TANK WITH THE SIPHON
It is necessary to leave a sufficient amount of water in the tank so that the fish feel comfortable during cleaning. Fish need water to breathe, so we have to leave a quantity of water inside, we have to make sure they notice as little as possible the change of water so as not to disturb them.
The fish are very sensitive to their environment and need a lot of care to maintain their balance. The amount of water that has to be extracted from the tank is 20 percent of the volume of the tank. You have to remove that amount or less, but never more.
Each fish tank has a different type of siphon, depending on how it is, the water will be extracted in one way or another. Follow the instructions that come with your siphon to achieve the best results.
If you are not sure, call the manufacturer. With the siphon, we will extract the water from the tank that we want to change, and we will put it in a container or directly to the sink.
When sucking the water from the tank, take special care with the stones and fish inside the tank. It is important not to suck any fish or stone.
3. CLEAN THE SAND OR GRAVEL FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK
Clean the aquarium gravel. It is important to clean food and debris, the material that has at the bottom of the tank. Instead of removing or replacing everything you have in the bottom of the tank, just place the gravel vacuum, using the siphon to vacuum any material that should not be there.
4. CLEAN PLANTS, BOATS, CHESTS OR OTHER DECORATION INSIDE THE FISH TANK
In most cases, these elements can be cleaned using the algae scrubber, but if they are too dirty and with the algae scrubber there is not enough, you have to remove them and wash them in the sink.
Do not use soap or cleansers; these can harm fish and kill them. Let them air dry before putting them back in the tank.
5. ADD THE NEW WATER
Once you have the entire tank clean, you can add the new water you have prepared. You have to pour it very carefully. You can also enter the new water with the use of the siphon.
Finally, connect the heater, lights and other objects in the tank.
6. WASH THE FISH TANK FILTER
If you have a filter in the fish tank, you may not want to clean it at the same time you clean the fish tank. Doing the cleaning of both things at the same time, could be a too abrupt change for the fish and damage their environment.
The best you can do is follow the instructions in the instruction manual to clean the filter.
7. KEEP YOUR FISH TANK CLEAN
To see the fish through the glass, it is advisable to wash the fish tank once a week. You can also prevent seaweed from accumulating in the fish tank, by putting a class of fish that eat the algae and clean the water, like the sucker fish. Of course, this will depend on the environment of your aquarium and the amount of fish that already live in it. For specific advice of your aquarium.
