How to Clean a Betta Fish Tank: Facts & Simplified Steps

How to Clean a Betta Fish Tank: (Overview)

Betta fish appear to be a really common pet for everyone including young children and adults, as they’re usually used as prizes for carnival and fair games. They need little maintenance with respect to fish tanks. The tank is quite small and still being an exquisite environment for a Betta Fish.

Dealing with a betta fish as a pet should not be a worry. Betta fish simply cared for and extremely resistant fish. This article will guide you on how to clean a betta fish tank properly in no time.

Eliminating estimation from the Aquarium Cleaning Process of fish tank can only help you decide to buy a betta fish as a pet. The extremely low maintenance and are a good initial pet for kids who ought to learn the responsibility of animal possession without hiring a much bigger animal such as a cat or a dog.

The frequency with which you would like to clean the Betta Fish Tank depends on the size of the tank. In small fish tanks, there is an accumulation of waste matter at a faster pace.

That is why there is a need for frequent cleaning and water changes. The water must be changed at least 30-50% every few days while the tank is supposed to be cleaned in once or twice a week.

In large tanks with filters, the cleaning and water changing are not very frequent. It’s a good plan to alter 10-15% of water weekly or two and therefore the tank can last many weeks without complete cleaning.

Also, Check Out Freshwater vs Saltwater Aquariums Myths & Facts.

The thought of completely cleaning Betta fish tanks at first may seem intimidating, but it’s really quite simple. The material required to clean the fish tank is:

• Freshwater
• Containers for fish
• Water
• gravel/decorations
• Soft brush or sponge
• Sink

How Much Water Should be Changed for A Betta Fish Tank Cleaning?

Just like any fish tank, the regular change of water for the Betta fish tank is the simplest way to keep water quality high and Betta healthy. The quantity of water that must be modified depends on several factors: tank size, number of fish, live plants, filter or no filter, etc.

At least one 2.5 to 5-gallon tank is required with a filter for less maintenance. As a general rule, it’s necessary to carry out a weekly water change of 15-20%. If there are live aquatic plants, even less maintenance will be needed.

Buying the nitrate testing kit and also the water test once every week will tell you a lot regarding how usually the water has to be changed. The higher nitrate reading after a fixed time implies that the water within the tank should be changed more frequently.

If there’s no filter within the tank, it’s better to change the water a bit more often, it’s necessary to carry out a 10th water change twice a week. For a tank smaller than 1 gallon, partial water changes should be carried out frequently to keep Betta fish healthy.

How to Clean a Betta Fish Tank: 12 Steps to be Taken

Prepare your Water Ahead of Time

You will need to do some kind of water modification while cleaning Betta fish tank. No matter how much you are changing the water maybe 100%, 20% or 50%, you should have prepared the water before initiating the process of cleaning.

Betta fish cannot survive in unconditional tap water like all other fishes. You must use a water conditioner to neutralize chlorine and other chemicals if you’re using tap water as the tap water might be harmful to your fish.

If you don’t want to use a water conditioner, you can leave the tap water out for 24-48 hours. By this, the chemicals will evaporate naturally.

Regardless of the type of water you are using, we recommend bringing it as close as possible to the temperature of the tank, leaving it to stand for a few hours so that it can reach room temperature or using a heater.

Remove the Betta Fish from the Tank

Before cleaning, you’ll need to take out your Betta fish from the tank and place it in a quiet and safe place.

Fill a bowl or cup with water from the tank and use a small net or sterile container to softly collect the fish from its tank. Place your betta fish in the water from the tank which you have set aside.

It will have a place to swim whereas you clean its living space. Always make sure you place a lid over that container because Betta fish are fantastic jumpers and can jump out of it.

Remove the Decorations

After the second step, start removing all the decorations, plants, accessories and hiding places out from the aquarium. Removing these will make it easier to clean the rest of the tank and many of these items will need to be cleaned by themselves.

Put all the stuff in a large container or a bowl. This will help you to keep everything together and will make cleaning easier.

Remove the Water from the Tank to Avoid Wasting

Using a cup or bowl, collect a part of the water from the tank and set it aside. If you’re making a 10th water modification, put aside 90th of the water within the tank. You’ll add it again once the cleaning is finished.

It may be extremely unfit or even dangerous for your Betta fish to form an entire water modification; therefore you must always keep some original water from the tank to add.

The water in the tank has accumulated beneficial bacteria over time and is the environment to which Betta is accustomed. A sudden and drastic change in that environment could put him in shock.

Filter Maintenance.

Just rinse the filter (foams, ceramic rings …) in the water from the previous aquarium from the previous step. At times, if the foam pads are too old, you need to change them.

On the other hand, the ceramic rings can be used again for many years. If carbonic fluids are used in the filter, it is necessary to replace it once a month to ensure the efficiency of chemical filtration.

Pour the Remaining Water

Once you have collected the water you are about to save, the rest can be downloaded. Slowly pour in the water, ensuring that the gravel doesn’t fall.

Over a sieve or a filter, you can conjointly pour water in order to capture everything that falls while discharging it. Finally, transfer the gravel into the bowl which contains the tank decorations.

Clean Decorations

On the decorations and accessories of your tank, run hot water over it. Use a soft mop or brush to remove dirt and dirt from the surface.

Do not use soap or anything on decorations of the tank. Even if you rinse it well, soap residues can remain and damage the fish.

Once the decorations have been rinsed off, set them aside on a clean paper towel.

Clean Gravel

Many rubbish accumulates within the gravel in your Betta tank, thus this area might be the dirtiest part of your fish tank.

Over the gravels, run hot water and gradually rub your hands through it. This will help in dissolving the slime and dirt. Once giving a good rinse to the gravel, drain the dirty water from the bowl. Now place the gravel in a sieve or filter in such a manner that the water drains out while rinsing it. Repeat as many times as necessary until the gravel is totally clean.

Clean and Wipe the Tank

The next step is to wash the tank itself. Place the tank in the sink and add hot water. Rub the lowest part and the walls of the tank with a soft brush. This will remove all the accumulated dirt, algae and slime. Don’t use any soap in the Betta tank. After washing everything, drain the water and give the tank a final rinse.

Put Gravel and Decorations Back into the Tank

Now that you’ve cleaned the tank, the gravel and the decorations, you’re ready to put everything back together.

Start with pouring gravels at the bottom of the aquarium. Arrange these gravels nicely and distribute them evenly. After this, decorate and arrange the decorations and accessories as you wish.

Fill the Tank with New Water

Slowly pour the previous water from the tank so as not to disturb the gravel and decorations. Now fill the rest of the freshwater you prepared earlier in the tank.

Mix everything to combine the water. Replace any decorations that might have fallen. Also, check the temperature and pH of the water to make sure it’s prepared for your fish. You want the pH and temperature to be on the point of what your fish is used to.

Bring Your Betta Fish Back

Now that you have everything cleaned and put back in their place, it’s time to reintroduce your Betta fish at home. To carry out this, take the container in which your betta is located and place it back into the tank. Slowly tilt the container until Betta is able to swim on its own. Be careful when you do it so that it does not damage the fins. Your Betta fish should happily swim around its freshly cleaned tank.

Betta Fish Tank Cleaning: Why is Necessary?

You may think you don’t need to clean your aquarium because the water looks crystal clear. While this is usually a good sign, what you cannot see is that the number of bacteria in your tank. Therefore even if it appears to be clean, it may be a toxic environment for your betta. Here are a number of main reasons to clean the tank timely.

To Keep Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates Low:

If you are not sure what the nitrogen cycle is, here’s an easy guide.

The biological waste within the tank is broken down to form ammonia by bacteria. Ammonia is highly toxic and if it is not removed from the tank, it’ll poison your betta fish. If this ammonia is not removed, the bacteria will further break it down to form nitrite.

This nitrite is again extremely toxic for your betta fish. And finally, the nitrite breaks down into nitrate. But nitrate is dangerous at high levels and safe at low levels. And it’s usually found at low levels in an exceedingly healthy fish tank.

However, it usually happens that even the bacteria in your fish tank cannot fully remove ammonia and nitrite from your fish tank. This is why there is a need for frequent water changes during tank cleaning. With the previous water filled with ammonia that’s removed, you’ll be able to add clean water without ammonia.

To Replace Minerals and Nutrients:

Your betta requires many minerals and nutrients which are present in the water itself. Unless you perform a water modification when cleaning the tank, all those minerals are going to be consumed. Fill the number of minerals in the tank and help keep your betta healthy.

To Remove Waste:

The foremost important reason to clean your fish tank is to get rid of any kind of waste. Mostly all the fish waste and debris settles in the bottom of the tank. While your filter does an honest job of sucking it in, it cannot understand it.

That is why it is vital to clean the tank frequently and suck up the substrate. It’ll permit you to get rid of most of the organic waste from your tank, along with any detritus and previous foods that might have fallen.

How Often to Clean Betta Fish Tank?

There’s no definitive answer for how often you ought to clean your fish tank for a betta. Everything depends on your tank configuration such as what is the size of your fish tank, how efficient your filter is if you’re housing your betta with other fish, etc.

However, the reality is that you should not do a whole cleanup so often. You must always focus on a lot on how often you need to change the water and vacuum the gravel.

The smaller the tank, the more often it has to be cleaned. An even bigger tank will not have to do it more often. Always remember not to place your betta in a tank less than 5 gallons.

You may not realize it, however, any fish tank below five gallons isn’t appropriate for a betta or any fish. Here is all you need to understand regarding the perfect size tank for your betta.

Complete Outline on How to Clean a Betta Fish Tank:

After going through this article, you should know how to clean a betta fish tank. The points given below are some of the important points of this article and you must go through it ones.

• Before cleaning the betta fish tank, ensure you wash your hands and wear gloves. This minimizes the chance of transmission of bacteria to one’s tank and vice versa.
• While cleaning the tank, make sure you switch everything off. Ensure you move all the electrical elements that can’t be immersed in the tank.
• Take away the algae from everything and then suck it from the substrate while cleaning the tank. This can save you time.
• Sometimes it is necessary to use bleach your decorations. During this case, use 5-hitter bleach and 95th water.
• Avoid cleaning the filter and tank at the same time. Otherwise, you may destroy all the useful bacteria within the tank.
• Timely cleaning the tank will keep the nitrate and ammonia nitrate levels low. Replace the minerals by changing the water and remove any excess waste.
• It is not necessary to thoroughly clean the tank very often, but it is necessary to carry out a weekly / bi-weekly water change, depending on the size of the tank.