Learn How to Clean Fish Tank and Change Water in Aquarium

Whenever I ask any pet owner why don’t they try petting fish, the answer that I hear the most is they don’t know how to clean aquarium. It is considered as one of the major reason why most people avoid keeping aquariums. But many people don’t know that if they have the right tools and knowledge to use them effectively then cleaning fish tank is just a piece of cake.

The market of aquariums has been keeping up with the technology and is constantly offering many types of equipment that are very helpful when it comes to changing water in fish tanks and other cleaning processes. There are various tools to make use of in order to make the process of aquarium maintenance easier and more ever enjoyable with ease.

There are mainly four important types of equipment that an aquarist will need for the cleaning process. They are

1. A big Bucket or a storage container that is only meant for changing water in fish tanks.

2. An algae remover which is based on magnetic induction for removing the algae builds up.

3. For making the water safe to inhibit the fish we should use a dechlorinator preferably water cleaner.

4. An aquarist will need cleaning gravel for an aquarium to clean the stones/gravels along with some water.

These above-mentioned items can be bought from local pet stores. If they are not available in your pet stores then you can also buy them online on any e-commerce sites. Keep reading the post as we also let you know about the best fish tank cleaning kits.

The first and foremost thing to start changing water in fish tanks is by removing the algae build-up. The algae usually build up on the surface of the glass, in order to clean these algae, you will need a magnetic algae remover tool.

This tool can easily remove algae from aquarium that is building up from the past week in a few minutes depending upon the size of your tank. This algae magnet cleaner is equipped with two magnets one which goes into the water and the other which is used to control the inner magnet.

The inner magnet comes attached with a scrub that removes all the algae from the glass of the tank and the other one provides support for the first one without the risk of wetting the hands of yours. Make sure with which type of glass your aquarium is made up of.

In order to avoid confusion, you can go with the algae cleaner by flipper company that specifies it can be used with any type of aquarium be it glass or acrylic without the risk of getting unwanted scratches that spoils the look of your aquarium.

After cleaning fish tank with the algae remover most the algae that are now separated from the glass now floats at the top of the water and some sinks down. The floating algae can be removed by using a net and the algae that have sunk down can be cleaned by following the next steps mentioned in the article.

As soon as you complete the process of cleaning a fish tank by removing algae from the aquarium glass now it comes to cleaning the bottom of the tank which contains the algae fallen after scrubbing using an algae magnet cleaner and fish feces.  In order to clean the bottom of your tank, you will need a siphon.

The siphon works on the principle of buoyancy and air pressure. One end of the siphon is placed into the bucket or a large container and the other end is placed inside the aquarium. If a user has sunk very near to the tank then he can remove the bucket from the list and directly place the other end of the tube into the sink.

A siphon is pushed and make to stick on the bottom of the tank which as substrate. The siphon pulls the water up and an aquarist should try pulling all the dirt with the siphon make sure you remove most of the waste that is build up from a long time. 

Also, Check Out African Cichlid Care Guide.

Importance of Cleaning a Fish Tank Using a Siphon

It is important that you take out almost all of the dirt and debris because if you leave any waste this leads to the buildup of toxic chemicals like nitrides into the aquarium which in turn harms the fish. Once in a while, it is also recommended that you clean the decorations present in your tank with the same siphoning process that we discussed above.

There are also good bacteria present in your tank that helps your fish to survive so we recommend that you should never use any kind of disinfectant or chlorinated water that is known to kill the good helpful bacteria, this bacteria helps in maintaining and balancing the aquarium ecosystem. It is advised that you should not siphon more than 25% of old water every week.

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After you have removed old water for up to 25% then it comes to the task of filling back the aquarium with new fresh and dechlorinated water. An aquarist is advised to use the same bucket that he used to siphon the water.

If the bucket or container is being used for any other purpose rather than fish tank cleaning – like cleaning the bathroom then there is a high chance that there are leftover chemicals that will harm your fish and disturb the aquarium ecosystem.

Before refilling the tank you should remove the most harmful substance from it which is the chlorine. This chlorine can be removed easily from the water by using an aquarium dechlorinator. This dechlorinator is a liquid-based product which when mixed with water neutralizes and removes chlorine from it.

If chlorine is not removed from the water before adding it to the aquarium then it kills all the good bacteria from the aquarium which unbalances the aquarium and harms the fish and if the fish is exposed to chlorine then harms the fish mucus membrane, hence making the fishes vulnerable to diseases.

If you want to have more than a dechlorinator then you can go for the all-rounder that is the water conditioner. The water conditioner not only removes the chlorine from the water but also reduces the presence of harmful chemicals like nitrates and ammonia. The water conditioner also protects the skin of the fish and also provides resistance to shocks for the fishes that happen due to water changes.

Cleaning a filter is one of the most crucial parts of the fish tank cleaning. It totally depends on the type of aquarium filter you have which cleaning process to take like washing or completely replacing the filter pads.

An aquarist should also know how to clean tank filter of any debris or algae buildup that has taken up the place. A filter must be cleaned every time you change the water in your aquarium as it has a major role in the smooth functioning of your aquarium tank.

There are different types of filters available in the market ranging from power filters to aeration based sponge filters. It is easier to clean the power filter as they require only dissembling and washing or just change the filter pads it is advised that you use old water from a tank that you kept in the bucket to clean the filters.

This makes the good bacteria stay alive without dying. While in case you use the sponge based filters then it requires you to clean the sponge and other dirt and feces attached to it. Use the old water from the tank to clean the sponge based filter.

Fish tank water change is one of the most important aspects of fish keeping. It promotes the growth of fish and also keeps them healthy and happy. Changing water is the most crucial part of the aquarium maintenance and cannot be avoided at any cost. Even if you have the best filtration system you should change the water in your tank regularly.

There are the following advantages of the fish tank cleaning –

Changing Water in Fish Tanks Removes the Presence of Harmful Chemicals From the Water

The best form of cleaning a fish tank is the biological filtration. It effectively reduces the number of nitrides and ammonia in the tank that would be otherwise harmful to the fishes. This type of filtration promotes the effective conversion of the nitrite chemical to a comparatively less dangerous nitrate.

But if the levels of nitrates in aquarium increase then it leads to increased stress in the fishes which in turn increases the risk of weakening their immune system. If the immune system is weakened then this leads to the fish getting sick with diseases and parasites that are in the aquarium water.

In natural conditions, the nitrates are used up by the plants. Nitrate is said to be an important factor that affects the optimum growth of aquatic plants. Nitrates are also responsible for the growth of algae in the fish tank.

If there is too much algae growth in your aquarium then you can know that there is an excess of nitrates and you need to do something about it. If your aquarium doesn’t have a lot of plants then cleaning fish tank regularly becomes necessary for you.

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Removing the Unwanted Compounds in Aquarium Water and to Facilitate Crystal Clear Fish Tank Cleaning

There are many compounds that get dissolved in water like phosphates. The phosphates are known to affect proper passing or transmitting of light which leads to plants getting discolored and lowered growth.

If excess phosphates are present in your tank then as in the case of nitrates this also leads to the growth of algae in the fish tank. This chemical in your tank does not pose a hazard to your fish immediately but is a grave threat to your aquarium fish in the long run. This excess of phosphates also blocks the viewing of fishes and promotes the algae bloom.

In extreme cases, excess of phosphates misbalances the pH of the water and gives rise to excess formation of nitrates in an aquarium. It may make your aquarium water acidic and be a danger to your fishes. It becomes very important to regulate PH value that is good for the aquarium fishes. This problem can be easily resolved by the changing water in fish tanks frequently.

Changing Water in Fish Tanks Allows the Important Elements to Get Back into the Aquarium Water

For the proper functioning and healthy functioning of all the body parts of the fishes, it is necessary that the water contains all the important minerals, nutrients, and vitamins. The fishes take these elements mostly from the food they consume and a minor part of it also comes from the nutrients in the water.

If the water is not changed regularly then it leads to the deficiency of certain nutrients in the fishes. Many of the fishes in aquarium tanks live their full life with many types of deficiencies but this hinders their growth and colors of their body.

In the case of marine or saltwater aquariums, the minerals and other trace elements are very important in the growth of plants and fishes. Hence regular fish tank water change in a system leads to better water quality with a good amount of minerals.

The old water is replaced by nutrient-rich freshwater that helps in returning the lost nutrients back to the water. Doing partial water changes up to 25% per week is very important it makes the fishes stress free and healthy for aquarium fishes. Quick Read: Java Moss: An Ultimate Guide

How Often to Change Water in Fish Tank?

For a new tank, 10% fish tank water change is recommended every week so that fishes get accustomed to it. After few weeks increase the amount of water to be changed gradually to 15-20%, if your tank and fishes seem to be healthy then keep on increasing the amount of water you change until it reaches 25% mark. after this maintain this cycle.

For Further Reading: Check Out Silver Arowana Fish Care Guide.