5 Simple Tips to Clean Your Fish Tank - Hurricane Valley Times

Posted: 17 Jun 2021 10:38 AM PDT

Did you ever imagine putting your fishes in a dirty and algae-coated tank? A fish tank is certainly a beautiful piece that is known as a healthy home for swimming friends. Hence you would never want it to get grimy or dirty. Fish tank cleaning may not be a pleasing chore but you would need to remember the fact that it is home to your pets. Hence it is important to keep it clean. The core reason to get your fish tank cleaner is the health concern of your fish. A dirty tank can attract various bacteria and fungus which could be a threat to your fish. The overall dirt can disbalance the pH level of the water which can affect the overall health of your fish.

The second reason to get your fish tank is the functioning of supporting equipment. If your fish tank has accumulated a lot of dirt then it can clog the pump and filter fitted in it. As a result, this equipment may stop working and end up disturbing the overall environment of your tank. The third reason to maintain the cleaner fish tank is the clear view. A fish tank coated with dirty water and murky walls would make it difficult to get a clear view of the fish and plants situated in the tank. Apart from this, a dirty tank can also give out an unpleasant and foul smell. Hence it is important to keep the tank clean. If you are finding it difficult to clean the tank then here are few tips that would help you to make the process easy.

Check the quality of a water

The first step that you would need to take while cleaning the fish tank is to check the quality of the water. If you have a new setup of an aquarium then you would need to test its quality. The water should contain 0 ppm of ammonia, less than 40 ppm, and 0 ppm of nitrites as these compounds can be dangerous for the fish. If you are recycling the water regularly then it is important to maintain the nitrate level below 40ppm. You can measure the nitrate level with the help of a water test kit which can be easily available at the online pet store to analyze the amount of water that should be removed.

Algae removal

Most of the time the tanks get dirty due to the accumulation of algae on the surface of the tank glasses. Hence it is important to scrape off the algae to get the cleaner tank. You can use the algae scraper for this. But make sure not to catch any substrate under the scraper or else it can scratch the glass. It is easy to wash off the algae accumulated on the tank lid. Make sure not to use any soap as it can harm the fish. You can also use the toothbrush to scrub off the algae accumulated on rocks, plants, and another aquarium décor.

Pruning the plants

Many of us like to put the live plants in the aquarium. It is important to remove the dead leaves and trim down the overgrown foliage. If your tank has floating stem plants then you can propagate it by chopping the few inches from the top and replace it with the substrate.

Vacuum the Substrate

Once done with the plants now you can start removing the water from the tank. Here first you would need to switch off all the equipment in the tank as it can get damaged if run without water. You can move all the decorations situated in the plant since it collects a lot of debris underneath it. Here Siphon helps to remove the fish waste, dead leaves, and excess nitrate from it. Siphons are known as one of the most important tools used to change the water from the tank without any additional help.

Cleaning the filter

Changing the water and algae cleansing should be the weekly routine but when it comes to its filter you can clean it at least once a month. Generally, filters collect a lot of trash from the tank. Hence it is important to clean it properly for its smooth function. If your tank has a sponge filter then make sure to wring the foam port multiple times under tap water or in a bucket of water.

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