How to clean a fish tank

This article would help new fish hobbyists on how to properly change the water in the fish tank.

By Maria Coolester, Vet   Talk to the Author.

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How to clean a fish tank

You have set up your fish tank and the fish are happy but now the time has come for you to clean your fish tank. Tank maintenance is very important to ensure a healthy environment for your fish. A common misconception that people have when cleaning their fish tank is to remove the fish, empty all the water and change the gravel. Not only is that a myth but it is rather unsafe for your fish. Removing the fish from their environment adds a stress to the fish that they simply do not need. Removing the water and adding a new tank full of water is also harming the fish because now they have to get used to a whole new environment. Removing the gravel from the tank and replacing it with new gravel is extremely unsafe for your fish. Within the gravel resides a bacteria that enables fish waste to be converted into a safe usable bacteria for your fish. By removing the gravel you are destroying the bacteria that allows this process to happen and in other words poisoning your fish. Every three or four weeks, depending on the tank size and the amount of fish that you have, you may need to perform a twenty percent water change. If your tank is overcrowded with fish you may need to do this every other week. It is not necessary as mentioned above to break down the entire tank. Now that you know those basic rules of thumb you are almost ready to clean the tank, but you need some basic items first. You will need:

2 buckets (they both need to be the large, like a five-gallon size)

A gravel siphon (You would find this at a pet store) This is a piece of tubing that has a cylindrical end that is used to vacuum the gravel. There are many different makes and models, it doesn't have to be complicated but make sure you get one large enough to handle your tank size. Water conditioner (This is also purchased at the pet store, the important thing is to get something that acts as a dechlorinator.) Algae pad (also purchase at the pet store). Make sure you know what type of tank you have: glass or acrylic. This is important because the wrong algae pad can scratch your tank.

Now that you have the materials needed, we are ready to start. The first thing you need to do is figure out how much is twenty percent. You need to take the number of gallons of your tank and divide it by five. For example if you have a 25 gallon tank to do a twenty percent water change you need to remove five gallons. The easiest way to measure the amount of water you take out of the tank is with your five gallon bucket. For example if you need to take out ten gallons of water you would have two buckets full.

To take out the water, use the gravel siphon. The gravel siphon works on the basis of gravity. You need to follow the specific instructions included with the gravel siphon but in short you will be vacuuming up water with this siphon, so it is important to have an empty bucket in which you can dispose of the old water and debris from the tank.

After you have removed the specific amount of water for your tank, you need to fill up a bucket of fresh water. In this fresh water you need to add the water conditioner. It is important to follow the directions on the back of the bottle for this step because all water conditioners tend to be a tad different. It is not necessary to leave the water to sit overnight if you have a tank with filtration and if you add the water conditioner. If you are changing water to your fish bowl you may as a safe precaution leave the water to sit overnight but the water conditioner with the dechlorinator is the most important part. Once you have added the water conditioner you are now ready to add the new water. It is important in a tropical fish tank to do this slowly by cupful. The heater in the tank needs time to adjust and make the water the right temperature and it cannot do this if you add all the water by the bucketful. You need to put as much water in as you took out, so if you took out ten gallons you need to add ten gallons. You don't need to remove the fish unless you really want to but it tends to stress the fish.

Once you have added the water, everything should be back to normal. There is no need to change the carbon in your filter each time you do a water change. You should only be changing the carbon in your filter every couple of months.

The last step is to scrub the tank and also any decorations with the algae pad, removing any algae that has started to grow on the tank. You will have more algae if your tank is in direct sunlight or faces a window, or if you leave your tank light on too much.

After you do this water change, you may notice that your water is cloudy. Don't be overly concerned, this is normal and a couple of days with your filter running should clear this up. However if it does not you should have your fish tank water tested, many pet stores provide this service free of charge and it can help prevent problems before they start.

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