Cleaning your aquarium isn’t as hard as setting it up. Monitor the pH levels and visible gunk regularly and change your filter cartridge every two to four weeks. Perform a 25 percent water change every two to four weeks as well. You can use algae scrubbers and other tools to keep your aquarium looking spiffy between cleanings and changes.
1To change the water, turn off the heaters, pumps, and filters and remove all the decorations and plants from the tank. Wash everything in warm, clean water and set them aside. Try not to remove your fish too often when cleaning, as it’ll cause them stress and can make them sick. If you must, gently remove your fish with a net and place them in a large glass or bucket with some of the original tank water.
Using a gravel cleaner or homemade siphon and vacuum the gravel until you’ve removed about one-third of the water from the tank. This should give you ample time to clean almost all of the gravel (and anything you don’t get to you’ll be able to clean next time). Always make sure to replace the old water with fresh, pretreated water that’s the same temperature as the old water.
It’s a good idea to keep all your aquarium supplies together. Setting aside your sponges, towels, buckets, nets, and scrubbers will help prevent the introduction of any harmful pollutants into your aquarium.
Fish bowls are a lot like aquariums, but they need to be cleaned much more frequently, especially if they aren’t equipped with a filter. If the fish bowl doesn’t have a water filter, change the water frequently, but only by 10-to-15 percent of it at a time. For small fishbowls, remove the fish and place them in a large glass with enough water from the tank to make them comfortable. Then, follow the above instructions for scrubbing the sides and decorations, making sure to never use soap or detergents.
Algae is bothersome and grows in every aquarium, but you don’t have to wait for your regular aquarium cleanings to get rid of it. Tools such as simple scrubbers or magnetic scrubbers can be used to gently scrub the algae off your tank walls.
Buy a gravel cleaner from your local pet store, or make your own siphon out of a length of plastic tubing and use a water bucket.
To read the full article, click HERE.