How to clean fish tank? Follow step by step guide

How to clean fish tank
Clean fish tank once in 1-2 weeks. (photo/pixabay)

Many people like to have a fish tank at their home; it enhances the house’s beauty and looks great. People like to keep different types of beautiful fish in the fish tank, especially children, like it very much. But people cannot clean the fish tank properly due to their busy lives, which is not good for the fish inside the tank. Not washing the tank regularly can contaminate the water inside, which will affect the survival of the fish. Nowadays, many self-cleaning fish tanks are available in the market, but many people prefer manual cleaning more. Cleaning the fish tank is very important, but many people still do not know the right way to do it. Today in this article, we will see how to clean fish tank properly without harming the fish.

My advice is to wash it regularly, but if it has become too dirty, you can use these methods.

How to clean fish tank

Fish tank cleaning tool

Before cleaning the fish tank, we need some important tools which will make our work very easy.

  • Fish tank brush, sponge or a cloth (to brush inner walls)
  • Algae scraper or magnetic scraper (to remove algae) 
  • Hot water (for cleaning a new fish tank)
  • white vinegar (for cleaning a new fish tank)

Note: Remember not to use household tools you have previously used for other purposes. Otherwise, the residual chemical can harm the fish. My advice would be to have separate tools for cleaning the tank.

1. Clean the fish tank wall

How to clean a new fish tank

Well, this method is for a brand new aquarium, which you bought recently.

Before using the new fish tank, we should clean it in the following way.

First of all, you will need some essential items such as 1-2 buckets of hot water, a cloth or a sponge, and some white vinegar.

Remember not to expose hot water to any chemicals or detergents before this.

Now using warm water and white vinegar, wash the inner and outer walls of the fish tank thoroughly with the help of a cloth or sponge.

After that, fill the water in the tank and leave it for 2-3 hours. If no leakage is found in the tank, you can use that.

Cleaning after using a period of time

How to clean fish tank walls after using a period of time? After using the fish tank for some time, a layer of dirt accumulates on its walls, mostly moss. This layer of dirt is enough to harm the health of the water and the fish.

You can use a fish tank brush or magnetic scraper to clean off moss and dirt. Many people like magnetic scraper more because it is very easy to use. And I will also recommend the same, but you can choose according to your convenience.

Landscapes placed inside a fish tank, such as landscaping stones, sinking woods, and water plants, can also build up layers of algae that don’t come off easily. Take them out and soak them all in 10% bleach for 15 minutes, and then carefully wash them off naturally. Then air dry to remove the bleach. Also, do not forget to clean the lights and the lid.

Choosing a filtration filter is important!

A good filter is essential to keep the fish tank clean. Below I have told in detail about how to clean the filter, but we need to know some things about the filter before that.

Filters are used to maintain the quality of the water inside the tank. Most people buy filters that match the water amount or use the same filter they got when they bought the aquarium. But over time, we keep different types of fish, which changes the indoor environment, and the filtration processing capacity of the filter may be insufficient. That’s why it may have to be changed.

A filtration filter whose processing capacity matches that of the aquarium is a major factor in keeping the water in the aquarium clean.

Choose the spec that suits your aquarium

Before buying any filtration filter, check its size and product content. You must buy the filter according to your aquarium. If the size is small, then it reduces the filtering capacity. And it is also important to check which filter you are buying is suitable for your fish and the aquatic plants.

Sometimes, even with the same filter, different results can come out. It completely depends on the manufacturers. That’s why before buying, compare the products and then buy.

How to choose a good fish tank filter

While buying equipment for the aquarium, we should keep in mind the environment and the health of the creatures inside it.

Most people prefer to buy cheap products to save money. But by doing so, their profit is less, and the loss is more. Inexpensive filters don’t work the way we’d expect, and they tend to wear out very quickly.

That is why while buying, we should always focus on specifications and quality instead of price. It will be difficult to maintain the cleanliness inside the fish tank if you use cheap products without looking at the specification and quality.

Cleaning the tank filter system

Before cleaning the tank filter, we have to understand the principle and structure of the filter. Good filters have four layers. The first layer is filter cotton, the second is biochemical cotton, the third is a glass ring or glass cup (ceramic ring, natural stone, etc.), and the fourth is activated carbon (ammonite, medical stone, etc.).

The first layer is filter cotton which is the messiest. On which we have to focus the most. To protect the nitrifying bacteria system, the installation and tightness of the filter barrel are very complicated. We don’t need to clean the rest of the filters frequently. By doing this, their filtering performance becomes very bad.

Most of the cleaning takes place on the first layer. It filters out the solid residue in the water, which is why it’s the dirtiest. When washing the filter, make sure that the water does not contain chlorine, which will later harm the fish health by mixing in the water of the fish tank.

Be careful not to scrub the filter or wash it too thoroughly. The nitrifying bacteria on the filter cotton will be completely wiped out, which plays the main role of biological filtration.

How to disinfect the fish tank

To disinfect the fish tank, we should use a potassium permanganate solution, also known by the name P.P. Powder. Potassium permanganate is most useful for killing bacteria. First of all, take cold boiled water, add potassium permanganate concentration of 1:2000-1:5000 (that is, 1 gram of potassium permanganate plus 2L~5L of water), and soak it for 5 minutes. Take care not to use hot water. When potassium carbonate solution comes in contact with organic matters, it releases oxygen. After 5 minutes, wash the tank with clean water.

While keeping fish in the fish tank, we have to keep one thing in mind: the internal environment of the tank. Because dirt and moss get accumulated very easily inside the tank. The most important thing is the cleanliness of the fish tank. Many families like to raise fish at home, but they do not pay much attention to the health of the fish, which is not a good thing. The environment inside the fish tank should always be kept clean and hygienic

Under normal circumstances, you should clean the fish tank when there is a lot of dirt; there is no need for frequent disinfection. But remember not to use chemical cleaning agents and other chemical reagents because the alkaline substances, surfactants, and phosphates inside them can cause harm to your fish and aquatic plants. It would be better to use hot water, a sponge, and little vinegar to clean.

Try cleaning every week or once every two weeks

Cleaning a fish tank means removing dust, changing the water, and removing moss, called Aquarium Maintenance in Aqua Garden.
In a normal aquarium, we should clean it once in 1-2 weeks. It will maintain the cleanness of the water.

If the aquarium is less than 25 cm or less than that, then the amount of water inside it is less, due to which the water quality becomes bad. That’s why when you start seeing dust, clean it immediately and change the water. You should do this once in 3-7 days.

If the aquarium is too dirty, clean it as often as possible.

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