The Best Way To Clean The Aquarium

In general, fish are low maintenance pets. They just need adequate food, clean water and oxygen. In this article we show you how to clean your aquarium properly so you can keep it healthy and quiet.

We usually place our fish in a ventilated area of ​​the living room. As part of the home environment and for the health of the fish, it is important to keep the aquarium clean at all times.

The water picks up substances from the environment that settle on the walls, in addition to fish waste, so it is important to clean often. Ready to learn how to keep your fish in a clean and healthy environment? Keep reading.

What do you need to clean the aquarium?

It’s important to have everything ready before you start,  including towels because you’re likely to spill some water out of the tank while cleaning.

Know that  your priority should be to make as little impact as possible on the fish. It is for this reason that the water must be removed little by little. Now, these are the materials we should have on hand to start cleaning:

• 1 empty bucket.
• Clean towels.
• 1 water siphon.
• 1 algae scraper.
• Conditioner for water.

How to clean the aquarium correctly?

We remind you again that we must be very careful not to change the fish too much and do them no harm.

1. Place a clean towel around the aquarium to soak up any spilled water. Put more towels around if one is not enough.
2. Very carefully, remove all the ornaments from the aquarium and clean them with the help of a sponge and hot running water.
3. Be sure to remove any algae debris you may have. Do not use abrasive cleaners, as residues can remain inside the ornament and damage your fish. The chemicals contained in utensil cleaning soaps are toxic to fish.
4. Clean the inside glass of the aquarium using an algae scraper. Make up and down movements slowly. Use the roughest part of the scraper first and then apply it with the smooth surface.
5. Use the net to remove any dirt that accumulates on the surface.
6. Now start removing some of the water with the siphon. Place the smaller end of the siphon inside the aquarium and the widest part inside the empty bucket.
7. Make gentle but quick movements with the siphon inside the aquarium, up and down until the water starts to come out of it. If you have access to one, you can also use a small pump to make the job easier.
8. Place the siphon over the gravel that is dirty so that some of the dirt can be sucked out. Be careful not to vacuum up any stones that could clog the siphon.
9. When you have 15-20% water in the aquarium, remove the siphon. You don’t need to clean all the gravel in the aquarium, just some parts.
10. Reinsert the clean ornaments.
11. Add clean tap water to the aquarium to finish filling it with water conditioner. When pouring clean water,  be careful to do it slowly, in a corner, so as not to disturb the fish.
    

Recommendations for cleaning the aquarium

• Wash the aquarium at least once a week.
• Do not use bleach or soaps of any kind, as this can poison the fish.
• If you notice algae growing in the aquarium, you need to clean it up right away.
• Only use aquarium cleaning utensils for this purpose. Otherwise, it could introduce bacteria that could harm your fish.
• There are some fish known as “cleaner fish” that eat the waste that floats in the water. Before introducing them, make sure they are compatible with the fish that are already in the aquarium.
• Make sure that the new water is at the same temperature as the one in the aquarium, to prevent the fish from suffering thermal shock.

• It’s important to be aware that the more fish in the tank, the faster the water will get dirty.
• If you have plants, be sure to remove them carefully and wash them well.