How To Clean An Aquarium Properly
Fish are generally very easy to care for pets, because they usually only need small amounts of food, clean water and oxygen. In this article, we’ll show you how to properly clean an aquarium and keep your fish healthy and happy.
It is usually best to set up an aquarium in a well-ventilated location. Dust likes to settle on the room walls. Because of this, it can happen that the water in the aquarium gets dirty faster if it is very close to walls. In addition, the fish naturally cause deteriorated water quality over time with their own little dirt. No matter where an aquarium is set up: it must be clean!
Would you like to know how to keep your fish’s habitat clean? Then read on now.
What do you need for cleaning?
We recommend that you prepare all the things that will be needed for cleaning in advance. Towels in particular should be available in generous quantities, because the water can quickly overflow during cleaning.
Remember: It is best for your fish if you remove the water from the aquarium very carefully and gradually. This is how you minimize the stress for your fish.
You should prepare the following things for cleaning:
- 1 empty bucket
- 1 landing net
- clean towels
- 1 vacuum cleaner
- 1 window cleaner for aquariums
- Water purifier
How to clean an aquarium properly – how does it work?
As I said, we ask you to be extremely careful when cleaning so as not to unnecessarily disturb your fish.
- Before starting, spread a towel around the aquarium. Several towels may be necessary.
- In the beginning, remove all decorations from the aquarium. Clean the decor with a sponge under warm running water.
- Take extra care to remove any algae from the decorations. Abrasive detergents can leave residues that can harm your fish and should therefore be avoided. Dishwashing detergent is also not suitable for cleaning as it is toxic to fish.
- Clean the inner walls of the aquarium with the help of a window cleaner by slowly moving it up and down. Use the rough surface first and then the soft surface.
- Next, use a net to remove coarse debris from the surface of the water. Then you remove some of the water with the sludge vacuum. To do this, put the suction end in the aquarium water and the end of the hose in the empty bucket.
- Swivel the aspirator around in the water in small, brisk movements until the water begins to run through the hose. The application may vary depending on the model. If in doubt, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Slowly slide the vacuum cleaner across the floor to remove debris. Make sure that no stones get into the vacuum cleaner.
- Remove the vacuum cleaner as soon as you have removed 15-20% of the water. It is not necessary to clean the entire bottom of the aquarium at once.
- Next, put the cleaned decorations back in the aquarium.
- Fill the aquarium particularly slowly with a mixture of tap water and water conditioner. When using the water conditioner, please follow the manufacturer’s instructions. To protect your fish, it is advisable to fill in via a corner of the aquarium.
More tips for cleaning the aquarium
- Clean your aquarium at least once a week.
- Don’t use bleach or soap. Aggressive detergents can poison your fish.
- If algae settle on your fish, they should be removed immediately.
- Use the cleaning utensils in your aquarium only for cleaning your aquarium. If you use it for other purposes, you can contaminate your aquarium with foreign bacteria.
- So-called cleaner fish can eat small amounts of dirt in the water. Before you buy, find out exactly whether these types of fish are suitable for your aquarium and your other fish.
- Make sure that the top-up water has the same temperature as your aquarium water. This will avoid a temperature shock for your fish.
- It should also be noted that the number of fish in an aquarium has a major impact on how quickly the water pollutes.
- Plants should also be removed from the aquarium and cleaned if necessary.
