How to Clean an Aquarium
Cleaning the aquarium is something you have to do so that your fish will be able to live. There are three ways to do this and you should do it daily, weekly and on a monthly basis.
For daily aquarium cleaning, all you have to do is inspect the tank to see if there is any dead fish and monitor the temperature.
Should there be a dead fish, scoop it out immediately as this could also harm the other fish. As for the temperature, the aquarium should be at 77 degrees. If it is higher, start worrying because it won’t be long before algae will start to grow in the aquarium.
For a weekly cleaning, you must use a siphon which is similar to a vacuum cleaner so you can remove the waste that is on the surface of the gravel. It will also be a good idea to replace some of the water inside the aquarium. Just be sure to monitor the ammonia, nitrate and pH level as this could also be harmful to your fish.
Lastly is cleaning the aquarium monthly which is the most tiring of the three. This requires moving the fish to a temporary location, removing everything from the aquarium and cleaning the contents inside, replacing the water as well as returning the fish and the contents to the way it was.
Before you do any of that, make sure that the heater, filter and any other electronic equipment you use for the aquarium is turned off.
How long it takes to clean the aquarium depends on the size which you have at home. So just take your time as you are doing it so you are able to clean it thoroughly. If you don’t have time to clean your aquarium, don’t worry because you can probably find someone who does this for a living to come over and do the dirty work.
A general rule when you clean your aquarium is that you must never use soap or any household cleaner as this is dangerous for your fish. When you replace the water, never change more than 50% of it at a time.
Before you put the fish back in, use some type of chlorine removing solution or conditioning salt as this will help prevent the fish from getting sick.
Cleaning the aquarium is important so that you are fish will be happy. Although it takes a bit of time and effort, it is a small price you have to pay when you decide to have fish inside your home.