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How to Clean Your Aquarium
Why
should you clean your aquarium?
No
matter what type of filtration type of filtration you have you will need to
regularly clean your aquarium. In a
balanced, stable aquarium, uneaten food or fish waste turns into ammonia
“Good” bacteria then convert these polluants into non-toxic “nitrates”. Without regular water changes the “good” bacteria will
not be able to keep up with accumulation of uneaten food or fish waste and the
ammonia will quickly reach a dangerous level.
How often should you clean your
aquarium?
There
are many different opinions as to how often a tank needs to be cleaned.
In general, the more often you clean our aquarium the healthier your fish
will be. In new aquariums (less
than 3 months) we recommend a 1/3 to ˝ water change every 2 weeks.
As the aquarium becomes older a water change one a month should be
sufficient. We do not recommend you
take more than ˝ of the water out at any one time.
How should I clean my aquarium?
-
Before starting always take a minute to monitor your fish. Look for any signs of illness and stress.
Clamped fins, loss of color, lethargy or tiny white dots (ICH) are all
signs of stress. If you see any of
these symptoms proceed with your water change and consult our pet store about
water testing or medication.
-
Unplug all equipment and wait 10 minutes for your heater to cool down
before starting to siphon any water out.
-
During this time you can clean any algae off the glass so it will be
siphoned out. Always use
aquarium-approved products when scraping algae.
Many other products will scratch the glass or could introduce harmful
chemicals into the tank.
-
Always
use a “gravel cleaner” when siphoning water out of the tank. Never siphon
water off the surface of the aquarium because waste accumulates at the bottom of
the aquarium. By using a gravel
siphon you will be able to lift up the gravel and get rid of the waste without
removing any of the gravel or the fish. If
you need to see a demonstration of how to use a gravel-cleaner, stop in to our
store and ask for a demonstration.
-
Siphon the water into a bucket that is only used for the aquarium to
prevent any type of accidental contamination.
-
Before dumping the water out you can clean the foam part of your filter
in the dirty water. This way you will not harm the beneficial bacteria growing on the sponge.
Replace any of the
other cartridges that need to be cleaned (carbon should be replaced one a
month). If you need to replace both the carbon and the foam we recommend you do
this three to seven days apart
so your filter will keep some of the established bacteria.
-
Refilling the tank. Fill one
bucket at a time with tap water. Try
to get the temperature close to the aquarium temperature. Add
any water conditioners that are necessary into the bucket. Gently pour the water
into the aquarium. Repeat, until
the tank is filled. Wait 5 minutes and
plug your equipment back in.
Hints:
-
NEVER USE SOAP
OR ANY HOUSE CLEANERS ON THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF THE TANK.
-
IF YOUR FILTER
DOESN’T START BACK UP, MAKE SURE THE IMPELLER IS CLEAN OF GRIME.
-
NEVER CHANGE
MORE THAN 50% OF THE WATER AT ANY ONE TIME.
IF YOU MUST CHANGE MORE, TAKE OUT 50% EVERY 24 HOURS FOR 2-3 DAYS INSTEAD
OF MORE IN ONE DAY.
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