How to Clean a Fish Tank

Guide Note Knowing how to clean a fish tank is necessary if you plan on keeping healthy fish. Regular cleaning can be done in 30 minutes if you do it on a weekly basis. If you wait longer, the task will be more difficult and water conditions could jeopardize the health of your fish and your enjoyment of the

aquarium. Table of Contents

Fish Tank Cleaning Tips

  1. Clean your fish tank at least every two weeks.
  2. Make sure your hands are clean before putting them in your aquarium.
  3. Use only approved scrubbers for your aquarium.
  4. Glass scrubbers should not be used on acrylic aquariums.
  5. Only use aquarium approved cleaning products on your fish tank and its parts.
  6. Never replace more than 50% of your aquarium's water at once.

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Introduction

(Creative Commons photo by Jelene Morris)
(Creative Commons photo by Jelene Morris)

What You'll Need

  • Gravel vacuum
  • 2-4 five gallon buckets
  • Scrubber for either glass or acrylic (depending on your type of tank)
  • New soft bristled scrub brush
  • Water
  • Water conditioner
  • Bleach
  • Towels
  • Claw tank tongs (optional)
  • Filter brush set (optional)
  • Aquarium glass cleaner or lime remover (if necessary)

Step 1: Getting Started

  • Before you can get down to cleaning your fish tank, you will need to get a few things set up first.
  1. Determine how much water you plan on removing when you clean your aquarium. Typically, this should be about 10 to 50 percent of the aquarium total. So, if you have a 30 gallon aquarium you should plan on removing 3 to 15 gallons of water. (See Step 5 for more information.)
  2. Prepare replacement water by setting aside the amount determined in the previous step. The water needs to be close to room temperature or the temperature of the tank, so you might want to let it sit overnight.1
  3. Treat the new water with water conditioner (before you forget).1
  4. Gather all the equipment you will need together next to the aquarium.
  5. If you have a wood floor, make sure you lay down towels to protect the wood from any splashing.
  6. Rinse your hands thoroughly with water before you begin to remove anything that might contaminate your tank. This includes hand lotions, soap, etc.5
  7. Unplug all electrical components of your tank, including the heater, filter, etc.6
  8. Remove the top from the aquarium and set aside.

Step 2: Removing Algae

An algae-eater. (Creative Commons photo by Benson Kua)
An algae-eater. (Creative Commons photo by Benson Kua)
  • Any algae buildup that has developed along the sides of the tank needs to be removed. This is done using a scrub pad designed for aquariums, usually labeled as "aquarium cleaners" or "algae scraper/scrubbers." There are two types of algae scrapers available: magnetic or long handled. For best results, get both kinds.
  • A magnetic aquarium cleaner is a device that has a pair of magnets. One magnet has a scrub pad while the other has a handle. You insert the scrub side into the tank and guide it along the side. A magnet scraper is good for weekly containers, but is only as strong as the magnet it contains.
  • A long-handled scraper will be needed on occasion to remove any troublesome spots of algae on your tank walls. Make sure you purchase the right type for your tank. Acrylic tanks will scratch easier than glass and need a special scrub to prevent this.6 Purchase one with a handle long enough to reach the bottom of your tank so you won't need to reach your hand inside.
  • If your tank is bothered by algae, try to determine the cause (such as too much light) or purchase a couple algae-eating fish to control it.7 If you have an algae eater in your tank, do not remove all the algae or else it will have nothing to eat.8 Instead, focus on cleaning the front and sides while leaving the back untouched. If you do need to clean the back side of the tank, avoid cleaning the decorations inside the tank that week.

Step 3: Clean Decorative Objects

  • This step is optional and may not need to be done every week. Look at any objects you have in your tank and see if they look dirty or have a heavy algae build up. If they do, you will need to clean them. Here is the best way to do that:
  1. Remove the item from the aquarium. This is when your aquarium grabber comes in handy. If you don't have one, wash your hands and roll up your sleeves. (Remember not to clean all of them so you can keep some good bacteria in the tank.)2
  2. Have an empty bucket set aside to place the objects in before you reach into the tank. Place each item that needs cleaning in the bucket.
  3. Prepare a solution of 10 percent bleach solution.3 Do not do this in one of the buckets set aside for cleaning your aquarium or in a bucket that might have other cleaning products in it.
  4. Soak the items in the bleach solution for about 15 minutes.3
  5. As an alternative, you can also soak items for thirty minutes in a solution of 1/4 cup salt to one gallon of water.9
  6. Using a clean scrub brush, gently scrub off any remaining residue.
  7. Rinse off the items thoroughly in running water.
  8. Let the items air dry to remove any residual bleach.3
  9. Put the items back in the tank after you have vacuumed the gravel but before you have added the new water.3

Step 4: Caring for Live Plants

Live plants. (Creative Commons photo by Nat Tarbox)
Live plants. (Creative Commons photo by Nat Tarbox)
  • If your aquarium has live plants, they will need special care.
  1. Remove any dead or sick leaves.7
  2. If your plants are getting too large, you can prune them back.10
  3. Some live plants can be bleached to remove algae by soaking them in a 5 percent bleach solution for two minutes.3 Rinse them off thoroughly before replacing them back into the aquarium.
  4. Anchor any new sprouts into the gravel.7

Step 5: Vacuum the Gravel/Partial Water Removal

  • Although you can remove the water as a separate step, the best way is to do it while vacuuming the gravel.4 This will remove the debris and waste at the bottom of the tank at the same time as removing the water. Gravel vacuums can be tricky to get started the first time. Expect to get some water on the floor. One of the easiest mistakes you can make is to not keep your eye on the end that is in the bucket. If it slips out of the bucket and you don't notice, you could end up with a very large mess.

How much water to remove?

  • Each week you will want to remove between 10 to 50 percent of the water. Instead of focusing on an exact number, evaluate your aquarium by asking yourself the following questions:
  1. Is the water cloudy?13
  2. Does the water smell "fishy" or have a bad odor?13
  3. Are the ammonia or nitrite levels high in the aquarium?12
  • If you answered yes to any of the questions, you will want to remove more water, between 30 to 50 percent, of the water.13 If your answer was no to all of the questions, lean toward the light side and remove about 10 to 25 percent of the water. However, no matter what your water conditions, you should never remove more than 50 percent of the water at a time.4

Step 6: Clean the Filter

Your fish will thank you. (Creative Commons photo by Benson Kua)
Your fish will thank you. (Creative Commons photo by Benson Kua)
  • This step will vary depending on what type of filter you have in your aquarium. However, here are some general guidelines on how to clean your filter.
  1. Avoid changing your filter at the same time you change your water or do a major cleaning of your tank.3
  2. Never change all the parts (cartridges, sponges or carbon packets) at the same time. Instead, change only one portion of it at a time.1
  3. You can use the water you siphoned out in Step 5 to rinse out the foam portion of your filter and avoid harming the beneficial bacteria growing on the sponge.4
  4. Wipe off the outside of the filter and remove any lime buildup that might be on it.

Step 7: Refill the Tank

  • After you have finished cleaning everything in the aquarium and placed it back inside, it is time to refill the tank.
  1. Take care to gently pour the new water into the tank so you don't disturb the fish, gravel or decorations.
  2. You might find it easier to reverse your gravel vacuum and siphon the new water into the tank rather than pour it in.6
  3. If you discover you've removed too much water, replace some of the water you vacuumed off. By this time it will have settled, so you can use the cleaner water toward the top of the bucket.
  4. Take a moment to to clean off the hood of the aquarium before replacing it. Do not use any cleansers unless they are approved for aquarium use.
  5. Plug everything back in. Make sure both the heater and the filter are working before you walk away.
  6. Dump out all the old water and any excess water you had set aside.
  7. Put everything away.

Conclusion

  • The first time is always the most difficult. Once you get into a pattern, you will find that it is really not that difficult to keep your fish tank clean. Make sure you keep a record of what tasks you did when to keep your aquarium in the best condition. The best way to do this is to keep a small notepad near the aquarium and write down when you completed each task.

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References for How to Clean a Fish Tank

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 The First Tank Guide: Cleaning Your Aquarium
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 FishInThe.Net: Cleaning Your Aquarium
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 About.com: How Do I Clean a Dirty Fish Tank?  WARNING: Pop-ups
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Chicago Exotics Animal Hospital How to Clean Your Aquarium
  5. ↑ Hartz: The Clean Machine
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Aquarium Guys: Aquarium Cleaning & Maintenance Guide
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 The Pet Owner Club Tips on Aquarium Care and Cleaning (January 10, 2008)
  8. ↑ Aquarium Algae Eaters: Introduction to Algae-eaters (April 23, 2008)
  9. ↑ Aquarium Pros: Frequent Aquarium Questions
  10. ↑ About.com: Spring Cleaning Your Aquarium  WARNING: Pop-ups
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Pet University: Maintenance
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 American Aquarium Products: Aquarium Cleaning; Reasons and Methods for Water Changes
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 HowToDoThings.com: How To Clean the Water of Your Aquarium


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