How to Keep Your Aquarium Clean

Keeping your tank clean is one of the most important aspects of owning an aquarium. If your water is dirty, not only will your aquarium look bad, but your fish are also more likely to be unhealthy.

Daily Cleaning Routine

In order to keep you aquarium clean, there are some things you need to do daily. First, check the temperature of your tank on a daily basis. If you are keeping tropical freshwater fish the temperature should be around 77 degrees. If your temperature is too high, your tank will grow algae. Also you need to check the tank daily for sick or dead fish. If they are not removed from the tank they will harm the other animals. Finally, check that the tank's pump is working properly.

Weekly Cleaning Routine

Every week you need to remove waste from the surface of the gravel using a siphon tube, which works like a vacuum cleaner. Replace the water that you remove during this process. Make sure you condition the water to remove any chlorine. Also, check the ammonia and nitrate levels, as well as the pH of your tank's water. If you are raising live plants, tend to them each week. Trim them back if they are getting too big, and remove any dead or sick leaves. Re-anchor and new sprouts into your gravel. Also, check your tank for snails. You can remove snails by floating a piece of lettuce leaf in the tank. The snails will be attracted to the lettuce, and you can remove them using a net.

Monthly Cleaning Routine

Finally, there are monthly steps you can take to ensure you have a clean tank. Each month perform a partial water change. Remove about a quarter of your water using your siphon hose. This removes waste and water at the same time. Make sure you condition the water before adding new water to the tank, as chlorine and other water chemical can kill your fish.

Each month you will want to clean your filter. If your filter has a filter cartridge, change this once a month. You do not want to clean the filter too vigorously, as the filter accumulates helpful bacteria that aids in biological filtration. You do not want to clean it too much and remove these bacteria. Finally, each month you will want to scrape all the algae from the surface of the tank using a specially made algae scraper. If you notice a significant build up of algae each month, consider buying an algae eater, and check your heater. If neither of these things help, consider keeping the light off in your tank until the problem clears. If this still does not help, replace your thermometer. Chances are the temperature is too high.

Keeping your tank clean on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis will ensure your fish are happy and healthy. You will also ensure that you have a tank you can be proud of showing off. Neglecting to clean your tank will lead to fish getting sick and dying unnecessarily. Keeping your fish tank clean will lead to a fun and rewarding hobby.