MAKING WATER FRESH: CLEANING YOUR FISH AQUARIUM
Freshwater fish are magnificent creatures. Just watching them swim or admiring their beautiful scales is a treat. We love these pets because they echo our own need for calm and tranquility. They are also quiet pets who like to interact often. As a pet owner, you have to do everything to please your pet fish. It’s only right, seeing as they add so much to your life. We’ve talked before about sprucing up your fish’s aquarium to make them happy. Now, let’s go through how to clean their fish aquarium to keep them healthy.
Leave Your Fish Aquarium Spotless
Fish are some of the cleanest animals on the planet. Unfortunately, they do leave waste and their living environment tends to grow an overabundance of algae. Without maintenance, your fish can grow sick from naturally occurring chemicals like ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites. They will eventually eat less, have less energy, and if worse comes to worse, die. It is recommended that you clean your fish aquarium at least once a month. If you have multiple fish, clean it out twice a month as more fish produces more waste.
Getting the Right Supplies
For this task, you’ll need the right tools, including the following:
- Algae pad or scraper
- Razor blade
- Towels
- Paper Towels
- Aquarium-specific glass cleaner
- Filter brush
- Filter media
- Water siphon
- Bleach
- Large Bucket (five-gallon)
Also, remember to place your fish in a temporary bowl of fresh water until you are finished cleaning.
Working the Glass
The glass walls of your aquarium are easily the most visible section. To keep yourself clean, use rubber gloves. It is also important to use an algae pad and not any old sponge. A used sponge will introduce detergent and chemicals to the environment.
Here’s what to do. Take the algae pad and lightly scrub the affected areas, removing algae that are stuck to the walls. The tougher area with hard residue will require the razor blade. This tool will scrape off any residue that is hard and stuck to the walls.
Use the Siphon Tool and Replace Water
The siphon tool cleans gravel and unwanted debris. It also helps clean the water of fish waste, excess food, and other waste. As it does its job, have your bucket ready. Make sure that the bucket is only used for your fish aquarium to avoid unwanted chemicals.
After you have taken care to the dirty water, add new fresh water to the aquarium. Remember, the water should be the same temperature that your fish is used to. Also, have water prepared. If you use tap water, it needs to sit in a bucket or container to purge on harmful metals.
Cleaning Decorations and Finishing Up
The decorations are pretty easy to clean. They too can be cleaned with an algae pad. You can also soak them in bleach for 15 minutes, and wash them off with previously used tank water. Wash it carefully though. If any bleach remains on the decorations, it could be harmful to your fish.
The last thing you need to do is change the filter. It needs to be switched with a new one every month. If you need any of these supplies, visit the Pet Shop. We have everything your fish needs.