If you like exotic animals and have chosen pet fish in your home, you are one of mine! Although I confess that it has become a headache for me when it comes time to clean the habitat of my scaly friends, avoiding their deep cleaning distresses me twice as much because too much dirt could affect your well-being and health directly.
Although it is commonly believed that having a fish tank or aquarium is simple since it does not require special care, the truth is that this is not true. If you are here, it is because you are looking for information about maintaining your fish habitat at home. Then keep reading because, in this article, I want to share my secret on how to clean an aquarium and extend your pets’ life easily. Let’s do it!
How to clean an aquarium or fish tank correctly
Undoubtedly, observing an aquarium’s ecosystem brings relaxation and tranquillity. It is also a decorative element in living rooms, offices and even bedrooms. However, to truly enjoy these simple yet satisfying pleasures of life, keeping it clean and creating a suitable environment for the fish is vital.
Keep in mind that filling the bucket with water is not enough. The underwater environment must also incorporate plants, biotope (fine gravel covering the ground), logs, stones or tropical roots (so that they can hide and protect their eggs), not to mention other accessories such as filters, lighting, air conditioning, landscape panels, ultraviolet lamps, flora and fauna that can be used to create an underwater environment that resembles their ecosystem and to create an underwater environment that resembles their ecosystem. help to produce an even more realistic atmosphere.
And all of this, of course, requires optimal hygiene to function as it should. See how to do it:
- Before immersing your hands in the aquarium, make sure they are clean and free of any chemicals that could contaminate the water and fish. If you prefer, you can use plastic gloves.
- Disconnect from the mains or any electrical appliances and remove all decorative items from the aquarium.
- Empty the container a little to facilitate the task without the fish perceiving sudden temperature variations (removing at least 20 to 30% will be sufficient).
- Once this is done, it is time to prepare the clean water that you will introduce into the aquarium to replace the water you took out. To do this, get a container (that has not been cleaned with any chemicals harmful to fish) and fill it with warm, clean, mineral-free (or low) water. Let it sit for a couple of hours to release the residual minerals in the water and continue with the next step.
- Continue cleaning ornaments and decorative items by soaking them in water with 10% bleach. Scrub with a scouring pad or toothbrush, rinse with plenty of water repeatedly until no bleach remains, and allow air dry to allow the product to evaporate completely.
- With a special pad or scraper, go over the glass, rubbing a little if necessary, to remove the algae that are stuck to the glass of the tank.
- Another important part to clean is the bottom, that is, the gravel or pebbles, for this task use a special aquarium siphon or siphon. This device is very simple: place one of its ends on the stones (the wide nozzle), observe how it sucks the water and waste from the bottom and releases them on the other side into a bucket that you have to place below to pour the wastewater.
- Finally, replenish the water you have removed by pouring in the water you filled and letting it stand. Do it very slowly to avoid scaring the fish and removing the substrate from the bottom, thus, not clouding all the water in the aquarium.
- Don’t forget to replace the ornaments, filters and accessories once they are dry.
Contrary to popular belief, it is unnecessary to net the fish and stress them in this way; in fact, it is an unnecessary mistake.
Remember that partial water changes should be performed weekly to prevent contamination caused by fish, invertebrate and plant waste and to ensure a healthy and enjoyable habitat for your pets.