How to Keep Your Fish Tank Clean

Owning a fish tank can be the most rewarding activity but to appreciate the beauty of your fish you have to be able to see them. Keeping your fish tank clean is about more than weekly scrubbing and changing water, it's about daily care for your fish and their environment.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Siphon Vacuum
• Necessary Water Treatments
• Appropriate Sized Filters and Pumps

1. SIZE MATTERS
   
   Do you have a 40 gallon tank or a 5 gallon tank? Chances are it's somewhere in between the two. Make sure you buy the appropriate filters, pumps, and tubing to accommodate your fish tank. A smaller tank can be more temperamental to maintain while a larger tank stabilizes itself more readily.
   
   If you are noticing your tank is looking cloudy, dirty, or full of floaties evaluate your filter systems and pumps to make sure they are working properly. If your pump is too small and your tank is filthy, it will not be able to adequately filter the water.

2. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
   
   Are you constantly scrubbing the algae off the walls of your tank? Look at where your tank is placed, if it is by a window you may have found your culprit. Sunlight and warmer temperatures are breeding grounds for algae. Try moving your tank to a part of your house not to exposed to natural sunlight.
   
   If you tank is not located in a sun-exposed area look at your tank light. Incandescent lights with too high of wattage will cause similar results. Try replacing the high watt bulb with a lower wattage, or even a fluorescent light to prevent algae growth.

3. THERE ARE A LOT OF FISH IN THE SEA
   
   Do you have 50 goldfish in a five gallon tank? While that example is a bit extreme it's one of the basic rules of fish keeping, keep the ratios at healthy numbers. If you are unsure of how many fish should be in your tank go talk to a fish keeper you trust, and more importantly - LISTEN to them. While you may WANT 15 goldfish in your 10 gallon tank, it may not be the best choice for the health of the fish.
   
   Having lots of fish creates lots of poop. That debris collects at the bottom of the tank and creates toxins that will eventually lead to the fish suffocating.

4. TESTING THE WATERS
   
   The water in your tank is maintained through a constant balance of different algae and chemicals. If the Ph, nitrite, nitrate, or ammonia levels change dramatically, increasing or decreasing, it could be the reason for cloudy or mucky water.
   
   Make sure you are testing your water levels each week . Most big box pet stores will perform free water quality checks for you, these will help stop any problems before they get too out of hand.

5. DINNER, ANYONE?
   
   Do you let your fish participate in the 'all-you-can-eat' dinner special? The amount of food you are feeding your fish is directly related to how clean your tank is. If you are only feeding your fish the amount of food that they can consume in a few minutes you will greatly limit the amount of waste that sits in your tank.
   
   If you notice that there is consistently debris resting on the bottom of the tank try using a vacuum siphon to remove the waste. Also using an appropriately sized under gravel filtration system will help control fish and food waste.

6. REGULAR CHECK UPS
   
   The best way to keep your tank clean is to stop problems before they start. Always check your temperature, water quality levels, and general condition of the fish to ensure a healthy tank. A tank will only begin to get dirty when the problem is advanced.

Tips & Warnings

• Always follow the guidance of a knowledgeable, trusted fish keeper. Listen, learn, and practice.

Resources

• eHow - How to Clean the Gravel in Your Fish Tank

[amylaine]

on 10/2/2008 Great tips.

[jimdris]

on 9/30/2008 You have some happy, healthy fish!

[Susanh]

on 9/30/2008 We have two fish tanks in our home and my husband takes care of them. After watching and listening to him, I know your tips are RIGHT on! Excellent article!