How to Kill Algae on Fish Tank Ornaments
If one of your hobbies is maintaining and displaying a fish aquarium, sooner or later you will likely experience an overgrowth of algae. Algae grows in response to conditions in your aquarium such as lighting and phosphate levels. Algae grows on surfaces of the tank as well as the decorations and other materials. Fortunately, you can kill algae on fish tank ornaments with a bit of scrubbing and some common household ingredients. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- 5 gallon bucket
- Water hose
- Measuring cup
- Chlorine bleach
- Liquid dechlorinating agent
Instructions
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1
Remove all ornaments from the fish tank and place them in a 5-gallon bucket, or other large container and transport them to the cleaning area.
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2
Fill the bucket with 2 to 5 gallons of water to completely cover the ornaments. Measure and pour 1/2 cup of household chlorine bleach for each gallon of water you use.
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3
Allow the ornaments to soak in the water and bleach solution for approximately 20 minutes, or until the algae is visibly falling off the decorations. Pour off the bleach water into a toilet or sink, remove the ornaments, and rinse the bucket thoroughly.
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4
Scrub the ornaments with an algae scrubber to remove any remaining algae. Rinse the ornaments thoroughly under running water until the odor of chlorine dissipates.
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5
Place the ornaments back into the bucket and treat with a liquid dechlorinating agent. Follow the product instructions. Rinse the ornaments and bucket and transport them back to the aquarium. Replace the ornaments in the tank.
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Tips & Warnings
Place the ornaments back in their original positions in the tank. This will help decrease any stress your fish may be feeling.
Ensure that you have rinsed everything well and treated with a dechlorinating agent before returning it to the aquarium. Chlorine bleach residue is harmful to fish.
