Fish are great pets to keep if you want some peace and tranquillity in your home. Watching them flit about or just lazily drift around has been proven to lower the anxiety, blood pressure and stress of fish pet owners all over the world.


  The list of benefits these underwater pets give us might prove to be longer than the average person’s arm. But, what benefit do these fishes get from being our pets?

 

Because it is in a static state, cleaning your fish tank regularly is going to be high on your priority list. This is to ensure that the environment your fish live in continue to be sanitary and healthy for them. This also helps prevent the proliferation of bacteria, algae and other water-borne diseases/conditions that have the potential of spreading from your fish to you and your home.

 

  So let’s figure out how to clean your Fish tank properly before it becomes too rank.

 

  First off, how often should you clean your aquarium? There are so many answers out there and almost all of them are right or make perfect sense.

 

  The best advice would probably be this: Clean your aquarium as often as needed based on the number of fish you have and how messy they are. For most tanks, a complete cleanup duty once every two weeks should be more than enough.

 

  The 3 most important things you need to make sure you do are these:

 

1. Remove any unwanted debris and uneaten food & replace up to 15% of the current water with new, dechlorinated, demineralized water.

    

2. Wipe the glass to remove any algae or bacterial build up with a rag.

    

3. Make sure your water filter is working properly. Clean the filter sponges by rinsing them under running water before returning them to their proper place. Do not use tap water. Tap water has chlorine which kills beneficial filter bacteria.

    

  If your aquarium has a foul smell or you have an algae problem, cleaning it more often is advised. When this happens, you have a problem, you need to address it immediately for your and your fishes’ safety. Try to check your water quality regularly.

 

  If the stench or filth gets too much to handle, evacuate all of your fishes into another tank to thoroughly clean the dirty one. Use the water that is in your tank in the temporary holding vessel to reduce adding stress to your pets.

 

  Once completely evacuated, you can thoroughly cleanse the entire fish tank.  

 

  Start with giving the inside of the tank a good scrub using algae scrapers. Scrape residue off if it is present inside your aquarium.

 

  At this point, it would also be a good idea to always have clean water that you have dechlorinated or let stand for placing back into the tank. You can prepare this type of water before or after cleaning your aquarium. Keep a ready supply of this type of water so you always have aquarium water ready.

 

  Place all your decorations inside a bucket with a 10% bleach solution and soak the items for about 15 minutes. Do not use soap as soap leaves a stubborn layer of film that is hard to remove and when present in the water can potentially kill your pets.

 

  Clean the gravel and substrate used in your tank by rinsing and running your fingers through the material. Remove debris and excess food in the gravel to ensure that it is clean and no bacterial growth occurs.

 

  Clean the water filter by removing the filter sponges and placing it under running water to remove excess debris. Do not use soap as it may kill the beneficial bacteria present on the filter. Make it a point to clean the water filter regularly at least once every two weeks. This will keep your water filters in optimal condition and you’ll have a cleaner aquarium longer without the bad smell emanating from dirty tanks.

 

  Place everything back, add a plastic layer on top of the gravel to reduce the risk of disturbing or kicking up soil when you place water back in. Slowly pour dechlorinated aquarium water back into the environment. Once full, allow the water temperature to adjust back to optimal settings before placing your fishes back in.

 

  And there you have it! A clean fish tank gives your fishes a healthy environment to live in making you and your pets happier. For fish care supplies, find it here: https://www.vetforpet.co.nz/shop/Fish/x_cat/00335.html