6 Creative Ways to Ensure Your Fish Tank Stays Clean

Crystal-clear water isn’t necessarily a sign your aquarium is healthy. Many aquarium species are able to survive and thrive in the muddy waters of their natural habitats, but this isn’t the case in the enclosed ecosystems of glass and acrylic tanks. Frequent and periodic cleaning of your aquarium is essential to ensure the fish, plants, and invertebrates stay healthy. Cloudy or murky water isn’t always a sign the ecosystem isn’t properly balanced. It’s more important to check water chemistry with a good test strip kit like an API (https://www.aquaticwarehouse.com/testing-/api-freshwater-master-test-kit) and take appropriate action, but unclear water may be a signal of excessive fish waste and too much algae. There are ways you can get creative with your aquarium cleaning process to make it more effective.

1. Get a Larger Tank

Fishbowls and tanks smaller than 10 gallons aren’t recommended for beginner aquarists. The problem with these smaller containers is that the lower water volume is more conducive to getting dirty, which results in more frequent water changes and cleaning. With a 20-gallon tank, you can perform partial water changes every two weeks and have a much healthier environment for the fish to live in.

2. Add the Right Plants

Freshwater planted aquariums not only look better but are also easier to clean because the plants feed on nitrates just like the Nitrobacter that colonizes the biological filter. Hornwort, aquatic wisteria, and water sprites are avid consumers of nitrates. These plants can help in terms of keeping ammonia levels down and preventing algae from blooming excessively.

3. Stock Your Tank with Algae Eaters

Species such as twig catfish, ghost shrimp, and Nerite snails can not only diversify your aquarium but also feed on algae. The most voracious species for freshwater tanks is the Siamese algae eater, but you’ll need a larger tank to keep it. Virtually all bottom dwellers such as Plecostomus can help with cleaning uneaten fish food that falls down to the substrate.

4. Don’t Always Trust Clear Water

Even if you’re doing frequent water changes, you shouldn’t forego dipping a test strip each week. Modern strips can tell you about the nitrate, nitrite, pH, and mineral levels in the aquarium.

5. Use Water Exchange Systems

Siphoning the gravel is a necessary step in the tank cleaning process, and you can do it simultaneously by performing water changes with a water exchange system. The base functionality of these devices creates a vacuum effect along with a connection to a water faucet. The long tubes can be placed in a sink for easy draining, which means you only need to carry the bucket with dechlorinated water to your tank.

6. Use a Diluted Bleach Solution

For the most part, you shouldn’t use any household cleaners such as bleach to clean your aquarium. However, in the case of pesky algae that refuses to detach itself from decorations or tubing, you can soak these items in a solution that mixes one part of bleach with 10 parts water. After soaking for 15 minutes, make sure to rinse everything thoroughly or soak it again in water that’s been dechlorinated with an aquarium dechlorination solution.

The most important thing you can do to keep your aquarium clean is to make sure you always have all of the essential fish tank supplies on hand. Whether you’d prefer to order your supplies online or come to our store in Kearny Mesa, Aquatic Warehouse has got you covered. If you have any questions, please give us a call at 858-467-9297 and one of our friendly and knowledgeable representatives would be happy to assist you.