Cleaning and maintaining your fish tank might be a tedious job, depending on its’ size and how many fish are in there. It is crucial for a fish owner to know when it is time to change the water, in order for the fish to be happy and healthy. An important note is that fish turn on their sides when they are sick. Having this in mind, make sure to never let your fish get to this state, by keeping the water in the tank fresh and clean.

It might be a bit overwhelming to clean your fish tank for the first time, so here are 6 easy steps to make your life easier.

Step 1:

Drain about 25% of the water that is in the fish tank. This can be done easily if you have a fancy filtering system. If not, you can easily take out the water with a bowl or a glass.

Step 2:

Once that water level has been lowered, it will be much easier for you to get the fish out of the tank, as they will have less area to swim away. Depending on your fish’s need, place them in a basin with clean fresh or salty water. It is a good idea to place a cover over them, as they might try to jump out!

Step 3:

Now it is time for all rocks, plants and decorations to be cleaned individually. If you have artificial plants, they would also need a clean. Make sure that you never use any detergents, as they are really hard to wash out from the fake plants, making it a hazard to your fish. Using just water is the best method!

Step 4:

Now that your fish tank is empty, you may start scrubbing down the glass walls. Do have in mind that if you have not done this in a while, there will surely be some algae on the glass, and it will be very slippery! A good tool to have are algae wiper, which can be found in fish suppler stores. For this too, make sure you do not use any chemical, so your fish remain healthy.

Step 5:

Next, with your filtering system on, start washing the gravel at the bottom, with your hands. Do your best to wash every bit, as this is where all of your fish’s waste goes. It is very important to be very thorough for this part, because of all the bacteria and algae that build up between the gravel stones.

Step 6:

The last and final step of this important process is to take apart your filtering system and wash the parts off with running water. If you happen to have two filters, it is best to clean them one at a time, as too much cleanliness in the fish tank might destroy the water balance. After this is done, feel free to turn your system back on, depending on how much water there is left in the tank. It should take a couple of hours for the water to be clean again. When you start to see that this is happening, you can fill up your tank with the appropriate water for your fish.

All that is left now is to re-arrange all your decor, make sure that there are no broken bits and your filtering system is working properly.

Sure, cleaning your fish tank takes a while, and there are many things to consider. However, your fish will appreciate your efforts to provide a quality cleaning service for their home! Not only that, but they will also live a long happy and healthy life!