Pet Care - How To Clean A Basic Fish Tank

As with any pet, you have to make sure to keep theirfilters, do not change all the media everything at once.
environment safe and clean. Fishes are particularlyThis will remove the majority of your biological filter
tricky because any slight change in their water canand cause the tank to have to go through another
either help or hurt them. This article will show you thecycling period to reestablish bacterial growth. Rinse any
easiest way to cleaning any basic fish tank. Cleaning anew filter in cool running water before introducing it to
fish tank is a simple and straight forward task thatthe system. Once you have siphoned most of the
should not take very long. The better care you providewater from your tank, you will need to fill it again. The
for your tank, the healthier your fish will be. You shouldeasiest way to do this is to use a siphon and siphon
not have to remove all the stuff out of the tank whenwater from a bucket into the tank. This will tend to
you clean it. Every surface in the tank will grow somereduce spilling and shooting up gravel. Use a bucket
type of bacteria that is part of the biological filter. Bythat has never had any household chemicals in it and
removing and cleaning the items, you stress some offill it with water. The water should be close to the
the healthy bacteria, and in turn reduce the quality oftemperature of the tank water that you just took out.
your filtration. When cleaning your aquarium, you shouldUse a chlorine remover to prepare the water for
just remove about half of the total amount of waterintroduction into the tank. Place the bucket somewhere
and replace it with fresh de chlorinated tap water.higher than the top of the fish tank, and get your
While you are doing this, you should use your siphon tosiphon going. In just a couple of minutes, you should
suck up some of the gunk that collects in the gravelhave a full tank. Be sure to watch the siphon in case
and decorations. If you have an under gravel filter, it isthe hose gets bumped out of the tank. Keep in mind
very important to clean the gravel when you do yourthat there needs to be some space between the top
weekly water change. This will prevent detritus andof the water and the aquarium cover, because your
other decaying organic matter from blocking thefish rely on oxygen exchange at the surface of the
passages between the pebbles and restricting waterwater in order to be able to breathe. Remember,
flow. If you have algae growing on the surface of thecleaning your tank is easy and it will get easier after
tank, you should get an algae scraper of some sortrepeating a few times. Always scrub for algae,
and scrub the glass before removing water. Manyremove half of the water supply while cleaning the
varieties of algae scrapers are available at almost allgravel, and top off the tank with de chlorinated water.
local pet stores. You can also get algae eating catfishThis method works with any basic fish tank. Good luck
or scavengers to pick up some of this work for you.and take care of your fish.
Having catfish in the tank does not mean that you willFor more information visit these two websites: Fishing
never need to clean again. Algae eaters and catfishTips and House Pets. You will get more information on
will add to the biological load of your tank and increasehow to fish and caring for all types of house pets.
maintenance requirements. If you have to clean out the