How do YOU clean your fish tank?

Question

I clean mine my taking the gravel cleaner thing and sucking up the poop and food and I keep doing that until I only have about 3.5 inches of water in my aquarium enough for my fish to swim around. And all the water is in this big bucket. I wait about an hour and all the poop and stuff are at the bottom I pour the water in and when the poop is about to come out I stop pour it down the toilet and put new water in and all the other chemicals.

I know people do it differently and this takes A LOT of time and if you have a different or faster or better way of doing it please share! I hate cleaning my fish tank this way! Thanks.

Oh thanks the first three answers really helped... just wondering! sheesh

Answer 1

I buy special water that is a balance of soft and hard fresh water for my tropical fish...
I have about 16 tropical fish in a 45 gallon tank and I bought 4 plastic buckets that are 5 gallons each of fresh water at my favorite fish store...
I do this cause there is too much chemicals in my water out of my faucet and it is also hard water...
My fish live in a heated 80 degree temp aquarium and we clean it every other month with the water we buy...
We only do half water changes though cause it is not good to remove all the water...
I have had good luck with some types of fish and bad luck with others...
I think it is more often the fish that die because of age, health or size and not because I am not keeping my tank clean with the filters and bubblers and pump...

Answer 2

I've got three tanks:
1) 55-gallon tropical with 1 betta, 2 silver dollars, 7 neon tetras, 4 guppies, 3 zebra danios, 4 cory cats, and 3 African dwarf frogs
2) 20-gallon tropical with one male betta
3) 10-gallon quarantine with one neon tetra and 2 African dwarf frogs for 2 months until we know for sure they're free of chytrid fungus

That being said, each tank every week gets between 10 and 30% water changes. We're lucky enough to have a Python, but because the quarantine tank might have sick fish, we use a regular gravel vacuum on that one first. There's no gravel, but we still take out about 20% of the water. Then we head to the 20-gallon and take out roughly 20% of that one (not much gravel in that one, either) using the Python, then it's off to the 55-gallon where we do about 30% of the water and that one we vacuum all of the gravel at one time. Every other week, we'll scrub all the filters with a toothbrush to clean excess poop off of them. And on the weeks that we don't clean the filters, we clean algae off of decorations (using the same toothbrush). We're always careful about not cleaning the decorations and the filters in the same week, because we really don't want to screw with the biological filter.

We use the Python to refill all the tanks then. We adjust the water temperature from the tap to about 78 degrees or so (to roughly match what's in all of the tanks), run some water through it into the bathtub to make sure that all the nasty water is out, and head over to the quarantine tank. We use a combination of two kinds of dechlorinators to dechlorinate the water as it's going in the tanks. Then we restart all the filters and air pumps, and everyone's happy.

All in all, it takes us roughly 45 minutes or so to take care of all of them.

EDIT: Ideally, you shouldn't do any more than 40% a week, otherwise you run the risk of disruption your biological filter. Seriously, if you have good water pressure in your house, look into getting a Python No-Spill kit - you will LOVE it! The pump hooks up to your sink, and the same tube will take water out and put water in - there's no lugging around buckets or anything. This thing has probably saved my back.

And to you people that talk about take the fish out of the aquarium, let it be known that you actually cause your fish more stress by doing that than by leaving them in.

Answer 3

I hardly ever clean my tanks, maybe every 6-8 months or so II will do a 30pct water change, and vacuum the gravel. I don't have a problem with disease or algae either. I believe that you can over clean your aquarium and stress the heck out of the system.
I have two filters on each (under gravel and hang on) and this keeps the water crystal clear and the fish happy. I don't feed them more than they can eat in a few minuets. They have live plants as well as artificial, and snails, ghost shrimp, catfish and I also like to have more fish than I should in a tank. I am never bored when I look at my fish, they are happy, healthy, and very active. Do what works for you, enjoy your hobby.

Answer 4

I personally only vacuum the gravel every 60/90 days (depending on the bioload). Also - I change only about 10-15% of the water every 7 days.

Other than that - fish are happy - water parameters are on point - and I just get to enjoy my native tanks.

I would not vacuum gravel as often as you are (and definitely not down to the level of the tank you are). That will stress the hell out of your fish, and cause all kinds of trouble.

Answer 5

unbelievable the answers you get out here no wonder people say fish tanks are to much work all you need to do is a partial water change once every two weeks and change your carbon and floss once a month disturbing your gravel is a big misconception the gravel is what keeps your water clean especially a tank that has been set up for a while this poop that everyone has a problem with will settle and break down and create essential bacteria that will in turn create pristine water(DO NOT DISTURB GRAVEL).

Answer 6

I have my shortcut method of cleaning the under gravel filter. Of course you need to clean the entire thing periodically as well.

Take a 1/2 litre plastic bottle (pepsi or anything else) and cut the base. From the mouth of the bottle, attach a few feet length of pipe and tape well.

Use this as a syphoon. As the water draws out, push the bottle base into the gravel and give a few twists. You will find all dirt coming out while the heavier gravel will will settle down at its place as you lift the bottle. Also, the sediments will not get mixed with the rest of water.

Try to cover the entire base, with only a few seconds at a time.

Answer 7

I have saltwater tanks so your system would kill off my tank. in salt or freshwater tanks you can buy certain types of fish that will clean your poop problem naturally. a gravel vac is a good system if you have very specific types, just buy a power head and some tubing so you can pump the water back in right away, also avoid any type of under gravel filter system. it will only pull all the waste into the gravel.

Answer 8

My beta lives in what I call a "fishatarium"--a tank with rocks and a plastic plant, but no filter or anything. Once a week, I scoop him out into a cup along with enough water to keep him happy, then pour out the rest of the water and take out the plant. Then I run hot water through the fishatarium and run my fingers (in rubber gloves) through all the rocks until no more fish gunk comes out of the water, and then I scrub the plant. Then I dump out all the hot water, turn the tap to room temperature, and refill the tank, adding chemicals when it's half full. Finally I add my fish back into his house and take him back to my room. Takes me all of five minutes, and he's been alive and happy for almost a whole year, now!

Answer 9

First, transfer your fishes to a separate pail with water, of course. Then drain the water from your fish tank, clean all the poop and everything else not necessary in the tank. Then clean your air filter. Bring back the pebbles and plants. Pour water enough for your fishies and for the tank not to overflow then put back the fishies.

Answer 10

ust the Filter Facts
To maintain the quality of the water in your aquarium, you'll need one or more filters to remove waste and chemicals. Remember, rinse activated charcoal to remove charcoal dust before placing it in the filter. Here are the most common kinds of filters:
# Box filter: Shaped like a box, this filter is filled with activated charcoal and a special fiber. Place it in the corner of the aquarium or attach it to the inside wall. The box filter is good for a 10-gallon aquarium, temporary aquarium setup, nursery tank for baby fish or isolation tank for sick fish. On the plus side, it's easy to remove and clean, but doesn't get many points in the looks department.
# Undergravel filter: This flat plastic "platform" is placed on the bottom of the aquarium and covered with gravel. Water is filtered through the gravel, under the platform and up through tubes; bacteria cultures in the gravel then go to work on waste (also known as fish poop). This kind of filter is good for 10- to 20-gallon tanks if there's adequate water flow. Since it's hidden, it won't take away from how good your tank looks, and the waste that gets trapped in the gravel makes a yummy snack for any plants rooted there. On the minus side, you'll need to break down the aquarium to clean under the platform.
# Outside filter: This filter hangs on the side or back of the tank. Water is drawn through a tube into a box containing filter medium and activated charcoal. It works great and is easy to clean--just make sure you get the right size for your tank.

Gravel Unravelled
The gravel in your aquarium has a lot of important jobs. It provides a place to live for the helpful bacteria that treat impurities in the water. It offers a place for plants to root, and just plain looks great.
# Pretreatment: Before placing gravel in your aquarium, rinse it with running water to remove dust and small particles.
# Texture: Use a coarser gravel if you have an underground filter. Finer gravel is good if you're using an outside filter. If there are plants in your aquarium, avoid very fine gravel, which may pack too tightly for roots to grow and spread.
# How much: You'll need about one pound of gravel for every gallon of water. If your aquarium holds 10 gallons, you'll need 10 pounds of gravel.

Let there be light! You'll need an aquarium cover and light fixture to limit water evaporation, prevent things from falling into the tank and keep your fish from jumping out. A flourescent fixture that provides full-spectrum lighting will show off the colors of your fish and help plants grow. Incandescent light fixtures give off heat, which makes it harder to keep the temperature constant. For this reason, an incandescent light should be on a schedule of 12 hours on and 12 hours off.