2007-02-05 16:10:09 · 12 answers · asked by Beth H 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
I agree with not using soap or bleach or any other chemical cleaners, but I will go one step further and say that you shouldn't use fresh water from the tap. There is fluoride, iodine, chlorine, chloramine, traces of potassium permanganate, magnesium sulfate, nickel sulfate, copper sulfate, various heavy metal-nitrate complexes, as well as pollutants such as lead, PCB, mercury, and silver nitrate and a whole bunch of things that aren't good for fish and cause algae to grow. You're already scrubbing off too much beneficial bacteria just by cleaning the plants in the first place, so use the old water that you removed from the tank from your 25% water change and rinse the plants in that. Use just your fingers, if at all possible, to clean the plants. The less scrubbing the better. Leave them just a little dirty. Really. I know it sounds strange, but the cleaner a tank is, besides losing the beneficial bacteria, the faster algae grows. So, if you leave a little algae on things, algae will not grow in your tank so quickly either.
2007-02-05 18:03:23 · answer #1 · answered by Venice Girl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The person who told you to scrub them off with a brush and warm water is right, but I always thought that was a pain in the rear. Just buy a Siamese Algae Eater or two, and within a week your entire tank will be sparkling clean and free of algae. They are a beautiful coppery gold color with a bold black stripe running all the way down their sides, and they will not harm any of the fish in your tank, since they are pretty social. Just make sure you buy some algae wafers for them, because they will scour all the algae from your tank in no time and starve.
2007-02-05 16:27:13 · answer #2 · answered by kaputt_18 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No Bleach or any Cleaning Chemicals they will Kill the fish !! Only clean under running water with a scrub brush that you can buy at the pet store for cleaning fish tanks or at walmart in the pet department too ! the brush will scrub off the black stuff and the water rinses it off ! its really easy to do ! Just don't use soap or anything just water and the brush !!
2007-02-05 16:19:36 · answer #3 · answered by monkeymomma46 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Run them under warm water and wipe off with a clean cloth.
Do not use bleach or detergent, just elbow grease.
2007-02-05 16:13:23 · answer #4 · answered by Gargirl™® 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
do not use bleach, the lady above is dumb, that will kill your fish, just rinse them in warm water, then wipe the leafs and stem with some paper towels.
2007-02-05 16:14:04 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
All that I do is rinse them off with water.
2016-05-23 22:33:13 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Put them in the dishwasher, after you make sure to remove all the rocks!
2007-02-05 16:19:40 · answer #7 · answered by david r 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
use hot water. ONLY WATER!!! NO soap or bleach! Scrub them off with your hands.
2007-02-05 16:48:40 · answer #8 · answered by Jebarj90 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
you could take them outside and as long as they arent fragile, spray them on high with a hose. works pretty dangg well =]
2007-02-05 16:19:19 · answer #9 · answered by lauren =] 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
bleach and a scrub brush
2007-02-05 16:12:41 · answer #10 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋