What do I need to do to clean a small 1-gallon tank with undergravel filter?

Question

My 1-gallon betta aquarium's water has been looking greenish-tinged and a little more opaque than water should be. I've had it for about 5 months and so far have just tried doing water changes - changed half the water, and that only helped just a little. There is a bit of algae growth, not what I would call really bad, and in among the rocks there is a bit of debris. Also the bubbler tube isn't making bubbles as much as it was when I first set it up about 5 months ago. Do I need to replace the little sponge-like bubblemaker (you know the thing that hooks up to the air tube and the bubbles come out of it and rise up from under the gravel)?

My husband is FREAKING OUT about the tank because it's not pure clear water. I'm not as concerned about it, as I think a certain amount of algae and stuff is normal, but I would like to know what may be done to get clearer-looking water if possible.

The walls of the tank do not have an algae film on them, the water just looks slightly discolored and the rocks on the bottom have some green on them.

Answer 1

Okay, first, it may sound strange, but the cleaner a tank is, the more algae will grow and the less healthy the water is for fish. We, as humans, think that pure, clean, sparkling water is the sign of healthy water, and maybe it is for humans, but for fish, it is extremely unhealthy. Water needs to cycle, which allows a beneficial bacteria to grow which makes water healthy. Next, your bubbler probably isn't putting out at its full output because your undergravel is clogged with debris. Undergravel filters can be great if you know a few things about what makes them run effectively. The regular size gravel that is typically sold for aquariums is too big for undergravel filters and allows the uneaten food and poop to get sucked down under the filter and it clogs up. Also, this big, loose gravel does not properly allow for maximum growth of the beneficial bacteria. You need to have a gravel that is more of a fine gravel/coarse sand type. Each grain ought to measure about 1/16" to 3/32". It should be grainy enough so that it does not "blow up" when the fish play in it, but tight enough to prevent the gunk from sinking through. You can also get a small powerhead filter that has a reverse flow. What this is, is a filter that you can reverse the direction the air flows and it will actually blow up from underneath the gravel and push up the gunk that has collected underneath the filter. At this point, you should remove half the water in your tank and keep that water in another bucket. This bucket should have never had soap or any other chemicals in it. Remove your fish and put him in that water. Leave the rest of the water in your tank. Remove all of your plants, decorations, gravel and just rinse these things in the remaining water. You can do a light cleaning of the plants and decorations with your fingers and rub off a majority of the algae, but don't scrub anything super, squeaky clean. Once you've cleared out everything, remove the undergravel filter and again, just rinse it in the remaining water. Wipe down the sides of the tank with a new sponge. You can scrape off the algae, but just remember to not get rid of all of it. Remove any remaining gravel there might be and siphon any remaining gunk floating around in the water. You can also just use your fish net or a strainer and swirl it around in the water, stirring up the gunk and catching it and then dump it out. Keep doing this until you can't catch anymore gunk. Don't take out all of the old water. Then replace the undergravel filter, then replace your gravel, plants, decorations, etc. and top off the old water with new water that has been treated with detoxifier/dechlorinator. This should be good enough to get your filter working at its maximum capacity again. Think about getting the finer gravel/coarse sand and/or the powerhead filter to avoid needing to disassemble your aquarium again in the future.

Answer 2

You don't need an algae eating fish to add to a 1 gallon tank! The algae is growing because of extra nutrients in the water, which is the same reason the water is cloudy. Get rid of the nutients and you fix both problems. When you change your water be sure you clean your gravel. The gunk in the gravel is the source of the nutrients. Yes, you will need to clean or replace the air stone (bubblemaker) at the end of the air tube, that will restore the bubble flow. These are cheap at any pet store, I would suggest you just buy a good hand full and keep them around so you can replace as needed. Too big of a pain to clean them properly.

You can safey change about 50% of the water every 3 or four days cleaning the gravel as you do and you will see vast improvement in less than 2 weeks. Once it's clear and staying clear you can increase the amount of time between water changes, but change water at the first hint of cloudiness.

Some will say to remove the under gravel. No need, it's fine. It's not the best filter, but certainly not the worst you can do either. Just leave it and keep it clean :)

That will fix you up in no time! Best of luck with it

MM

Answer 3

First, buy a scrubber appropriate for plastic (I'm assuming plastic) fishtanks. This is used to scrub algae and slimy stuff off the sides of the tank. This process alone will cause your view to be clearer.

If you have only changed half the water once in 5 months, I am not surprised it is so dirty. You should have at least cleaned/changed it five to seven times in that time period, or every few weeks.

The bubblemaker could be getting clogged with algae. What you need to do is disconnect the opposite end of the tubing from the air pump and blow in it hard, to push debris out of your air stone. You shouldn't need to replace it.

When you clean your tank, first scub the tank sides to get the algae off. Next, get a plastic spoon or something similar and stir up the gravel so the gunk in the rocks gets kicked up. Only then should you scoop water out, this way you're getting dirt and not just letting the dirt sit at the bottom while you clean the top which isn't dirty. A tank should never be greenish-tinged, this is true. If you have plastic plants and ornaments, take them out at this time and scrub them with the scrubber as well, until they are not slimy.

The debris on the bottom should be all poop and no food. If there is food mixed in, start feeding your fish only what he can eat in 3-5 minutes. Otherwise it will rot and make the water dirtier faster.

After you've scraped the sides, stirred up the water, scooped out half, and cleaned the ornaments, put the ornaments back in then replace the water. Your tank will be more sparkly than you thought possible. :)

My water-change suggestions are just suggestions. If you see the tank getting dirty faster, clean it more often. if you think it can go a few more days, do so. Just keep in mind that Slimy/Green = Need to Clean.

You don't have a big enough tank for an algae-eater, it would only make your problem worse. And you need to clean more often than Miss 5-gallon up there, because your tank is smaller and therefore gets dirty faster.

Answer 4

Undergravel filters are both loved and hated by fish keepers. Some love them, but in general they tend to trap debris underneath the grate where it just sits and rots (bad!)

Its a one gallon tank, you do NOT need a filter. Filter or not a one gal tank should be totally broken down and given a 100% cleaning every week.

the only time you do not have to give a tank a full cleaning is if its over 5 gallons and is cycled (the primary use for a filter.) Nothing under 5 gallons is going to cycle (and safely maintain one.)

Clean the tank from top to bottom, you should have been doing that already really. Once you do the inital cleaning (and do not put the undergravel filter back in) it will take 5-10 minutes once a week to clean. Just put your friend in a clean cup, remove and rise your rocks and the container in hot water (vinegar/bleach is good too but if used, care needs to be taken so that it is all rinsed away.) Put everything back, fill it up with room temp water (a empty gallon jug left out the night before or filled every week after you use it works well for this) and add water conditioner and your friend in his cup.

Answer 5

Get an algae eating fish problem solved and you should be changing the water and cleaning the tank once every month or two. Do you have also have a water managing kit that shows if water is acidic or neutral? Those help. Make sure you change the bubbler sponge that attaches to the bottom of the tube. Its lots of work to have a fish tank I have a 5 gallon and my tank is the same way. I have to rinse the filter every week and change it every month along with 1/3 of the water. Good luck!

Answer 6

I'm glad you have you betta in a filtered container. however, under gravel filters aren't exactly the best and are known for not keeping the water very clean, they're best used with another type of filter.

to answer your question in the shortest way possible, this is normal. if it bothers you be persistent about water changes, do them more frequently. what is more important are the levels of everything like ammonia and nitrates, ect... get a test and check those, as long as those stay at a good level you're fine.

also, while 1 gallon is quite spacious compared to what most provide bettas with for a healthy betta they should be in nothing smaller than 2.5 gallons. this is because in the wild they have very spacious territories and do NOT live in puddles. also because their water temp needs to be around 75°F-80°F, which mean room temp in not suitable. for room temp to work you'd need to keep your house at 85°F-90°F. obviously no one keeps their house at the temp, most people keep it at about 65°F, which means the water temp is about 55°F, much too cold for a tropical fish. at a 2.5 gallon tank you can add a heater, tanks smaller than that are too small to attempt a heater. 4 or 7.5 watt heater would be suitable for a 2 to 5 gallon tank.

betta don't need bubbles, in fact they just create extra current which makes it harder for the betta to swim because of his long fins. take out the bubbles and replace them with a heater.

I highly recommend a 2 - 5 gallon tank with a hang on the back filter (lowest power you can get) a small 4 - 7.5 watt heater, a thermometer, and a few silk plants. also, to fix the algae problem, get a mystery snail.

Answer 7

Take out the filter. Do a 100% change and put new dechlorinated water back in with the fish. Clean everything.

A 1 gallon tank cannot cycle. The undergravel filter does nothing but build up ammonia in the water. The ammonia is toxic to the fish. Just take out the whole filter. You will need to change 100% of the water weekly, or do two 50% changes. Use a turkey baster to remove poop from the gravel.

Answer 8

Bettas are pretty resilient. You can change about 90% of the water and he's be ok. Take him and the water out, maybe just enough for a cup or glass. Rinse the rocks off and refill it, just make sure the water is dechlorinated and room temp as to not shock the betta when you replace him.

Answer 9

Hello there! My husband and I have recently become fascinated by this wide world of freshwater fish and have been studying up on anything and everything as much as we can. From the experience we have with our own tank it sounds like you need to check the pH balance. We currently use a powder form that sets it at exactly 7.0 but are going to be switching to "pH Down" (our natural water runs high; also available in "pH up") which is better if you have live plants. This is what worked for us after trying everything else to get the water clear. Good luck!

Answer 10

I don't know what you intend to put in there, but unless it's snails or shrimp, it's not going to live long even with a filter. 1 gallon is too small even for a betta.