Aquarium filters: Is there one that will require zero cleaning of the tank?

Question

I recently bought a large aquarium, and of course a few live plants, rocks, ect. to go along with it. And draining that huge thing every two weeks or so is gonna be a HUGE pain. Are there any filters out there that will make your tank 100% self cleaning? And what about the live plants? Will uprooting them from the gravel to clean the tank kill them or make them loose and unable to reroot themselves? Thanks! :)

Answer 1

No, no 100% self cleaning filters. All you have to do, is PARTIAL weekly water changes, of about 20-25%, which is dependent on how big the tank is and how many fish are in it. Usually though, 25% is enough. You're best bet, spend about 20.00 and purchase a python. It makes cleaning the tank so much easier. Here's a link for what it is. Think walmart and most pet stores sell them.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=5566&Ntt=python&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&pc=1&N=0&Nty=1

Don't ever do a 100% cleaning, and scrub everything. That'll kill off all the beneficial bacteria and cause your tank to cycle all over again. Leave the plants alone, don't mess with the gravel, and if you have any rocks or decorations that need cleaning, put some tank water in a bucket, and scurb it in the tank water with a new never used toothbrush to get any algae off. Or, if your tank is large enough, get one of the plecos for algae control. But wait until your tank is running awhile and starts to get some algae. You'll also need to supplement them with algae wafers and shrimp pellets.

All in all, it's not much work really. Once you know what you're doing, and get a schedule, you can do a good job in 15-30 minutes. I have 7 tanks, and I get them done in about 60-90 minutes or so.

Answer 2

just read on cycling a tank then you will understand that cleaning a tank shouldn't be that difficult. if you let your tank cycle naturally then all you should have to do is maybe a 10% water change every week to 2 weeks. Get a good filter that will hold carbon, a algae scrubber for the inside of your tank, a good test kit and a siphon vacume. Once a week brush any algae build up off the inside glass, then vacume your gravel till you have removed all obvious waste on the top of your rock (this will remove water also) then after your done add the water back. Check your amonia, nitrite, ph levels make sure they are all good and go on your merry way it only takes about 30 min or so to do all this and it will improve your tank health over all. There is no filter that can do it all they all require some human help but there is no reason to empty the entire tank each time infact its not very healthy for your fish. Hope this helps

Answer 3

There really isn't a 100% self cleaning fliter. Stuff will always settle to the bottom of the tank and collect. The more quickly your water recycles will drastically cut down on the amount that settles to the bottom but it won't elimate it completly. Basicly your filter should recycle water at a rate of 2-3 times the capacity of the tank an hour. For example if you have a 20 gallon tank, you want a filter that can fliter 40-60 gallons of water an hour at least. The faster the water can be recycled, the cleaner it will be.

You should rinse your filter pad(s) at least once a week, and replace them every month or so as the charcoal in the filter is what removes impurities.

Uprooting the plants usually won't kill them and they will be able to reroot themselves. The thing to remember is that some plants can be extremely fragile and prone to damage. Look for more hardy plants. Becareful when buying live plants. Many are infested with snails even if you can't see them. Once you get snails in your tank it's almost impossible to get rid of them.

ETA: Keep your aquarium out of direct sunlight. Sunlight causes alge growth. There are fish that can help keep your tank clean, but they won't elimate cleaning the tank.

Answer 4

You shouldn't have to clean the tank that often. You do need to check the pH of the tank though. You need to buy the kits to test your water. I have a 55 gallon tank and bought a bio-filter. It works really well at keeping the pH balanced. One thing is don't get too many fish. The ammonia (their waste) can build up fast. Get a kit for testing that too. The other answerer was correct about the placaustimus (or sucker fish). It will help keep the bottom clean. One other necessary thing is an air pump to keep oxygen in the water. Don't heat the water past 78 degrees either. This can cause the water to get nasty fast. If the water does get cloudy and the pH is high, you will need to clean the tank. But it isn't as hard as it seems. You get a hose that can suck the water out (to about 1/4 left)
The bio-filter that I use is called, Emperor Filters. Very easy to install and because it creates its own bacteria that helps keep the pH and ammonia down, it is worth it.

Answer 5

do a gravel vaccuum and 20% water change every week and you should be fine. wipe down the insides of the tank and pull out arficial plants rocks, whatever you can and wash them off in hot water when you do this. taking it apart and cleaning it isn't good for you or the fish. if you gravel vac and partial water change weekly you should be good for a long time. it really doesn't even take that long. 30 mins a week as opposed to an all day adventure.

different plants react differently to different environments. some won't grow if you uproot them a lot.

Answer 6

Best bet is to get a canister filter, fluval makes a good one, a python "no spill" syphoning kit, and a pleco. The canister filter makes filter changes easy and it circulate the water nicely. The python kit makes water changes and gravel cleaning easy, just hook the hose up to a sink and go from there. And the pleco will last forever and keep the tank algae free. My pleco is about 8 years old, and a foot long. The tank he is in has never had an algae problem.

Answer 7

The undergravel filter does not require very frequent cleaning, but I don't know of any that are 100% efficient, unless you are going to use distilled water and not put any fish in the aquarium. Fish that are bottom feeders are also helpful in keeping your tank cleaner for longer periods of time. Overfeeding will dirty your tank much quicker and require more frequent cleaning to keep your fish healthy. If I remember right, you should not give them more than they can eat in 15-20 minutes. Removing the plants gently should not hurt them too much and they should do fine after cleaning your tank. If you want to have healthy fish, you will have to keep your tank clean, and yes it is a lot of work. Any kind of pet you get is a lot of work in one way or another, and if you are not willing to do the work, you should not get the pet.

Answer 8

No, there is NO SUCH THING as a maintenance free aquarium. It is a closed system so the dissolved organics NEED TO BE removed regularly. Their are tools to help tho, such as Pythons.
http://www.petwalk.com/product_review/aquariumpump.html.asp
Since i dont have good water pressure, i use a manual siphon and a bucket to clean the bottom of my fish tanks and i use the Python to fill the tanks back up. http://www.marinedepot.com/IMD/mt_py_proclean.jpg

To the moron who answered first, Plecostamus' DO NOT help clean an aquarium. Yes they eat algae, but they crap copious amounts so you still need to vacuum the gravel with a siphon.

Answer 9

Not that i am aware off. But i do know you do not empty the whole tank when you are cleaning it you do not want to lose all the good bacteria you have only empty one forth to one half. of your water when cleaning. You only 100 % clean the tank when a partial cleaning is not enough and that is not too often and uprooting your plant will not harm them just put them in a bucket of water till you are done cleaning. The best place to go to get the Best advice is Pet Smart they are great.

Answer 10

.you should only have to change some of the water every week or two...and clean the glass...you shouldn't be uprooting the plants and disturbing the gravel that much...I'm not to sure if you realize that cleaning a tank doesn't mean dismantling it