I just cleaned my fish aquarium but the water is still green it's alot of stuff moving around debris and stuff maybe old food particles and such I couldn't drain my tank so I had to dump the water out. I just moved in my house and the person left me this aquarium and I'm figuring they never cleaned it. What should I do?
2007-03-13 13:11:33 · 14 answers · asked by buttafingababi 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
Are there any live fish in it? More info please...
Here's a free book to get you started
http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/basic/index.cfm
2007-03-13 13:35:52 · answer #1 · answered by something_fishy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That clown was doing real good until he got to step #9. Anyone who just throws away fish has no business having a pet of any kind. People like that treat other people the same way they treat pets. Use them and throw them away....
Just remember that what goes around, comes around. Karma is what you give to the world, Karma is what you get from the world. It all comes home eventually...
Back to the tank. Once you remove everything, throw some salt into the empty wet tank, make a paste out of it and scrub the tank down with a brand new scrubby. Then save it and only use it on your aquarium to clean it later (the scrubby, I mean).
If there were any decorations in the tank, boil them along with the gravel and they will be fine. Boil for about five minutes at a rolling boil.
Rinse it out and it is ready to go. Replace the gravel and any decorations and fill with water. Start your filter and set your heater (if you are going to have tropicals) where it needs to be for the fish you are going to get. Goldfish don't require a heater, but they do need a filter. They are dirty little guys.
Goldfish are good cycling fish and can be taken back to the fish store when the cycle is complete. Zebra danios are also good if you are going to have a tropical tank and are good looking fish so you can keep them when it is cycled.
Email me if you have any more questions. I will be glad to help.
2007-03-13 20:45:59 · answer #2 · answered by 8 In the corner 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree with the getting a gravel vac, but you dont need to change 1/3 of the water, every other day and you definatley dont have to change all the water, and gravel and buy a new filter system. Just do a large water change, like 50% to get most of the guck out. Gravel vacs pull the rotting fish food, rotting algae and feces out from under the gravel so the tank doesnt get all stirred up by dumping out the water like you have. Change the filter cartridge to help pick up any remaining debris in the water. You can purchase algae destroyer, and scrap the algae from the sides of the tank. Algae grows more with light, wether direct sunlight, indirect, and even your tanks light will make the algae grow faster. Try to limit the light being on to just a few hours at night. And keep the shades pulled during the day to help. Spring and fall are usually the most common algae bloom problems in aquariums. Just give it a good cleaning, but do NOT change all the water because you would have to cycle the tank again. (good bacteria) also note, that it takes more then just one week of small goldfish to cycle a tank. Pick up an algae eater fish. (pleco)
Have fun
2007-03-13 20:27:08 · answer #3 · answered by intense 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You should NOT change all the water at once, again...since you just did that. Go to the pet section of your local department store and get a gravel vacuum. It's about $10 and it's like a syphon hose with one big end, and one small end. Directions are on the box. Use that to vacuum the particles out of the gravel, and then...every 3 or 4 days, do a 1/3 water change on the tank. Make sure you're using dechlorinator in the water if you use tap water, and make the temperature as close to the tank temperature as possible.
Do this until the water looks cleaner. Keep in mind...with you doing a complete water change, your tank will probably have to cycle, so it WILL get hazy or cloudy for a day or so. I don't mean the green stuff...I mean just sort of cloudy. That will go away once the good bacteria become stable. Are you using a filter? Be sure to get one if you aren't, and if you are...make sure doesn't need a new cartridge or whatever refill it takes.
You can take my word for it, or you can call your local pet store.
2007-03-13 20:17:05 · answer #4 · answered by Lisa E 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Does your tank have a filter? Maybe you need to look into purchasing a new one because it sounds like the old one isn't working. Also, the green water mean algae. Got to the pet store with a sample of your water and have it tested. They should be able to help you pick out the correct filter and any supplies you might need to clear up your water. Algae eaters such as a pleco would love to take care of that green water for you. You might ask the petstore guy if the water is safe for one.
Good luck! Fish are awesome - you're going to have so much fun!
2007-03-13 20:26:49 · answer #5 · answered by jmrob29 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, I have gold fish and first of all don't take the fish out
or take the whole water out.
Get new filters and if you don't have a filter go to a fish store or a Pet Shop.
Ask for a filter and 1 or more filter bags.
And, you can get this sponger with a handle to scrub you tank.
And you can get this stuff called "Algae Destroyer" that gets rid of allergy (the green stuff) .
Then there's This Company called "Clear" and it says Biological under it.
And under The Bio (ect.) it says Biological Water Clarifier.
That should clean your tank.
You need to have water in it to work.
And do this at the same time or individually.
From zoehala98
Date: 3/13/07 Tues.
2007-03-13 20:28:45 · answer #6 · answered by zoehala98 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Did you vacuum the gravel? If it's an old tank that hasn't been cleaned in a while there is probably a lot of gunk in the rocks. You can buy an apparatus that will clean the gravel as it sucks water out.. it's just a siphon with a large tube at the tip to allow the gravel to float around and sink as it draws water out. (or you can shovel the gravel out and wash it and put new water back in)
2007-03-13 20:19:11 · answer #7 · answered by mackn 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a bad idea to change change all the water at once.
Do you have any sort of filter? If not, try a under gravel filter.
How did you siphon the water out? You can get pipes with a big end on it, use the big end to suck up the dirt. It will not suck up the gravel.
2007-03-14 07:15:46 · answer #8 · answered by Nathan H 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I used to have an aquarium and I ended up hiring somebody to clean in, it was just to much B.S. for me. Runs at around $80-$100 a cleaning. But all that stuff floating around will settle down and than the water will look clearer.
You can also go to Petco or such and they can help you with equipment to clean it more efficient.
2007-03-13 20:17:35 · answer #9 · answered by Mama 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
don't clean it completely, because you'll lose all your good bacteria and you'll have to start the cycle all over, (which would take between 2 - 4 weeks). anyway, get a gravel siphon and change about 30% of the water each day, and clean the glass with a wash rag every day till it's clean.
2007-03-13 21:08:39 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
This is what you do.
1-Remove all the water, gravel, filter, and everything else from the tank
2-Wash off the filter completely, remove the filter cartridge(white part) and throw it away.
3-wash off your gravel and everything else in your tank thorougly with hot water (no soap.)
4-get a new Filter cartridge and put it in the filter along with the heater if you have one.
5-Put all new water in tank and dechlorinate it with your dechlorinating chemical
6-put your gravel and everything else you took out back in(not including fish or water)
7-put some goldfish in there (3 or 4 small 25 cent feeders)
8-wait about 1 week for the tank to be completely cycled and put whatever fish you want in there
9-remove the old goldfish and throw them away
2007-03-13 20:18:12 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋