what is the best way to clean fish tank small small rocks that coat the bottom of the tank?

Question

they get dirty and i find brushing them with a toothbrush is the only way to keep them really clean. but that takes too much time as i have lots for little pebbles.

Answer 1

If you mean keeping them free of discoloration like algae and biofilm, I'm afraid there's not much way to do that. In fact, you are doing your fish more harm than good everytime you try to get that gravel sparkling clean.

Gravel is where the majority of the beneficial bacteria grow in your aquarium. That bacteria is the only natural way to keep toxic ammonia from damaging your fish.

To have gravel that stays the same color it is when you buy it, stick with the natural-colored gravels -- tans and browns that aren't too dark and aren't too light. Any other color is going to stop looking like a sterile, painted rock and start looking like part of the living ecosystem that it is in an aquarium.

That said, you DO need to vacuum it with a special siphon like the previous poster said. This isn't to clean the pieces of gravel themselves, but to remove the fish poop and other waste that has sunk down in there. If you don't remove it, it slowly biodegrades into ammonia and other toxins, which will cause continual funguses and infections in your fish.

Answer 2

It's called a siphon you can get it at any pet store

With that you suck all the dirt out of your tank and between the stones
And you're not suppose to clean your gravel off completely anyway, since they have good bacteria on them

Good luck
Hope that helped

Answer 3

you need a vacume for fish tanks go to walmart they are cheaper then the pet store and the same thing.... it is a hose you put one end in a bucket them use the other to vacume the bottom of the tank..........it has a cone on the end that sucks the water into the hose then into the tank make sure to leave at least 4 inches of water in the bottom of the tank then refill the rest