How to clean a 55 gallon fish tank?

Question

It's getting really dirty and I don't know what to use to clean it. The gravel is really dirty, but the water is clear. Please help me! I have too many beautiful fish for a dirty tank!

Answer 1

Never take out your fish when you do waterchanges
never clean your tank a 100%

Even if your water is crystal clear, doesn't mean that it's free of ammonia

It sounds like you haven't done a waterchange in a long time

I would do a 50% partial waterchange with a gravel siphon right away. But no more then that. Fill it up with water that has been sitting out for at least 24 hours and also treat it with waterconditioner before you add it to your tank as directet on your bottle.
here is on how to do a waterchange
http://fishlesscycling.com/articles/how_to_do_a_partial_water_change.html

After you have done the waterchange you need to keep up with weekly partial waterchanges of 25% with a gravel siphon

Expect the water to be cloudy after doing a waterchange, because of the foodparticles and waste which will be swimming around but DON'T use any chemicals to get rid of it, it will set on it's own in 24-48 hours, and you will have crystal clear water again.

Also your carbon cartridge needs to be replaced every 4-6 weeks



Hope that helps
good luck


EB


feel free to email me if i can help further

Answer 2

Ok, first of all, DON'T take all your fish out! This will stress your fish way too much.

Secondly, DON'T remove all the water!

You should be doing at least monthly water changes of about 10-20%, which is about 5-10 gallons with a tank your size. If you haven't been doing that, you'll probably want to change at least 25-30% of the water now.

You use a gravel vacuum. You can buy one from any pet store with a fish section. As mentioned by some others, it's basically a big piece of large air hose with a wide piece of hard plastic tubing at one end. There are fancier types, like "Pythons" and you can get battery operated gravel vacuums and stuff, but in a pinch you can even just use a turkey baster or a piece of spare airline tubing.

You fill it up with water and get the small end draining into a bucket so you have a siphon going. Then you guide the wide end around over the surface of your gravel to suck up all the gunk from the bottom of your fish tank. If you have shrimp or bottom dwelling fish that might get in your way, just push them aside. Sometimes the fish are curious and come to see what you're doing - be careful not to suck them up! Depending on how dirty your tank is, you can move decorations and clean under them, or leave them be and just clean around them. You can poke the vac down into the gravel a bit to stir things up, but don't clean more than the top 1/4 inch. The finer gunk at the very bottom (called mulm) is actually good for any live plants you have in your tank and is breaking down and feeding your beneficial bacteria.

Keep vacuuming up gunk until you have removed as much water as you want/need to. Then replace the water with fresh, conditioned water of about the same temperature as your tank water. Don't be surprised or upset if your water looks a little hazy or cloudy or there's some debris swirling around inside your tank right after a water change. You always stir some stuff up and you can't get 100% of the gunk when you vacuum. It'll all settle down and get filtered out in a little while and your water will clear shortly.

Do all of the above and TA-DA! You've just completed a full water change on your aquarium! You need to do this about once a month or more often if you have problems with ammonia, nitrite or nitrate levels in your water.

Answer 3

Don't need to take the fish out. That is overkill and really stresses the fish out. Get a syphon bell with hose. Stick the bell end into the water and suck on the other end. Gravity will do the rest. Run the water out into a bucket, or down the sink, out a door or window. It will only work if the end of the tube is lower in elevation than the bell in the tank. If you need a longer tube go to Home Depot and get water tubing cut to length you need and attach that one instead of the tube that came with the kit.
When the water begins to flow stick the bell end into the gravel and suck up all the mulm. Move slowly and gently to keep the mulm from rising up into the water column so much. Do this slowly and systematically until all the gravel has been vacuumed. This should have been purchased as part of the tank set up. Changing water is the most important thing you need to do for your fish, hands down. You have neglected it far too long, its a wonder your fish have made it through this.
Clear water doesn't mean healthy water. Green water is actually better.
When you fill the tank add the dechlorinator first to the tank, then fill slowly with a BRAND NEW water hose. You don't want to use an old one, it will be full of dangerous bacteria.

Answer 4

Ok, EVERYTHING that "Kat" said is complete BS. She should never answer another fish question again, and she probably shouldn't own fish. She basically gave you instructions on how to destroy your tank and kill all your fish. You do not take the fish out, you do not rinse the gravel in anything, not tap water, definitely not vinegar, you NEVER carry a tank with any amount of water in it - the weight of the water will cause the tank to warp and crack or the seals to fail. For that matter you shouldn't even carry the tank with gravel alone.

Everything everyone else said about getting a siphon is the way to go. You can get one with a wider attachment that will suck the gravel up and pull the muck out of it. I use the python, it goes directly from your tank to the sink and vice versa. No mess, no buckets, no carrying water, it's so easy.

Good luck.

Answer 5

You need to get a fliter to suction out the dirt each month. Right now use a a suction hose to suction out all the water into a bucket, than thoroughly clean the rocks. Use water from the hose outside ONLY, as tap water ofen has too many chemicals in it. Get a bottom dweller (aka: algea eater) to eat away all the algea each week, use : "Chlor Out" (nuetralizes cholrine), Easy Balance (reduces frequent water changes)-water conditioner and nitrate reducer. Also use " Aqua safe", water conditioner.) Get a double outlet aquarium pump, the more water that is moving, the less algae that will build up. Put a few live plants for oxygen. Clean the tank every two months, each time you clean though, save some of the old water and mix into the new clean water (this will help to re-establish ecosystem and keep it equalized.)

Answer 6

clean 55 gallon fish tank

Answer 7

Hit a pet shop, one that specializes in fish. Sounds like you need a vacuum, which is just a siphon hose with a wide clear plastic end, and a tank scrubber. You might also want to invest in a plex, one of those sucker fish. They keep your tank clean also.

When you vacuum toss the old water and make sure the new stuff is treaded with declorinator. Take to the guys at the fish store. They usually know their stuff

Answer 8

get one of those syphons (sp?) or a gravel vac is what it basically is. when you put it in the water it will get a suction and it will suck up the gravel but the filter on it will keep any gravel, plants or fish from getting sucked it just let it drain into a bucket and then when the water fills that bucket your done! just refill the tank, and if your gravel is still dirty after that you can repeat it :) i have a 55 gallon tank and also a 45 gallon so trust me i know how difficult it is!

Answer 9

Sounds like you need a vacuum, which is just a siphon hose with a wide clear plastic end, and a tank scrubber. I'd get an undergravel filter as well.

Answer 10

Do you have a filter under your gravel? Even still tanks need to be emptied and cleaned depending on your filtration system at least once a year.