do i have to clean a starfish tank myself if so how do i do it?

Question

i need to know and be very clear if i have to clean it i dont know how to

Answer 1

Yes, you have to clean tanks for starfish the same as you do for any aquarium (fresh or saltwater). Both get buildups of organic wastes (you feed them, they poo) and the only way to remove the organic nutrients so you don't get an algae problem is to do partial water changes.

Your first step is to mix up the replacement water. You need to have a container large enough that it will hold at least 1/4 of the tank volume, preferably with a lid to reduce evaporation if you don't use all the water you mix. Add salt and water (if you use tap water, use cold only and add a conditioner if you have chloramine rather than chlorine in your water). I have a spare powerhead that I use to mix mine, but you can do this by hand with an aquarium net if necessary. You want to do this at least a day ahead so the water reaches room temperature by the time you're ready to use it.

The following day, check the salinity and make any necessary adjustments by adding salt or water. Once you have the salinity correct, get ready to clean. Use an algae scraper to remove any algae from the walls of the tank. A powerhead or turkey baster can be used to blow debris out from on, under, or between live rock. Use a gravel vacuum to clean anything laying on the substrate - depending on the size of the substrate you used, it may or may not tend to want to be pulled up by the siphon. If it does, keeping a "U" bend in the tubing that you can squeeze shut will slow the water flow so it falls back out (this takes some practice!) Let the water drain into a bucket if you don't have a nearby floor drain. Only remove about 10-25% of your water while cleaning the gravel, then replace the water by adding what you mixed slowly to the tank. you should do this about once every week, or sooner if your water testing for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate indicates it. You want to keep the ammonia and nitrite below 0.5 ppm (these should be = 0 in an established tank) and the nitrate under 20ppm, although lower is even better.