Clean tank without Vac?

Question

I don't have a gravel vac, and right now I'm in a situation where I can't afford to spend $5 or more on ANYTHING. My tank needs cleaned, though.

I have a 10 gal, with a lot of plants and a saturated log. I rarely ever have to do anything to my water or anything. I'm also running two filters.

I have four fish.. One Placo, and the rest are Platys. Two just had baby fish and there is poop and stuff EVERYWHERE. My water is still very clear, but the poop is on the gravel..

How can I clean this? Should I take out most of the water, transfer it to another tank, transfer the fish, and rinse it? I don't have a gravel vac, and like I said, I can't afford anything extra right now.. Pleeeeaaasee help. =) Thanks!!

Answer 1

Do you have any plastic soda bottles around? If you do, cut the top off one just where the sides start to become straight. You can punch/drill a hole through the top and attach any piece of tubing (like the kind you get for air pumps in the aquarium, but a little larger of a diameter is better [and faster] - you want the hole to be just big enough for the tubing to fit through).

Answer 2

Here's a practically free solution: Lower the water level with a cup or pitcher until you can use a drinking straw to spot clean until you save enough for the gravel vac. You need to be able to put one end on the bottom and have the top end out in the air. Put the bottom end over the poop, cap the top end with your thumb, then pull it out and take your thumb back off over a bowl or cup.

But poop that sits more than a couple of days starts to decompose and turn into gunk in the gravel (mulm) which generates ammonia. If your tank is well-cycled, it will probably just generate nitrates, but it's still not healthy for the fish. Bottom dwellers especially that have those noses down in it tend to get infections and funguses if you don't siphon that stuff up.

A 10 gallon really only needs a small siphon (those go for around $10 so maybe you could save up?) and you can even just use rubber tubing from the hardware store, which is pretty cheap if you only need a couple of feet. That will be a harder thing to use for such a small tank though, because if the tube is too fat, the water comes out so fast you don't have enough time to get the gravel cleaned before you have to stop.

Answer 3

Larger chain pet stores do sell smaller manual gravel vacs for under $5. I recommend saving your change, searching couch and car cushons...? Its worth it for the health of your fish and your sanity. $2-3 is far cheeper for the prevention of a probelm then the money needed to cure fish of disease.

A turkey baster works great (as opposed to sucking on the tube *blechy!*) to create/start the siphon in a gravel vac, as well as for spot cleaning (like described in another of your answers).

Other things you might try:
- If you have a fine mesh fish net you can also use that to get larger debree
- If you have a wet/dry vac- Move 5 gal of water and fish, log, and plants to a bucket or two. Using rubber bands (or similar) take a plastic baggie tightly over the end of a the narrow attachment and poke some small holes in it. Use it to stir the gravel. (A friend has done this in a similar pinch- but this is not usually recommended and is stressful on the fish.)
- Or... Clean the tank in this order:
0) Before starting- set aside one gallon of water and expose it to the air in a bucket for 24 hours- this will evaporate much of the chlorine (but not the chromides)
.5) Day of- if possible, move fish and tank water to a dedicated bucket for them. If not, proceed carefully.
1) Set aside about 1 gallon of tank water from the top of the tank (cleaner water) and line a colundar with plastic wrap or a clean plastic grocery bag.
2) In your sink gently rinse any mechanical (sponge) filter media, silk/plastic plants, and the log. A bleached unused or old toothbrush can help with cleaning here- as can a veggie sprayer. This will break up scum and mulm cleaning to the plants
3) Carefully scoop out as much gravel as possible and put it in the lined colundar
4) Rinse the gravel and your biological filter media (if present), and live plants,in the aquariam water.
5) Using a toothpick (or similar) Poke SMALL holes in the plastic bag- but not the size of the colundar holes. This will keep rock from going down your sink with the water and mulm,
6) Using a scoop or your hands- gently return the rock to the tank. DO NOT dump it in or you could risk damage to the bottom of your tank.
7) Turn filter(s) back on for about 30min to an hour to begin to remove floating debree 8) Return fish and water to tank

By using the aquariam water you'll preserve much of the beneficial bacteria in the gravel.

Only caution- if you're doing water changes, be sure to use your water treater of choice. Or you will hold off a Nitrate and Ammonia problem, but potentially create a chlorine and chromide problem.

(Sorry this got longish) Good Luck!

Answer 4

A gravel vac is a particularly much less costly aquarium gadget, and it makes cleansing up your tank rather consumer-friendly! I surprisingly propose one, besides the incontrovertible fact that, in case you haven't any longer have been given one the sole thank you to freshen up the gravel is to take it out and rinse it. I do propose in contrast device besides the incontrovertible fact that because of the fact wholesome micro organism on your tank stay interior the gravel mattress and by removing the gravel thoroughly to rinse it you're additionally rinsing away all that wholesome micro organism! As for the fish, you are able to depart them interior the tank, scoop out the gravel and rinse it, then return it to the tank. or you are able to drain some aquarium water right into a bowl or bucket, and place the fish in that on a similar time as you sparkling your tank. basically be effective to no longer depart them in there too long.

Answer 5

Do like the old days before Gravel Vacs. sifen your tank with a regular water hose or any hose let the hose hang all the way in your tank, leave a dip lop on the outside an start sucking it out, when the water gets close aim it in a bucket!!!

Answer 6

Use a turkey baster to suck out scuz and poop when you see it (don't reuse the turkey baster for humans please, keep one just for the fish tank). You can water your plants with the stuff. Do your weekly water changes to keep the nitrite/ammonia levels low and the nitrates in balance--and you can do this by using a cup to scoop the water. You should be good to go.

Answer 7

If you look around you can find some siphons cheep... http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3889&Ntt=hose&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=2004&Nty=1 If nothing else, just cut a 6ft piece of garden hose and use it to siphon the gunk off the top of the gravel.

Answer 8

I suggest putting sand instead of gravel, once you have the money, because then the filter is able to pick everything up, and there is no need for vaccuming.

Hope this helps!

Answer 9

just drain your tank. take all your fish out and wash it in the tub. It should be easy since you have a ten gallon. But to be honest, I never clean my tank. I have a hundred gallon and a 35 gallon. i