Tips for Cleaning Fish Tanks

Cleaning a fish tank is an important part of caring for any fish you keep as pets. They deserve a clean environment to swim in. Routine cleanings are easier than most people think. The important thing is keeping algae and debris to a minimum by changing the water and tidying up the tank on a regular basis.

• Do not remove all of the items within the fish tank. The rocks, accessories and other items inside are home to bacteria that work to keep the water clean by eliminating the wastes from the fish. Having these bacteria in the tank makes the filter's job easier.


• Use magnetic scrubbers to remove the algae from the glass of the fish tank. Cleaning pads that look similar to the scrubbers are found in the kitchenware section of department stores, but avoid using these. They are sometimes made with soap or chemicals on them, which can be dangerous to the fish.


• Remove about 20 percent of the water when cleaning the tank. It isn't necessary to remove all of it because you can use a siphon to clean the decorations and rocks. You do not have to remove the fish either, unless you need to remove all the water and do a thorough cleaning.


• Clean any decorations that are heavily covered with algae. If you follow a regular fish tank maintenance schedule, this should not be needed. Avoid using soap, as the residue cannot be completely removed. Instead, use a solution of 10 percent bleach and 90 percent warm water to clean the items that cannot be cleaned with a scrubber.