How To Clean Fish Tanks Properly

Want to learn how to clean fish tanks properly? Part of having a fish tank is properly taking care of it. Your fish deserve an clean, healthy environment as much as you do. Read on to find out how to clean your fish tank properly.

What you need to clean fish tanks properly:

• algae scraper or pad from pet store
• bleach
• vinegar
• new bucket used just for cleaning tank
• water siphon
• clean water source

1. Scrape the tank. Using the algae scraper, scrape the inside of the tank in order to remove any algae or debris from the inside of the tank. Be sure to use a specific algae scraper or pad made specifically for fish tanks. This is because a scraper or pad made for general household use may contain chemicals or cleaners that would kill your fish.
2. Remove the rocks and decorations. Take any of the larger rocks – not the gravel, any fake plants, and any other decorations such as lighthouses out of the tank.
3.  Make a bleach solution. Create a 10 percent solution of bleach, meaning 90 percent water to just 10 percent bleach. 
4. Clean the decorations. Using the algae scraper, scrub the decorations with the bleach solution. You can soak items in the solution for ten minutes and then scrub again if the algae is stubborn.  Rinse well with clean water and let air dry to get rid of any remaining bleach on them.
5. Vacuum gravel. Using the water siphon, vacuum the entire surface of the gravel in your aquarium. Depending on the kind of water siphon you have, you may need to use the bucket at this point with the siphon. Some siphons do not require use of a bucket for the water exchange. If you do need a bucket for the siphon, purchase  new bucket and use it only for cleaning the fish tank water – nothing else as any other chemicals can harm the fish.
6. Clean the rest of the tank. Now that the inside is clean, you need to clean the hood of the tank, the top of the tank, and finally the glass sides. Use a cleaning solution of vinegar and water for this as regular glass cleaners contain substances that can be fatal for fish.

 That's it – now you know how to clean fish tanks properly. The better you take care of the tank, the healthier your fish will be. Be sure to use the bleach and vinegar solutions for cleaning so that you don't harm your fish and use an algae scraper or pad from the pet store. That tank will be sparkling clean in no time.