guavanectar

How can I keep my aquarium as clean as it can be? Or any aquarium, really. I don't mean simply clean, I mean CLEAN. Very clean. High quality breeding clean. No, I don't plan on breeding. I just want to know.

Also, I saw someone write that they do not use substrate, for one. How much cleaner are tanks without any substrate? This is something I am considering for my tank. I always worry about my substrate, in fact, because food always get caught inside it, it takes up a lot of space, and so on. I was thinking maybe I'd cut down so only part of the tank has substrate.

Shawnie

it all depends on what fish you are keeping in the tank...no subtrate is definately easier to keep clean but some fish wont feel safe without one...and even if you do go bottomless, put a dark towel or something under the tank to sit on so the fish dont feel insecure ...backgrounds and subtrates make them feel more safe...weekly water changes with a gravel vac will help keep things clean..just remember that sometimes over cleaning isnt good and you need to let a little bit of their natural environment happen...

guavanectar

Thanks for the reply, Shawnie. I have heard about the towel deal, though I admit I don't really understand it lol. If it were placed on a dark table, I don't get the difference. Though I'll just ignore that wonder of mine and assume the more experienced hobbyists are right. :P I don't have a gravel vacuum but I know I should have one. When I just looked them up, I was surprised at the price. For some reason I expected something most saddening hehe. I'll keep the things you said in mind.

Shawnie

if the desk or table is dark, you are fine without a towel...

guavanectar

Oh haha. xD Thanks again.

TedsTank

Along with no substrate to vacuum, you could also have plants in pots. I have been toying with the idea of 2 pots, an inverted pot on the bottom with a cave hole in it and a planted pot on top of it.

Nate McFin

It seems to me by having a tank that clean you would never have a good bed of nitrifying bacteria built up because they wouldn't have any food. I would think that mini cycles may occur quite easily if it were that sparkling.
May ask why you want your tank so clean?

griffin

about the expensive syphon prices, you can pretty easily make one by buying some tubing at lowes or home depot or something like that. if you wanna go "fancy," you can buy a shorter (6-12 inch) section of a larger diameter tubing, a fitting, and a long piece of a smaller diameter tubing. just make sure the tubing fits the fitting you choose. i made 2 of these that were 6+ feet long each for around $5. you can use less tubing, and it is cheaper, but i like long tubing, and at less than a quarter a foot, why not?