!No one seems to answer this!How when and Why do i clean my tank

[lolagurl]

Ok so I need to clean my tank, I used to clean it by taking the fish out and changing the water, all at once (now I know better). Its a little 5 gallon tank so how do I clean it. Are there little water vacums you can get for it..what should I do to clean the tank...It doesn't look like it needs it the waters crystal clear, it has a very good filter with even bottom filtration, and it doesn't smell but he poops alot. Would the filter get rid of the poop. Oh I just need to know how to clean it, or am I just supposed to clean the water if the tank gets dirty murky, or smeely. HELP!

 

[cicatriz]

try getting a gravel vacuum, it is just a piece of tubing that you use to siphon out water (and if you get a good one it will have a filter and suck up waste without taking the fish and gravel with it) the suction on these is just strong enough to pull the waste out and my fish weren't at all effected by the current it produced.

I just used mine today and it sucked up left over bits of algae wafers, old bloodworms and of course poop .

I am also new to this hobby but I would suspect that would help with the troubles you are experiencing (in addition to partial water changes of course)

 

[lolagurl]

ok so its called a gravel vacuum I hope it will work in my 5 gallon and 2.5 gallon tank..how much do they cost and what do they look like..... I have a filter in a tube in my tank so it doesn't make a big current but his is just a filter rigght. Its like a undergravel filter and a sponge filter in one. IT HAS THE HARD PLASTIC TUBE CONNECTING TO THE UNDERGRAVEL filter....but also in the same plastic tube it has a rubber tube with a sponge filter...the hard plastic tube I guess filters the gravel and holds the sponge filter in place...well anywyas it came in a 2.5 hexagonal tank..I just really want to know what I get to get all the poop out, and other yucky wastes...or odes th filter do that

 

[lolagurl]

or maybe its a blue airstone and a undergravel filter..I don't know??? the airstone gets hookd up to the tube and a air pump right

 

[jj]

A little plastic gravel vac is very cheap. If you want to use it in both tanks just get a smaller one, There is just enough suction to clean the gravel. It will pick up gravel but drop it again, only the light waste gets sucked out. I sometimes just sweep it across and other time will move it up and down. Take out as much water as you want. (not necessary to take all) while it is at this stage wipe around your inside glass if need be, then replace your water that has been conditioned. Make sure you have your power appliances all turned off first. good luck.

 

[Jmarcus]

Also if you have chlorinated water you should leave your replacement water out for 12 to 24 hours so the Clarine to evaporate, are add a declarator to your tap water.

 

[lolagurl]

k thanks guys

 

[susitna-flower]

The gravel vac they are talking about is available at your LFS, there are several types, one has a tube fastened to a clear hard plastic intake which you run slowly through the gravel while you are syphoning out the water. Mine fastons to the kitchen sink faucet. When the water is turned on it starts the syphon. I vacuum the gravel once a week, usually only 1/2 of my tank at a time, that way the fish have somewhere to go. I do a 50% water change and this is just an ongoing housecleaning chore, for that reason get the best one you can afford, and the largest tubing, which will help the job go fast. Hopefully you can get tubes long enough to reach from your tank to a sink you can attach it to, so measure before you go to the store how much tubing you will need. Best of Luck

Fish in the Frozen North 0 F this morning

 

[Shelby]

There are also cheaper version that are manual basically a clear piece of hose that is usually larger on one end. but please don't suck on it with your mouth to start the siphon. there is much nicer way. just submerge the whole thing in the tank, (filling the hose with water), now place one finger over one end, lift that end out and place over a bucket and release, siphon should start. Once the water has started flowing move the tank end around the tank (vacuuming) your fish's room.

 

[Gunnie]

Also if you have chlorinated water you should leave your replacement water out for 12 to 24 hours so the Clarine to evaporate, are add a declarator to your tap water.

Some folks that only have chlorine and not chloramines in their tap water can let their water set out for a day or more to allow the chlorine to gas out and not use a dechlor. If you add some sort of water treatment to your tank to treat the chlorine and/or chloramines, you don't have to let the water set out for any amount of time. The water treatment makes the water safe and ready to add to the tank immediately. If you are not sure if your water has chloramines in it, assume that it does and treat it for chloramines. If you have well water, you do not have chlorine or chloramines in your water.

 

[susitna-flower]

One caution I just read about, you can't assume that if you are on well water there is no chlorine. IF you are on your own well you should be OK. But if you are on a well used by more than one household (as some are, in subdivisions etc. not exactly city water...but wells) that you have to assume there is chlorine/chloramine, and treat accordingly. Did I make since?

Fish in the Frozen North. 8)

 

[Goldfishcare]

Ok so I need to clean my tank, I used to clean it by taking the fish out and changing the water, all at once (now I know better). Its a little 5 gallon tank so how do I clean it. Are there little water vacums you can get for it..what should I do to clean the tank...It doesn't look like it needs it the waters crystal clear, it has a very good filter with even bottom filtration, and it doesn't smell but he poops alot. Would the filter get rid of the poop. Oh I just need to know how to clean it, or am I just supposed to clean the water if the tank gets dirty murky, or smeely. HELP!

I will help you answer your problems. I have a five gallon tank (25 litres)...

1. How do you clean it - You need a bucket and a cup or something to scoop the water out. Then you change 25% or 50% of the water once a week. Next you add new tap water up to 1cm from the top of the tank, then you have to read the back of the Tap Water Conditioner bottle and put the right amount of Tap water conditioner in your tank measured by the whole tank liters or gallons (read the back). And that's it.

2.When to clean the tank.- As I said above you need to change 25% or 50%of the tank water once every week.

3.Why do you clean the tank- When your fish poops the filter filters it then it turns in to chemicals which can harm your fish. But with the water changes there will be less chemicals and your fish will not be harmed. In the post you said that your fish poops a lot which means more chimicals and more harm so you need to do 50% each week

Good luck.

 

[Gunnie]

Ok so I need to clean my tank, I used to clean it by taking the fish out and changing the water, all at once (now I know better). Its a little 5 gallon tank so how do I clean it. Are there little water vacums you can get for it..what should I do to clean the tank...It doesn't look like it needs it the waters crystal clear, it has a very good filter with even bottom filtration, and it doesn't smell but he poops alot. Would the filter get rid of the poop. Oh I just need to know how to clean it, or am I just supposed to clean the water if the tank gets dirty murky, or smeely. HELP!

I will help you answer your problems. I have a five gallon tank (25 litres)...

  1. How do you clean it - You need a bucket and a cup or something to scoop the water out. Then you change 25% or 50% of the water once a week. Next you add new tap water up to 1cm from the top of the tank, then you have to read the back of the Tap Water Conditioner bottle and put the right amount of Tap water conditioner in your tank measured by the whole tank liters or gallons (read the back). And that's it.

2.When to clean the tank.- As I said above you need to change 25% or 50%of the tank water once every week.

3.Why do you clean the tank- When your fish poops the filter filters it then it turns in to chemicals which can harm your fish. But with the water changes there will be less chemicals and your fish will not be harmed. In the post you said that your fish poops a lot which means more chimicals and more harm so you need to do 50% each week

  Good luck.

If you have gravel on the bottom of the tank, it also needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. The syphon should have just enough suction to pull the gravel up so the nasties can come out, but the gravel should be too heavy to be pulled completely up into the hose past the gravel tube. You should vacuum between 1/4 and 1/2 of your gravel with every water change unless you have a heavily planted tank. Other substrates like sand or flourite should not be vacuumed. They are too light and will get sucked out of your tank.

 

[Goldfishcare]

Ok so I need to clean my tank, I used to clean it by taking the fish out and changing the water, all at once (now I know better). Its a little 5 gallon tank so how do I clean it. Are there little water vacums you can get for it..what should I do to clean the tank...It doesn't look like it needs it the waters crystal clear, it has a very good filter with even bottom filtration, and it doesn't smell but he poops alot. Would the filter get rid of the poop. Oh I just need to know how to clean it, or am I just supposed to clean the water if the tank gets dirty murky, or smeely. HELP!

I will help you answer your problems. I have a five gallon tank (25 litres)...

  1. How do you clean it - You need a bucket and a cup or something to scoop the water out. Then you change 25% or 50% of the water once a week. Next you add new tap water up to 1cm from the top of the tank, then you have to read the back of the Tap Water Conditioner bottle and put the right amount of Tap water conditioner in your tank measured by the whole tank liters or gallons (read the back). And that's it.

2.When to clean the tank.- As I said above you need to change 25% or 50%of the tank water once every week.

3.Why do you clean the tank- When your fish poops the filter filters it then it turns in to chemicals which can harm your fish. But with the water changes there will be less chemicals and your fish will not be harmed. In the post you said that your fish poops a lot which means more chimicals and more harm so you need to do 50% each week

  Good luck.

If you have gravel on the bottom of the tank, it also needs to be cleaned on a regular basis.  The syphon should have just enough suction to pull the gravel up so the nasties can come out, but the gravel should be too heavy to be pulled completely up into the hose past the gravel tube.  You should vacuum between 1/4 and 1/2 of your gravel with every water change unless you have a heavily planted tank.  Other substrates like sand or flourite should not be vacuumed.  They are too light and will get sucked out of your tank.   

Yes I know that but I have a 'Undergravel Filter' which cleans the gravel and cleans the water.

 

[Gunnie]

You still have to vacuum the gravel regularly. Some waste will not be small enough to be sucked into the grid and a buildup of waste will make your filter not work properly. l