Help with cleaning

[nanderson15]

I'm new to freshwater and I was wondering what would be the BEST way to clean my 14 gallon. All advise welcome!

 

[Marconis]

Water drainage tools:

a) 1) Python no-spill siphon. Hooks up to your sink; you remove water and add it all in the same.

2) Gravel vac. Use buckets.

b) I prefer the former. Look em' up. You're going to want to remove 15-25% of the water on a weekly basis, though opinions on this vary. As you're removing the water, stick whatever siphon you have into your gravel to pull up any leftover food and fish waste. This will decrease the chances of an ammonia increase due to waste buildup.

c) Wipe the walls with a paper towel. If it's a show tank you'll want 100% clarity.

d) Here's where you add the water back. If you're using buckets, you're going to want to fill them with tap water as close to your tank temperature as possible. You don't want to shock your fish. After you fill the bucket, take your dechlorinator and dose the correct volume of the bucket. Mix it around, wait a little, then add the water. If you're using a Python from the sink, just dose the full tank volume before or after.

***Keep filters off during this process

e) Turn filter on after 15 minutes or so.

You're going to want to research some of the things I touched upon. Your question was vague so I don't know your level of knowledge. If I missed something, someone will chime in...water changes are second nature and I barely think about the process anymore. If you don't know how to do all this, do a search on YouTube or Google, "How to do a partial water change". Remember, when you clean your aquarium, you aren't exactly "cleaning" in the everyday sense. You are just replacing the water and getting rid of natural wastes...the "cleaning" comes in every 3-4 weeks or so when you need to rinse your filter media off with tank water to remove debris that may have clogged. Never, ever use cleaning products on anything having to do with your aquarium.

Hope I haven't confused you.

Good luck nanderson!

 

[warthog76za]

@ Marconis Great breakdown of things in a step by step way!

 

[nanderson15]

Thanks for the advise! I was referring to the actual tank cleaning, the 3 to 4 week cleaning. Oh and by the way this is my very first freshwater tank, had goldfish, if that gives you any indication of my knowledge level. Is there ever a time I should change all the water?

 

[warthog76za]

Have you cycled the tank already? And also what kind of fish are you planning to keep?

 

[andreahp]

You shouldn't ever need to change all of the water. Besides a monthly cleaning of your filter which has already been discussed above, sometimes you will want to do a smaller water change if your water parameters are starting to be a concern (hopefully you are monitoring those at least weekly) - like if my nitrates are too high for comfort, I will do a 50% water change to get fresh water into the tank. If the ammonia level is high because maybe you've been feeding the fish too much & excess food is decomposing, then a good gravel vac (as explained above) is the way to go. I also mark down on a calender when I did what so I know when to clean again.

 

[andreahp]

sorry for the double post

You shouldn't change all of the water at the same time. If my water parameters (which hopefully you are monitoring at least weekly) are starting to concern me (like my nitrates are a little too high) I'll do a 50% water change to get fresh water into the tank. If the ammonia goes up because maybe you're feeding your fish too much, then it's time to do a good gravel vacuum to remove it. I always mark what I did on a calender so I know when to do a major cleaning (vac, rinse mechanical filter, etc.). From what I've learned here, it's the more frequent, smaller water changes (not the big monthly one although that needs to be done too) that will keep your tank at its healthiest, especially a smaller tank.

 

[nanderson15]

Have you cycled the tank already? And also what kind of fish are you planning to keep?

Yes the tank has been cycled and I have Mollies, platies, 1 gourami and a small pleco.

 

[nanderson15]

You shouldn't change all of the water at the same time. If my water parameters (which hopefully you are monitoring at least weekly) are starting to concern me (like my nitrates are a little too high) I'll do a 50% water change to get fresh water into the tank. If the ammonia goes up because maybe you're feeding your fish too much, then it's time to do a good gravel vacuum to remove it. I always mark what I did on a calender so I know when to do a major cleaning (vac, rinse mechanical filter, etc.). From what I've learned here, it's the more frequent, smaller water changes (not the big monthly one although that needs to be done too) that will keep your tank at its healthiest, especially a smaller tank.

Thanks a lot for the advise! EXTREMELY thorough

 

[nanderson15]

Water drainage tools:

a) 1) Python no-spill siphon. Hooks up to your sink; you remove water and add it all in the same.

2) Gravel vac. Use buckets.

b) I prefer the former. Look em' up. You're going to want to remove 15-25% of the water on a weekly basis, though opinions on this vary. As you're removing the water, stick whatever siphon you have into your gravel to pull up any leftover food and fish waste. This will decrease the chances of an ammonia increase due to waste buildup.

c) Wipe the walls with a paper towel. If it's a show tank you'll want 100% clarity.

d) Here's where you add the water back. If you're using buckets, you're going to want to fill them with tap water as close to your tank temperature as possible. You don't want to shock your fish. After you fill the bucket, take your dechlorinator and dose the correct volume of the bucket. Mix it around, wait a little, then add the water. If you're using a Python from the sink, just dose the full tank volume before or after.

***Keep filters off during this process

e) Turn filter on after 15 minutes or so.

You're going to want to research some of the things I touched upon. Your question was vague so I don't know your level of knowledge. If I missed something, someone will chime in...water changes are second nature and I barely think about the process anymore. If you don't know how to do all this, do a search on YouTube or Google, "How to do a partial water change". Remember, when you clean your aquarium, you aren't exactly "cleaning" in the everyday sense. You are just replacing the water and getting rid of natural wastes...the "cleaning" comes in every 3-4 weeks or so when you need to rinse your filter media off with tank water to remove debris that may have clogged. Never, ever use cleaning products on anything having to do with your aquarium.

Hope I haven't confused you.

Good luck nanderson!

Super layout! Thanks a lot, apparently I have some work to do!