How To Clean And Prepare 10 Gallon Fish Tank For New Fish

Ensure your fish are happy and healthy past keeping their tank clean and properly filled with h2o. Yous may need to top off the tank with prepared water frequently. Cleaning an aquarium isn't difficult, especially if you make certain to practice it on a schedule so algae-causing nutrients don't have time to build up. Whether you take a freshwater or saltwater aquarium, you can proceed it make clean with a little fourth dimension and endeavour.

1. ane

   Get your cleaning supplies ready. Ensure that you accept everything you need, including water conditioner, before yous offset the cleaning process. Run through your checklist and ensure that you've prepped your tools and your workspace.^[1]

   • Properly prepared water in the quantity you lot'll need to replace or water conditioner to treat chlorinated tap water.
   • An algae scraper for cleaning the drinking glass within the tank (scrubby pad, straightedge, or combination).
   • A 5 US gal (19 L) bucket dedicated for this purpose.
   • A simple siphon-blazon gravel vacuum (NOT a battery-operated gadget).
   • Filter media (cartridges, sponges, carbon packets, and so on) if you're changing the filter this time.
   • Aquarium-safe glass cleaner or a vinegar-based solution.
   • ¹⁄₄ cup (59 mL) of bleach per 3–4 US gal (11–fifteen l) of h2o in a split container (optional).
   • Metal or plastic razor blade (optional, be careful with acrylic tanks, as these scratch easier).

2. ii

   Clean the sides of the aquarium with the algae pad. Run it along the glass, scrubbing a piddling every bit necessary, to remove algae that are sticking to the aquarium. If you come beyond a specially hard patch of rest, use a razor blade or plastic blade to scrape it off the drinking glass.^[2]

   • Y'all might want to clothing aquarium gloves to consummate this task, especially if you lot are allergic to anything in the tank (like a synthetic salt mix). Choose shoulder-length plastic gloves designed for utilize in aquariums.
   • Do not just utilize the sponge or scrubber from your kitchen sink or anything that could have the residue of detergent or cleaning chemicals. A clean, tank-just algae pad will preclude harsh chemicals and detergents from getting into your tank. A magnetic glass cleaner is better to clean fish tank glass without wet hands.
   • This pace tin also be washed afterwards y'all accept out ten-twenty% of the h2o.

3. 3

   Decide how much water you are going to alter. Consider the bio-load (i.e. the rate of nutrient accumulation) of your tank when determining how much h2o to change and how ofttimes to alter it. Aim to alter 25-50% of the water each calendar week.^[three]

   • If your goal is to reduce nitrate and phosphate to minimum levels, large, more than frequent water changes are required. And, if you lot do larger water changes (fifty% or more than), y'all tin perform them less often.
   • Note that a weekly ten% h2o modify is junior to a 40% change one time per month.

4. 4

   Siphon out the old water. Start the siphon and directly the erstwhile h2o into a pail, preferably a five United states gal (19 50) bucket. It'southward best to buy a new bucket and use it merely for cleaning your fish tank; this means no repurposing the laundry room bucket or the bucket that used to hold your dishwashing cleaning agents—synthetic detergent is toxic to fish.^[4]

   • Aquarium siphons tin be purchased that hook upwardly to a sink. If you have one of these, read over the instructions on how they work. This type of siphon also prevents h2o spilling from the bucket.
   • You tin can use the same hose to siphon and fill the tank.

5. five

   Clean the gravel. Push the gravel vacuum through the gravel. Fish waste matter, backlog food, and other debris will exist sucked into the vacuum. If you have very minor, weak, or fragile fish, yous can put a make clean fishnet over the end of the siphon.^[5]

   • Clean at to the lowest degree 25-30% of the gravel each month.
   • If yous accept sand substrate, lower the flow charge per unit by putting your finger over the end of the siphon or kinking the hose. Hold the hose 1 inch (ii.v cm) or less from the surface and apply it suck up waste without disturbing your sand. Run your fingers through or stir the sand (provided at that place are no buried animals to disturb) to help release gunk trapped underneath it and prevent the formation of anaerobic zones.

6. 6

   Clean the decorations. Algae is caused by nutrients in the water and light exposure, and so it may build upward on your tank decorations. You can wipe the decorations off with an algae pad or a never-used soft-bristled toothbrush in the tank h2o every bit you lot siphon. Avoid the use of soap; it could impairment your fishy friend!^[6]

   • If yous're having difficulty cleaning the decorations, remove them from the tank and soak the items in a large bucket filled with h2o and ¹⁄₄ loving cup (59 mL) of bleach for 15 minutes. Rinse the items thoroughly and care for them with chlorine water conditioner. If they are porous, permit them dry completely before returning them to the tank.
   • If you lot're having algae issues, lowering the nutrient aggregating or exposure to light volition help. Y'all tin can close your window coverings, motility the tank away from a window, or adjust the lighting schedule. Alternatively, perform larger or more frequent h2o changes.
   • Having a true flight fox, otocinclus, or rubber olfactory organ pleco in larger tanks can prevent algae from growing excessively.

7. seven

   Add together fresh water. Supervene upon the water y'all took out with fresh, treated water at the temperature of the aquarium. An infrared thermometer is the best way to verify the temperature. Staying inside the dictated temperature parameters is crucial for the health of your fish.^[7] Retrieve, lukewarm is likewise hot for most fish.

   • Avoid overfilling the tank.
   • If you lot use tap or faucet water, conditioning the h2o to remove chlorine, heavy metals, and other toxins that your fish can't procedure is a must. Choose a conditioner with an ammonia detoxifier chemical.
   • Plan alee and fill a bucket the 24-hour interval before you lot perform the h2o modify. Add the water conditioner and permit the water to sit overnight. Make sure that the water you refill the tank with is the same temperature as the water in the aquarium—a difference of more than 1 °F (−17 °C) is very dangerous for your fish.
   • If the nitrates are astronomically loftier, you can do a h2o change with reverse osmosis water from your local fish store. Add a freshwater aquarium buffer to the water to keep your tank stable.

8. 8

   Watch the h2o. Expect a few hours for any cloudiness that remains to dissipate, leaving the water sparkling clear. Although in that location are h2o clearing agents on the market, they are commonly unnecessary. If the h2o remains cloudy, it's because of an underlying problem and the agent will only mask (non solve) the outcome.^[8]

9. ix

   Clean the exterior. Wipe down the exterior, including the drinking glass, hood, light, and tank tiptop. Yous can apply drinking glass cleaner so long every bit you spray information technology on your rag rather than on the tank itself—do non get the cleaner inside the tank or in the water. Use a distilled white vinegar solution to remove mineral deposits.^[ix]

   • If you have an acrylic tank, you can purchase a special polish for it.

10. 10

    Change or make clean the filter about once a month. Rinse mechanical filtration regularly with tank water from a siphon or a bucket if y'all are concerned almost losing bacterial colonies. Remove and replace chemical media (like carbon, GFO, or Chemi-Pure) every 2-vi weeks, depending on the load and maintenance regimen.

1. one

   Mix a saltwater solution. It's essential that the temperature, salinity, and pH of the water are all within an adequate range for your fish. Start this process the night before y'all clean your tank. Buy distilled or reverse osmosis h2o from the grocery shop.

   • Place the water in a make clean plastic bucket, preferably used only for this purpose.
   • Rut the water with a specialized heater, purchased at a pet store.
   • Add the salt mix. One-step salt mixes are available at pet stores. Follow the instructions on how much to add together based on how much h2o you are using. The rule of pollex is 1/2 cup of mix for every 1 gallon of water.
   • Aerate the water while mixing in the table salt.
   • In the morn, bank check the salinity with a refractometer, hygrometer, or salinity probe. In fish-only systems, y'all tin shoot for a salinity of xxx grams per liter (yard/L) as a baseline. In some cases, such equally if you lot accept corals in your tank, y'all may need to mix the common salt to seawater concentration which is 35 g/L.
   • Check the temperature with a thermometer. For saltwater fish, it should be betwixt 73–82 °F (23–28 °C).

2. ii

   Get your cleaning supplies ready. Saltwater aquariums have special needs in addition to the bones supplies y'all'd use for a freshwater aquarium. Gather the post-obit supplies:

   • An algae pad for cleaning the drinking glass inside the tank.
   • A v United states gal (19 Fifty) bucket dedicated for this purpose.
   • A simple siphon-type gravel vacuum (Non a battery-operated gadget).
   • Filter media (cartridges, sponges, carbon packets, and and so on) if you're changing the filter this time.
   • Aquarium-safe glass cleaner or a vinegar-based solution.
   • pH strips.
   • A refractometer, hygrometer, or salinity probe.
   • A thermometer.
   • 10% bleach solution in a separate container (optional)

3. three

   Clean off the algae. Use the algae pad to remove algae balance from the inside of the tank. Apply a razor bract or plastic blade to scrape off built-upward residue that's hard to remove.^[10]

4. 4

   Siphon out the water. For a saltwater aquarium, change 10% of the water every ii weeks. For most systems, this should exist sufficient to eliminate nitrates from the h2o. Start the siphon and permit the water run into a large bucket.^[eleven]

5. 5

   Clean the gravel. Button the gravel vacuum through the gravel. Fish waste material, excess food, and other droppings volition be sucked into the vacuum. If you have very small, weak, or delicate fish, you can put a fish net over the end of the siphon.^[12]

   • Lower the menstruum charge per unit by putting your finger over the end of the siphon or kinking the hose if you have sand substrate. Hold the hose 1 inch (2.5 cm) or less from the surface and use it suck up waste without disturbing the sand. Stir the sand to forestall the germination of anaerobic zones.

6. half dozen

   Clean the decorations. Wipe the decorations off with an algae pad or a never-used soft-bristled toothbrush in the tank water y'all siphoned out. You can too remove the decorations from the tank and soak the items in a 10% bleach solution for xv minutes. Then rinse the decorations and treat them with dechlor.^[13]

7. 7

   Check for table salt pitter-patter. When the table salt water evaporates at the top of the aquarium, it volition get out behind a crusty residue known every bit salt creep. Clean it off with an algae sponge or wet towel and add back the lost water.^[14]

8. 8

   Add together the h2o to the tank. Advisedly cascade the premixed h2o into the tank. Again, be certain the salinity and temperature match the water already in the tank. Avert overfilling the tank.

9. 9

   Check the temperatures every twenty-four hour period. Saltwater fish live in a relatively narrow temperature range. To make sure they're good for you, y'all'll want to bank check the temperature of the aquarium on a daily basis.

Add together New Question

• Question

  When does a betta fish slumber?

  

  Doug Ludemann is the possessor and operator of Fish Geeks, LLC, an aquarium services visitor based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Doug has worked in the aquarium and fish-care industry for over xx years, including having worked as a professional aquarist for the Minnesota Zoo and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. He received his Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota.

  

  Professional Aquarist

  Proficient Respond

  Fish become into a resting phase, nearly often at nighttime. Though not perfectly coordinating to our sleep, it is a resting phase that allows the animate being to salve energy and recoup.

• Question

  Is information technology okay if my brother would take out the fish every time he cleans the fish tanks?

  

  Doug Ludemann is the owner and operator of Fish Geeks, LLC, an aquarium services company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Doug has worked in the aquarium and fish-care industry for over 20 years, including having worked as a professional aquarist for the Minnesota Zoo and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. He received his Bachelor of Scientific discipline in Environmental, Evolution, and Behavior from the Academy of Minnesota.

  

  Professional person Aquarist

  Practiced Answer

  I would strongly recommend against it. If y'all are doing your water changes approximately, information technology'due south preferred to go along the fish in the tank undisturbed. This means maintaining a constant temperature, proper aeration, and salinity if applicative. If you lot are mixing specialized water, such as a marine mix, a hard h2o cichlid mix, or a soft h2o low pH mix, you should always prepare your water prior to starting your water change.

• Question

  What practise I do if my goldfish has a bump on it's side? Is that a sickness?

  

  Doug Ludemann is the owner and operator of Fish Geeks, LLC, an aquarium services company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Doug has worked in the aquarium and fish-care industry for over twenty years, including having worked as a professional aquarist for the Minnesota Zoo and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. He received his Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Development, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota.

  

  Professional Aquarist

  Practiced Reply

  It is perchance some type of lesion indicating a pathogen of some type. It could be a secondary infection from a wound or a parasite of some type. If the skin appears to be broken, it is prudent to add aquarium salt to the water at a charge per unit of 3-v grams per liter to aid the fish's osmotic balance with the water every bit well as a possible rubber treatment. Salt can be effective against fungus and several types of bacteria at this concentration.

• Question

  I demand someone to clean my tank. Who tin do information technology?

  

  Doug Ludemann is the owner and operator of Fish Geeks, LLC, an aquarium services company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Doug has worked in the aquarium and fish-care industry for over 20 years, including having worked equally a professional person aquarist for the Minnesota Zoo and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. He received his Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota.

  

  Professional person Aquarist

  Good Answer

  There are professional person aquarium cleaning services. Cheque for professionals in your area.

• Question

  I take African cichlids. How do I clean their tank?

  

  Doug Ludemann is the possessor and operator of Fish Geeks, LLC, an aquarium services visitor based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Doug has worked in the aquarium and fish-intendance industry for over xx years, including having worked as a professional aquarist for the Minnesota Zoo and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. He received his Available of Science in Environmental, Development, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota.

  

  Professional Aquarist

  Practiced Answer

  The same as any other freshwater aquarium. If y'all are keeping Rift Lake cichlids (Malawi, Tanganyika, Victoria), yous should pay special business organization to the pH and alkalinity of your aquarium. Keep the pH well into the alkaline range by maintaining an adequately high alkalinity. Keep the aquarium make clean and practice regular h2o changes to ensure the pH doesn't driblet equally a effect of the acids created by the nitrogen cycle.

• Question

  Do I have to clean live plants from algae as well as normal decorations?

  

  Doug Ludemann is the owner and operator of Fish Geeks, LLC, an aquarium services company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Doug has worked in the aquarium and fish-intendance industry for over 20 years, including having worked as a professional aquarist for the Minnesota Zoo and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. He received his Bachelor of Science in Environmental, Evolution, and Beliefs from the Academy of Minnesota.

  

  Professional Aquarist

  Skillful Answer

  If your plants go covered with nuisance algae, it is possible to lightly scrub certain plants to remove the algae. In this situation, you lot should investigate your food (nitrate and phosphate) levels, and await to mitigate whatever issues you lot have in that department. You tin can too consider a few algae eaters that are suitable for the planted aquaria such as dwarf bristlenose pleco (Ancistrus), Otocinclus sp., or Amano shrimp (Caridina multidentata or Caridina japonica).

• Question

  My son cleaned the tank while I was away. He got everything out and cleaned the inside with bleach, and it's still soaking with bleach. What should I do?

  

  Doug Ludemann is the possessor and operator of Fish Geeks, LLC, an aquarium services company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Doug has worked in the aquarium and fish-care industry for over xx years, including having worked as a professional person aquarist for the Minnesota Zoo and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. He received his Bachelor of Scientific discipline in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota.

  

  Professional Aquarist

  Expert Answer

  Rinse thoroughly, then soak using a chlorine remover (de-chlor) treatment. If you are working with porous materials such equally stone or wood (or some synthetics) let it to dry out thoroughly before adding to the aquarium. Be witting of ammonia/nitrite levels for a few weeks, as your bacterial colony may be dumb.

• Question

  How long should I await after putting the water conditioner before returning my fish?

  

  Charlie Bray

  Customs Answer

  Fish don't demand to be removed from the tank unless y'all are doing a huge h2o alter, it can be more beneficial if they stay in the tank and then they acclimatize to the new (correct temperature/treated) water. The tap rubber water conditioners are pretty much instant in the correct dose.

• Question

  How practise I know if information technology'south fresh water or salt water?

  

  If you lot're asking near your fish, you can wait up your fish and their environment to discover out which water type they adopt. If y'all're talking about acquired water, then y'all can get fresh water from regular household sources like the faucet.

• Question

  Is it condom to take all of the water out of the tank while the fish are all the same in it?

  

  No. Your fish could die or get sick. It's best if you lot take out the fish first.

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• Letting the new water sit for a few hours volition neutralize the chlorine in your tap, but not the chloramines, which are just as harmful. Practise your fish a favor and use a water conditioner. Use an ammo-detox type chemic such as Prime if you have chloramines. Anything less is unsafe for your fish.

• There'due south no need to remove your fish from the aquarium during a cleaning.

• Get the right size vacuum for your gravel. If yours is besides modest, you'll be at that place all day; if as well big, you'll remove likewise much water before the job is finished. Match the siphon tube to the height of your aquarium.

• The larger the aquarium, the longer information technology takes to change the parameters, making these inherently more stable than smaller tanks.

• If you have a motor operated filter, you will periodically accept to take it apart and clean the gunk out of the moving parts and mechanisms. Don't make clean bio wheels unless you lot accept to. Make clean the pins that integrate with the filter to ensure smooth operation, merely leave the pleated cloth alone as it is a substrate for your bacterial colony.

• If y'all buy a length of drinking water or food safe hose from the hardware store, h2o changes can be easily done using a siphon to route the water downward the train. Fittings tin be purchased from a hardware supply store to fill up your tank back upwards straight from a sink.

• Wear an undershirt or tank height so yous don't get sleeves wet.

• If you accept carbon in your filter, supersede it every two-6 weeks, depending on your bio-load and maintenance regimen. Subsequently that time, the carbon will leak waste matter products back into your tank.

• Do non apply tap water to wash mechanical filters, as the chlorine and the chloramines can harm your leaner.

• If yous oasis't done a big water change in a long fourth dimension, offset irksome. Change out a small corporeality each calendar week. Sudden and large-scale changes to fishes' ecology parameters (temperature, pH, salinity) can adversely touch on the chemistry of the tank and potentially put your fish into daze.

• Never net your fish unnecessarily as it stresses them and disturbs their slime coating.

• Avoid using hoses with contumely fittings when working with animals sensitive to copper (such as coral or inverts).

• Be very conscientious to thoroughly rinse out the tank if you use bleach to make clean the glass. Bleach tin can kill fish if they come up in contact with it.

• Always wash and rinse your hands thoroughly earlier and afterwards putting your hands into the aquarium or handling its furnishings.

• Never allow anything that potentially has soapy residue on it into your fish tank. This includes easily, hoses, and nets.^[fifteen]

Things You'll Need

• Properly prepared water in the quantity you'll need to replace
• Ammonia detoxifying and chlorine removing chemical
• Algae pad for cleaning the glass inside the tank
• A 5 US gal (nineteen L) bucket dedicated for this purpose
• A simple siphon-type gravel vacuum
• Filter media (cartridges, sponges, carbon packets, then on)
• Aquarium-prophylactic glass cleaner or a vinegar-based solution
• pH strips
• Thermometer
• Salt mix (for saltwater)
• Refractometer, hygrometer, or salinity probe (for saltwater)
• 10% bleach solution in a separate container (optional)
• Metal or plastic razor bract (optional)
• A net (just in case)
• Towels

Almost this article

Article Summary 10

Clean your aquarium once a week by gently scrubbing the glass and decorations with an algae pad. Employ a gravel vacuum to make clean the substrate and clean the exterior drinking glass with diluted vinegar to remove deposits. Utilise a siphon to remove 25-50% of the water and supercede it with fresh, treated water at the same temperature for a freshwater aquarium. If you take a saltwater aquarium, mix upwards a saltwater solution beforehand to match the temperature, salinity, and pH of your tank earlier adding it, and remember to clean off table salt residue at the meridian of the aquarium with your algae castor. If you want to larn more, such equally how to clean and replace the filter in your aquarium, keep reading!

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