By Kulsum Umair
If you’re anything like me, you are someone who likes to keep things low-key and that means wanting to look at options of happiness which others might not even consider. Take for example pets. Sure the picture-perfect option that comes into anyone’s mind is that of cats or dogs. They are adorable. They are cuddly and they simply make up for the ideal pets. But maybe, just maybe, they aren’t the right choice for everyone out there. As for some of us out there, we like having to come home from a long and tiring day to look at our own built aquarium with pretty fish within.
It has actually been proven just how soothing it can be to have fish in your house. Especially when you add some lighting effects to it that allows the tank to shine bright and look so amazing and very distinctive. But why aren’t many people having these inside their houses? One major reason- the nuisance that comes with cleaning fish tanks!
Many would agree that it’s a big headache to have to clean their fish tank at the end of a hectic week. I agree to that with all my heart, and why wouldn’t I? It takes me a total of two hours (if not more) to make my aquarium sparkling clean. While the end result is satisfying, I worry about adding more fish to my tank because more fish equals a bigger mess to clean every week. Because you will not get that amazing impact from your tank’s look if you are not cleaning it properly. So what to do? Lose hope and opt to look at neon screens with ‘fishy’ feels? Not exactly. A fish tank can be a beautiful piece of living art, a thriving aquatic ecosystem, and a healthy home for swimming friends, but it won’t be any of those things if it is excessively dirty, grimy, or algae-coated. Fortunately, there are many easy tips and tricks to clean your fish tank and keep it in lovely condition for you and your fish. A clean fish tank looks great and provides a nice home for your fish. Over time, chemicals like nitrates can build up in your fish tank, which leads to a cloudy appearance. Even if you use a fish tank filter, it’s still important to hand-clean your aquarium.
Before you begin. It’s best to keep your fish in the fish tank when you clean. Removing them causes unnecessary stress for your fish, and you run the risk of accidentally hurting them. It is possible to keep your fish in the tank while you clean because you don’t need to remove all the water to clean the tank properly. Completely replacing the water in the fish tank is a bad idea because it will remove beneficial bacteria that live in the tank and reset the nitrogen cycle, which could kill your fish. If you regularly clean your tank, doing a partial water change is the best option.
Also, when you prepare to clean your fish tank, it’s ok to leave plants and decorations in place. These only need to be cleaned when they begin to look dirty. Start with the sides. To begin cleaning your fish tank, start by unplugging the heater and filter. You can then scrape algae off the sides of the tank. If the sides of your tank are made with acrylic instead of glass, it’s recommended to use a plastic (rather than metal) scraper.
Next, look into cleaning the gravel. After you finish cleaning the sides, you can start with the gravel. You can use a siphon to vacuum dirt and other gunk off of the gravel. You can also use the siphon to remove a portion of the tank’s dirty water. Remember to keep at least 50% of the water in the tank at all times in order to avoid removing all of the beneficial bacteria from the tank.Finish the cleaning. After you’ve finished cleaning your tank, you can refill the tank with new water. Make sure the new water you put in the tank has already had the chlorine removed using a conditioning treatment. This is the only time you should add water to the fish tank.
You should also be cleaning plants, rocks, and decorations. Occasionally, when plants, rocks, or decorations become visibly dirty, you will want to clean them. Remove these items from the tank and scrub them under running water or leave them to soak in water overnight. After they are clean you may carefully replace them in the fish tank.You never want to use any kind of soap when you clean your fish tank. It can kill your fish. So that’s it! All you need to do is make sure you are adapting these simple ways which will allow you to keep your fish happy and definitely healthy, not to mention a tank which simply stands out !
