First question to ask yourself is when should you clean your tank. If it looks like it needs cleaned then you should do it otherwise it should be thoroughly cleaned every two months. The gravel retains any waste food and debris from your fish and this can make the fish ill if not removed. Algae is another problem and needs to be removed regularly. So what do you need to do to have a clean and happy aquarium?

Prepare for cleaning (Step One)

Preparation is required before you can remove fish from your freshwater aquarium to allow for cleaning. It is best to have everything ready before cleaning as you will need some supplies on hand before you start. As you have to remove your fish from the aquarium you will need a container to place them in while work is going on. The fish need to have enough room to swim around, although the container does not need to be too large. It all depends on how many fish you have in your aquarium. You need a fish net to catch the fish and have cleaning material such a paper towel on hand to wipe up any spills that can happen. You will need another container for refilling the tank, a bucket or pitcher will do and a siphon hose for emptying. You also need a clean sponge, clean rag and a food drainer. The task of cleaning your freshwater aquarium can begin once these materials are in place.

Removing your fish (Step Two)

Probably the most important part of cleaning your aquarium is removing your fish. The water in the container you are going to place the fish in must be the same temperature as your aquarium. This is most important because a sudden change in temperature would send the fish into shock and you would probably loose them. So use your thermometer to make sure the temperatures are the same. Use your net to catch each fish separately and place them into the container. Make sure the container is in a safe place where it cannot fall over once the fish are re-housed. By having the water temperature in the container the same and reducing the amount of time to re-house the fish will help the fish from getting stressed, although any type of activity like this will give fish some sort of stress. Your job is to keep it as little as possible.

Removing old water from your aquarium (Step three)

After the removal of the fish the aquarium requires emptying of the old water. You can use the bucket or pitcher for this and the alternative is to use a siphon hose. The old water can be emptied in a sink or down a toilet. This task can be messy so watch for any spills onto the floor which can make it slippery and clean it up before any accidents happen. Because the acclimatisation period in an aquarium takes so long, it is better to reuse a little of the old water. About ¼ of the old water can be used. It is preferable to drain the water and keep it in another container rather then leave the old water in the bottom of the tank another option is to place the ¼ tank of old water into the container you are going to re-house the fish in. The reason for this is when you remove gravel (substrate) all the trapped debris will end up floating in the water you want to keep.

Once the water has been removed it is time to remove all ornaments and substrate from the bottom of the tank. It is most important to clean the gravel of your aquarium because this is where all the waste and debris in the tank have gathered. Remove the gravel using a scoop or net. And place it in a container. Transfer it to strainer and rinse it thoroughly in under hot water. Remove all sediment and waste by mixing it up mixing it thoroughly in the strainer. Then place it back into the container and set it to one side for now.

Cleaning the tank (step four)

Next step is to remove any dirt/algae from the inside of the tank. If there is a large build up on the inside of the tank then this chore can be a long tedious job. Algae thrive in warmer water which has a lot of exposure to natural sunlight. Freshwater aquariums also can have algae growing on the inside of the tank. The algae can be cleaned off using a scouring pad, but make sure it is the least abrasive you can find as it can scratch the inside of the tank and in the case of an acrylic tank make it a mess. Use hot water as this helps remove the algae but do not use any types of detergent or cleaner. These substances could be fatal to your fish. If you have managed to clean off all it the dirt and algae you can then rub down the inside of the tank with a soft rag. However you may have to clean the inside of the tank a few times before everything is properly clean. Any ornaments or decorations on the tank should also be thoroughly cleaned using hot water. When complete, check that your entire tank is clear of any build up and all waste is removed.

Putting your aquarium back together (step five)

Once all cleaning is complete it is time to put everything back in place. Your substrate is the fist thing to replace. Put your gravel back into the tank. Next replace the water and make sure the temperature is the same as the container you have kept your fish in. when the temperature is the same as the original temperature of the tank then you can add your ornaments, decorations and plants. Carefully place your fish back into the aquarium and add the old water you have kept for the acclimatisation. The fish may take some time to settle down in the new clean aquarium but if you have followed the steps correctly then there is no reason your freshwater aquarium will be a healthy, clean environment for your fish to thrive again.

Your aquarium should thrive again for another two months before it will require a full clean again. One other tip is to replace your filters at this time. There should be a schedule for cleaning and replacing your filters and now is a good time to replace them. If you replace about 20% of the water at more regular intervals say, say every two to three weeks then the build up of debris and algae will not be as much and the regular two month clean will not be so hard to do. The one big thing to keeping a clean and healthy aquarium is to clean it thoroughly and keep up a scheduled maintenance system. This will ensure your freshwater aquarium is enjoyable, good looking and a great environment for keeping your fish healthy and stress free.