How To Keep A Fish Tank Clean Without A Filter

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Morgan from The ExpertAquarist has 12 very useful and fourth dimension-saving hacks to share with the Fish Tank World audience on how to keep your fish tank clean and reduce the frequency of your cleanings.

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 ii hours (if non more) to brand my aquarium sparkling clean. While the end result is satisfying, I worry virtually adding more fish to my tank because more fish equal a bigger mess to clean every week.

12 hacks to keep your fish tank clean

But with some trial and error, I take found 12 hacks to help keep my fish tank clean and brand the occasional deep-clean a bit easier. I hope they will help you out! However, earlier you get started, brand sure you don't get carried away and over clean your tanks.

Many people do not realize that there is a fine line between clean and over-cleaning . Excessive cleaning may wipe out the benign bacteria that is necessary to convert the harmful byproducts of your tank into less harmful substances, which tin can later be removed with water.

Below are 12 quick tips that can assistance reduce how oftentimes your tank will demand a large-scale cleaning.

1. Buy an Aquarium H2o Testing Kit

Whether you have a Saltwater or Freshwater, you demand to check your tank parameters once a week. To do this you volition need to buy an aquarium water test kit. When you lot are done with the testing, tape the results and compare the results from week to week. If there are any significant differences – you will know that there is a problem that needs to exist addressed immediately.

2. Change Your Tank Water Every two Weeks Rather Than Monthly

I recommend regular water changes of 20% to 30% water every 2 weeks instead of doing all of the water once a calendar month. This is a major time-saver and is improve for your fishes health!

3. Use an 'Aquarium Cleaning Pump Kit' While Performing Water Changes

To clean your tank completely you need a gravel vacuum by your side. The gravel vacuum will gently pull out all the accumulated toxins, debris and solid waste matter products from your fish tank's substrate and aid maintain a natural residual in your fish tank.

4. Make A DIY H2o Exchange System

It is time-consuming to replace gallons of water from your fish tank every time yous are cleaning information technology. If y'all own a large aquarium, then the hassle is fifty-fifty bigger.

To brand the task of exchanging water easier you can build a DIY water exchange system with PVC pipe. The beauty of doing-information technology-yourself is that you get to customize this organization according to the size of your tank. These piece of cake-to-notice materials needed are bachelor at your local hardware shop.

5. Brand (or Buy) A Magnetic Algae Scrubber Tool

Since we are talking about DIYs, here is another amazingly useful tool that you can make from scratch. Only purchase algae scrub pads from Amazon. And then adhere a strong magnet to information technology using some fish-prophylactic glue. Y'all tin now identify the scrubber within the tank and apply another magnet to pull it around. Voila!

If yous would rather just purchase a magnetic algae scraper, there are plenty of options available on Amazon. The Aqueon Cleaning Magnet is very durable and the price certainly can't be vanquish! Bank check out the reviews on Amazon for yourself!

6. Plant Hornwort in Your Fish Tank

Having any sort of plant in your fish tank is the easiest way to increase oxygen levels which in turn improves the living conditions for your fish. I specifically mentioned Hornwort because it not only produces oxygen but likewise absorbs the harmful nitrogen from tank water. Thus you are creating a more superior living and breathing conditions for your fish. Your fish volition be whispering their cheers to you.

7. Make clean Your Tank Decorations with A Bleach Solution

You may have decorated your fish tank with artificial colorful starfish, seahorses and/or stones. Over time, these pieces volition accumulate algae and scale. Instead of scrubbing information technology piece by piece, what you tin practice is set up a x% bleach solution - soak your materials for 15 minutes in information technology – scrub it (the scale tin be removed hands at present) and then rinse thoroughly with water before putting them back over again.

viii. Change Carbon Filter Media Every Month

Carbon filter media helps to eliminate dissolved toxins from your fish tank water. However, carbon loses its toxins arresting ability later 3 to 4 weeks. So you take to go along irresolute this filter media appropriately for the greater adept. Moreover, if yous want boosted toxin-absorbing power, accept some carbon filter inserts and put them in a cut off pantyhose. Hang this pouch in your tank and rinse weekly and replace information technology every fourth dimension you supervene upon your carbon filter media.

9. Make clean Aquarium Fixtures and Glass

Cleaning the fingerprints and water spots from the outer glass of your fish tank are every bit important as cleaning the insides of your tank. Purchase an aquarium-safe lime cleaner to clean your aquarium glass and fixtures. Rinse thoroughly with water earlier putting it back again.

10. Introduce New Friends to Your Fish Tank

To clean your tank from inside you can introduce some specific fish species that swallow algae. One thing to remember here is that you should just place those species in your tank which are compatible with your existing fish. If y'all have a freshwater tank, introduce Sucking-Catfish, snails and plecostomus. On the other mitt, if yous accept saltwater tanks, introduce turbo snails, Tangs and hermit crabs. These will help eat away the algae in your fish tank.

11. Limit The Growth of Algae

If you reduced the low-cal your fish tank gets, the growth of algae volition exist reduced. Always recall, the more light your fish tank gets, the more algae it will grow.

12. Do Non Overfeed Your Fish

Every time you put some extra food for your fish (considering y'all love them, I know), you are increasing the fourth dimension y'all have to spend cleaning your tank. This is considering the leftovers that bladder around heighten the level of toxic chemicals in h2o. The tip hither is to watch your fish when they are feeding if they begin to slow down stop adding more food.

Final Considerations

The take away of this article is that you should understand that keeping your tank clean is an ongoing process. Nosotros all detest cleaning merely it is a must (sorry most that). I hope these 12 hacks to keep your fish tank make clean volition minimize how ofttimes you accept to make clean your tank.

Before we stop, let's talk almost a few traditional cleaning strategies. Later on all, the traditional methods help too.

Employ Quality Cleaning Supplies: You sure practise not want to mess with the quality of the cleaning supplies that you are getting for the tank. When I say, 'cleaning supplies', I literally mean everything including the water, algae pad, bleach and filter media.

An algae pad is a bang-up way to clean the inside glass parts of your fishing tank. You can utilize the regular cleaning materials to clean the outer parts only when information technology comes to the inner areas that your fish will have admission to, an algae pad is the style to become most it.

Many people worry too much about cleaning the inner parts of a tank that they forget about the outer layers. That'due south a big mistake. Fortunately, it is way easier to clean the outer ends of a fish tank. Take a regular cloth and rinse information technology with water (or glass cleaner). Then gently employ the cloth to make clean the outer layers of the fish tank.

The top layer of a fish tank will always attract more than dust than the side layers. I would recommend removing the dust of the top layer at least one fourth dimension a week (like y'all do for the other article of furniture of your home).

Think i thing; all these hacks volition simply aid y'all if you lot use them on a routine basis. Aquarium cleaning is a whole lot of work if y'all desire to do it once in a month, but if you do information technology weekly or biweekly, things become easier. So schedule your aquarium-maintenance-routine accordingly, and love your fish more than!