A clean aquarium is more than just water you can still see through. It also means happy fish in a clean, well-maintained environment that looks great as well. Changing and cleaning your aquariums water is just the beginning of your maintenance routine. There are some other things youll need to do to make sure your fish stay happy and healthy.

Before starting on your cleaning, always unplug any electrical attachments or accessories on your tank, such as the filter, lights, or heaters you may have. Dont use any soap or detergent to clean your tank. These chemicals are harmful to fish and could easily make them very ill or even result in death. If those chemicals can make tank fish ill, then think about what flushing them down your sink each day does to the natural environment of fish in the wild.

The next two cleaning steps both need to be done, but the order in which you do them is up to you. Aquarium stores may advise that you vacuum first, but this reduces the water levels, so this means the scraping chore can potentially increase the algae concentration in the smaller amount of water remaining and can harm your fish.

Vacuuming Your Tank - When you vacuum your tank, attach the tube to a rubber hose that drains dirty water out to a bucket or drain or even outside. Most aquarium stores call the tank vacuum a Python. Be sure to clean thoroughly around any decorations and push the end of the tube down among the gravel to pick up any dirt, debris, or leftover food hidden there.

Dont vacuum for too long as you risk reducing the water levels too far. You shouldnt remove any more than about one-fifth of the total water volume, so this means vacuum quickly.

Scraping Your Tank " To remove algae or grime from the sides of your tank and from any decorations or your filter, you need to use a sponge with a handle attached. The scrapers sponge should be the non-abrasive type or you risk scratching or damaging acrylic. The sponge is already designed for the removal of algae and grime, so once youve cleaned the tank, remember to clean the decorations and filter as well.

Once your scraping and vacuuming are complete, begin refilling your aquarium. You should always use de-chlorinated water and if you can, try to get the water temperature as close to your tanks temperature as possible. This can sometimes mean leaving your new tank water at room temperature for a while before pouring it in slowly. When your water level is correct, re-attach your electrical accessories, and test your water with your aquarium test kit. Always check the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels for your fishs optimum health. If your aquarium is a salt-water tank, then test the salinity levels carefully.