How to Clean and Maintain a Salt Water aquarium

Saltwater fish tanks require a lot of commitment from owners in order to keep them healthy, clean and beautiful. There are many sizes and styles of aquariums and the less complicated your set-up is then the easier it will be to clean. Videos can be viewed on the internet that show proper cleaning and maintenance techniques. The main issues in salt water tanks are the algae growing on the glass and the food/debris that settles down into the sand or gravel. Filters also need to be cleaned regularly.

Before you start, gather up all the items you’ll need. If you want to remove your fish from your aquarium while you’re cleaning, you’ll need a large bucket or small, temporary tank to put them in. You won’t need to do this unless you have a very dirty or contaminated tank. If you do temporarily remove your fish from the tank, it’s suggested that you take out as much as a quarter of the water to remove some of the contaminants. The water you remove can be used in your temporary container for your fish to swim in while you’re cleaning.

Turn off the heater and let it cool down before removing to avoid breakage because of a sudden temperature change. This only has to be taken out if it has become dirty and you want to clean it to keep it running efficiently. Cleaning the inside of the glass is done in a couple of different ways, such as with a sponge that has a long enough handle to do the job; Scrapers can be used if the algae is bad enough but be careful not to scratch the glass. Cleaning the debris/food residue, etc from the gravel/sand bottom (substrate) is done with a siphon. This can be manually or with a pump attached. These are purchased at the aquarium store and if you are a newby, ask for a demonstration for clarification of method and use. Once the siphon is activated, push the large tube into the grave/sand and wiggle it slightly. This stirs up the debris which will be sucked up through the siphon and into whatever container is being used to hold the dirty water. Be careful not to suck up any of the living inhabitants of the tank.

Lift and re-insert the siphon into various areas of the substrate until most of the tank’s bottom has been cleaned. If your aquarium isn’t too large, you can temporarily remove your decorations and rocks to give yourself better access to the substrate. Just replace them after you’ve cleaned that area. This is also a good time to rearrange things if you wish, although you should be careful to avoid disturbing the roots of any plants in your tank.

After your aquarium is clean, the next task is to clean the filters. Remove the foam pads, clean them with de-chlorinated water, and then replace them. Removing as much as 25% of the water in the tank is a quick, effective way to reduce the amount of contaminants in your aquarium. When you add fresh water to your salt water aquarium, always use water that’s been de-chlorinated and is the same temperature as the water that’s already inside. You’ll also want to make sure the new water has the proper salt density. Mix the salt into the water thoroughly and use a tester to ensure the salt content is 1.025. Slowly add it to the aquarium so you don’t disturb the environment or the fish themselves.

Maintaining a saltwater aquarium should only take 60 to 90 minutes every week or two. Watch your fish closely for sluggishness or signs of disease, and separate any unhealthy fish as quickly as possible to try to prevent the remaining fish from falling ill. Brushing the tank’s glass and filter will reduce the number of times a major cleaning will be necessary. If you find a lot of uneaten food on the bottom of your aquarium, reduce the amount of food you give to your fish. They don’t eat a lot, but they do prefer smaller but more frequent feedings. Larger, more diverse salt water setups like reef aquariums need highly advanced filtration systems. You might need to hire a professional to do a major cleaning if you have one of these systems. Maintain your tank on a regular basis and you’ll keep your fish healthy, colorful and enjoyable to watch.

About the author:
John Wilson is an avid aquarist with many years of experience in keeping tropical fish. He maintains many aquariums full of the rarest tropical fish in the world.
commercial real estate Agents Salt Lake City UT | (801) 895-2632

We thank you taking the time to visit our website
and hope that we were able to assist you in your search for the information that you are looking for.
We do realize that with many articles written, it is possible
and even likely that you will find errors along the way.
We would appreciate you using the “contact us” page to let us know if you come across any mistakes
in our articles or if you simply have some ideas for articles that you would like to see in the future.
Thanks again for taking the time to visit,
we hope you have enjoyed it and hope that you will visit us again someday very soon.