How Often Should You Clean A 55 Gallon Fish Tank Butterfly Koi

I accept spent over 40 years caring for and convenance tropical fish. Over 30 tanks breeding Angel Fish, Tiger Barbs, Discus, and others.

Tank in need of a water and filter change. — Tank in need of a h2o and filter change.

How to Clean Your Aquarium and Change the H2o: Piece of cake Instructions

Information technology is actually non hard to maintain a happy and healthy freshwater aquarium, simply it does take some weekly maintenance to keep the chemistry in residuum and the quality of the h2o loftier.

One time you accept an established aquarium with fish, plants, rocks, decorations, filters, and aeration, then you demand to continue the water quality where information technology has to be to maintain life in your aquarium. Obviously, mechanical filtration is a must, but many don't realize that the water quality will get quite poor as the fishes' waste and decayed food (which becomes Ammonia) will increase the build-up of nitrate (NO3), a harmful chemical that will build up to lethal levels if left unchecked.

In addition, the waste matter will become food for certain types of bothersome algae in your tank, and that will diminish the amount of oxygen in the water. The h2o volition basically become polluted, unless y'all are prepared to practice regular water changes.

Algae grows fast. Only two weeks between changes and the algae is already growing — Algae grows fast. Merely 2 weeks betwixt changes and the algae is already growing

Cleaning My 55-Gallon Fish Tank

Think of a h2o change like you would imagine a hard rain in the Amazon or a flowing river always bringing in fresh, clean water. A water modify is no different, and I personally practice one each calendar week. I have a 55-gallon aquarium with six very large angel fish, 2 large Silverish Dollar fish, and well-nigh 15 smaller fish similar tetras, catfish, and barbs.

Because I feed my fish frozen food every mean solar day, either blood worms or alkali shrimp, I have to be conscientious and not miss a weekly water change or the tank volition be put under stress.

Even if yous have a smaller aquarium, ten gallons or less, you have to be alert to the water quality and not merely the filtration of solid matter or gases in the water. Filtration volition not help you lot keep your pH in check or the h2o hardness or other chemical science.

Schedule Your Weekly Maintenance

Decide one twenty-four hour period each calendar week that you will perform your maintenance. I like to exercise mine on a Friday so I can savor looking at my prissy clean tank on the weekends. I apply the plastic buckets I bought at Dwelling house Depot or Lowe's for around $3.50 each. I use one for the water just and the other for the plants and rocks I clean.

Simple or Complete Changes?

Please note that I do a consummate h2o change because I have artificial (plastic) plants in my tank that get full of algae. If you have live plants, yous just demand to do the elementary water changes, every week. You may have to remove some of your live plants and gently make clean them in the sink, merely this is commonly something yous won't desire to practice for fear of disturbing the roots, etc.

I use to accept live plants, but after trying to fight black algae in my tank, I gave up and went to plastic plants that I can clean easily.

Never use bleach on live plants! It will kill them. — Never apply bleach on live plants! It will kill them.

Stride-By-Step Instructions for Elementary and Complete Changes

In that location are two sets of instructions below.

Y'all will see the letter A for the simple water change instructions and the letter B for the complete water change. I hope it is not too confusing.

1-A. Uncomplicated Modify: Prepare the Tank

I am only going to clean the glass in the tank and remove the algae. I and then take off the glass embrace of the tank and utilize my gravel vacuum to remove twenty–30% of the h2o with gravel sediment.

1-B. Complete Change: Prepare the Tank

On a complete water modify, I will clean my glass equally above and so remove all plants, rocks and accessories that take algae on them and put them in 1 of my empty buckets.

ii-A. Simple Change: Remove fifteen Gallons of Water

I will remove about 15 gallons from my 55-gallon tank. I will either use the h2o I remove for my flowers and plants, in and outside of my home—later all, information technology is like liquid fertilizer now. Thinking green is a skilful affair. If y'all don't desire to carp, only pour information technology in your toilet.

You will syphon the water and clean the sediment from the gravel.

2-B. Complete Modify: Vacuum the Aquarium Floor

In a complete h2o change, yous will have improve access to the entire aquarium floor, so you volition carefully vacuum the entire area, you volition see all the sediment being removed every bit it goes up the tube on the vacuum. I do this until information technology begins to run clear and I have covered the entire flooring of the tank.

Before replacing water, be sure to plant your plants and replace your rocks and accessories are secure and in place. — Before replacing h2o, be sure to plant your plants and replace your rocks and accessories are secure and in place.

iii-A. Simple Change: Replace the Water

I now begin to put the water back into the tank, making certain the h2o temperature is about the same as what it is in the tank. I do this by feel and my experience, but if you are not sure, use a thermometer to make sure the water is not too cold or too hot.

See my photo to run across the proper way to cascade the h2o back. I utilize my hand to break the forcefulness of the h2o and spread it out so I won't disrupt the gravel or plants in replacing the water.

When filling the tank, be sure to pour the water on your hand to break the force of the water. In the old days we would pour it over a plate that would break the fall. — When filling the tank, be sure to pour the h2o on your hand to break the strength of the water. In the quondam days we would cascade information technology over a plate that would break the fall.

4-A. Simple Change: Put the Top Back on, and You lot're Washed!

Once the h2o is back in the tank, you can replace the glass top and yous are good for some other week.

Use approximately 1/2 cup of bleach to your 5 gallons of water. Try less and determine if it works as well. — Use approximately 1/2 cup of bleach to your 5 gallons of water. Endeavor less and determine if it works likewise.

3-B. Consummate Change: Soak the Rocks and Plastic Plants in a Bleach Solution

In my consummate water change I volition do the same, but we need to clean our rocks and plastic plants in a solution of 1 part Bleach to about 30 parts of water. I actually pour about one cup of bleach in a v-gallon pail that is filled with my plastic plants, rocks, air stones, tubing, etc. In one case I have the bleach in, I add hot water to fill the container and let it stand for well-nigh 15 minutes or until the algae is gone from the rocks and plants.

While you are syphoning the water you can begin the soaking and cleaning process on the rocks and plants. It should stand for at least 10-15 minutes or until everything looks clean — While you are syphoning the water y'all can brainstorm the soaking and cleaning process on the rocks and plants. It should stand up for at least 10-15 minutes or until everything looks clean

4-B. Consummate Change: Repeatedly Rinse the Accessories to Remove the Bleach

Since they have been soaking in the bucket (I practise this in my bathtub) after my 15–20 minutes, I will remove the bucket and pour the water/bleach solution into the toilet and hold my manus on the plants and rocks. I do this and so null gets poured into the toilet by accident, so practise it slowly. I have had a plastic plant go down the toilet and so fast, that I couldn't catch it. Fortunately, it was a soft plant and went right down. Simply be conscientious. I often have out the heavy rocks and launder those in articulate h2o separately. Y'all tin of course dump the water in the bathtub, merely so yous have to wait for it to get down the bleed to refill the saucepan.

Now fill the bucket another 4–5 times, swish the plants with your hands a few times to help remove whatever of the bleach and dispose of the water.

Warning: If you don't completely remove all the bleach from your plants and rocks, you tin can kill all the fish in your tank. And then be certain you lot wash everything in clear water completely.

Be sure to do a few water changes in the bucket. I like to spill the bleach water into my toilet, to clean it as well. Then I take the rocks and plants to my sink and use a brush to clean the rocks if need be. — Be sure to do a few water changes in the bucket. I like to spill the bleach water into my toilet, to clean it also. Then I take the rocks and plants to my sink and use a brush to clean the rocks if need be.

v-B. Complete Alter: Scrub the Accessories (Optional)

If you want to clean the rocks and accessories better, you can do this in your sink. I put in a heavy hand towel in the sink to prevent any scratching or damage to the sink from the rocks. I use a pocket-sized fingernail brush to scrub the rocks and accessories.

half-dozen-B. Complete Alter: Replace the Accessories and the Water

Have the make clean plants and rocks and replace them in your aquarium. You may discover it easier to practice this before you supercede the h2o on a complete change.

Now you have the plants, rocks and accessories where you want them, then yous can add the water (but like we did in steps 2-A and 3-A for the simple modify).

Before and After

This is a typical rock before I clean it. — This is a typical stone before I clean it.

Rock after cleaning: As you can see, our rock is now bright in color and without any algae — Rock after cleaning: As you tin can run across, our rock is at present bright in color and without any algae

seven. Make clean the Filters (One Solar day Later on)

Some people like to alter or clean their filters with fresh filter materials and charcoal every ii weeks, so you can do this later on a complete change if you like.

One suggestion is to wait one twenty-four hour period on the filter change. Afterward y'all exercise your water modify. Let the filter articulate out any floating fabric in the tank that is now floating in the water and so do the filter alter.

Your plants will also look new and there was no need to scrub them to get them this way — Your plants will also wait new and there was no need to scrub them to go them this way

viii. You're Done!

That's it. Yous just did what nature did with one of those hard thunderstorms in the Amazon River. Yous take flushed away all the waste material in the tank, you lot accept diluted whatever of the harmful chemicals and put your system dorsum in harmony.

Tips and Advice on Easy Tank Maintenance

Don't be too concerned about the amount of chlorine in the replacement water, I will use a fiddling of the chlorine remover sold in pet shops, but frankly, information technology should not really be a problem since you are only replacing nearly xx% of the water.
I like to put a fiddling salt in the h2o. I use about one tablespoon per 15 gallons of water. Kosher or Aquarium salt serves as a general tonic and stress reducer for freshwater fish. I take used it for years. Do non add salt if yous are simply calculation water that has evaporated from your aquarium, the salt hasn't.
If you are adding a lot of water in a big tank, you may want to use the chlorine remover in the water; modest h2o changes don't really need to do this.

Warning: Failing to Modify the Water Will Stress Out Your Fish

Your fish volition become used to your water changes as they go used to you feeding them each twenty-four hours. They volition not get stressed out and will experience better one time it has been washed. You will see them come up alive after a alter and in some species this is how yous entice them to breed.

If you fail to do water changes regularly, the poor water quality can lead to infection on any wounded fish. It will too put stress on fish, which is frequently the cause of fungus and parasite issues.

Megan Nelson from Spokane on April eleven, 2022:

Information technology's dainty to see another aquarium hobbyist who keeps up on their water changes. I work at a fish shop and I try to stress to all of my customers of how important weekly h2o changes are. Your article was a groovy read and a joy to discover!

Pelting on November 02, 2022:

Only wondering how much to feed my fish I take iv - ii neons, one little cat fish, and i other small fish about 1 inch long???? My tank is simply 10 gallons - a larger tank is to heavy for me to accept apart and clean etc - I've had it for two years and information technology's been pretty nice, just my daughter thinks I feed them too much.

podger78 on October 25, 2022:

Awesome re clean your tank then when adding dorsum water let the filter work then change the make clean the filter next day thanks

Tiru on September 05, 2022:

I inverse the h2o and used bleached water without knowing. Now the fishes are condign weak and wearisome. What to practise to protect them? Plz propose.

Len Rapoport (author) from New Jersey on September 29, 2022:

It depends on your fish in the tank. More often than not the temperature for many fish should exist between 75-85 degrees. Bank check with your local pet shop or practise some enquiry on the web based on the fish yous have.

simon on September 08, 2022:

Wot temp do I need to maytan in my tropical tank plz I demand help

dbialecki on April 10, 2022:

This is a prissy detailed guide regarding water irresolute. I've seen so many hobbyists non change it ofttimes enough and it really is a shame. Bravo!

Len Rapoport (author) from New Jersey on October 15, 2009:

Yes this is my merely remaining tank. At one fourth dimension I have thirty tanks, most in my basement and I was breeding fish for sale to local pet shops. Of course now they are all bondage and they buy ill fish for pennies and sell them for big bucks. When I was breeding the fish, mine were healthy, raised by hand and not in large vats and ponds and they were huge in size when I sold them.

Darlene Sabella from Hello, my proper name is Toast and Jam, I live in the forest with my dog named Sam ... on October 07, 2009:

I love this commodity Len, is this your own fish tank? Did you take these pictures yourself? Very cool article, WTG

Source: https://pethelpful.com/fish-aquariums/How-to-Maintain-Your-Tropical-Fish-Aquarium-for-Healthier-Fish

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