Aquarium cleaning can seem like a daunting task but it is absolutely necessary if you are to have a successful aquarium. Many of the steps involved are really quite simple, and once you have learned how to utilize the various tools and methods, cleaning your aquarium can be very easy and satisfying.
When I first started in the aquarium hobby back in 1974, it was the Dark Age for aquarium maintenance. To remove the debris from the substrate you had to stir up the gravel until the water looked like a cesspool, then attach a user unfriendly Diatom filter to the tank to remove the floating debris. After traumatizing my fish I now had to use a standard siphon hose to remove water into a bucket and carry it to the sink without sloshing water all over the floor.
A fish tank will only be as healthy and clean as its owner keeps it. Just adding water, fish, gravel, and decorations is not quite enough. Generally, at least once a month, the tank owner will need to remove approximately twenty-five percent of the water in the tank and replace it with clean water, as well as remove debris from the gravel.
Even if your home would not get the Mr. Clean award for being the neatest and cleanest home on the block it is not likely to make you ill. You can open the windows to let in fresh air, you can throw a load of laundry in the washer, and you can wash the dishes that have been stockpiling in the sink.
Pet Expert