Cleaning and Maintenance. This allows you to push the pickup tube into the gravel and syphon out debris without losing gravel. To work properly, under gravel filters need at least two inches of gravel. Ways to Clean Acrylic Aquariums. (This prevents loss of water). "I didn't know I could clean my gravel by putting the siphoning tube under the gravel. Rinse the dirty gravel in your sieve with running water or use a hose to do the washing. This includes cleaning the gravel, the decorations, and the tank walls and removing fish waste.. The idea is to facilitate syphoning out water, because you’ll need to do that several times. ", "Helpful, very precise, and to the point instructions.". If you plan to clean and reuse these items, set them aside to be sanitized separately. Purchase enough gravel to cover the aquarium bottom approximately three inches deep. Scrub the aquarium heater. At this point, the gravel is clean enough to put directly into the tank. Cleaning new aquarium gravel properly is an important first step in keeping water quality high; gravel dust and residue can harm or even kill fish. Fill the sieve half full of gravel. It is important to do this cleaning outside, the gravel dust will not harm lawns or plants, but it could permanently clog the trap in sink drains, this is a clog that will need a plumber to fix, do not clean gravel into sink drains! New gravel is another reason not to put fish in a new aquarium until it has been filled with water and filter allowed to circulate the water for at least a week. To properly clean new aquarium gravel, it must be done correctly! Thanks to this tool, cleaning tank substrate can be combined with routine water changes and, depending on the size of your tank, generally takes only 15 or 30 minutes to complete. Pros: Pretty simple and cheap. Never use soap, detergents, or bleach to clean your aquarium, gravel, or decorations. The first step in cleaning aquarium gravel, the easiest way, is to pour one bag at a time into a bucket outside of home or office. This old school piece of advice comes from the fact that municipalities often put chlorine in tap water (which is lethal to fish), but if you let the water sit out for 24 hours, the chlorine evaporates. “Can I leave aquarium gravel without cleaning, though I change the water weekly?” The short answer is that it is probably a bad idea. Empty and rinse the old fish tank; Fill it with a water/white vinegar solution. FAST AND EASY! Continue pouring water over the gravel until the water runs clear. Aquarium Forum > General Freshwater Aquarium Topics > General Freshwater Forum > Safe way to remove gravel from an old tank Members currently in the chatroom: 0 Who's Online: The most chatters online in one day was 17, 09-12-2012. Use lots of salt, don't be shy, and scrub it around there vigorously. Start by siphoning the old water into the bucket dedicated for this purpose. If on the other hand, you want to recuse the same gravel, place it in a bucket and thoroughly rinse it with a jet of water (using a garden hose or similar equipment) Caution: Do not use detergent or soap to clean gravel or wash the inside of the tank. Do not vacuum all of the gravel or replace all of the water all at once. Use a hosepipe to clean the gravel in a sieve. Be sure the bleach is pure and doesn’t include any scents. The gravel head has a guard to stop pieces of gravel from entering and clogging the tube. There is the long, old method where you are pouring water from the aquarium into another … You can make a gravel cleaner out of a 1, 1.5 or 2 litre plastic drink bottle. There is the long, old method where you are pouring water from the aquarium into another bucket. To create this article, 19 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This can breed all kinds of diseases that are dangerous to the fish. If you keep live aquarium plants, take this time to remove any dead leaves and trim … Don't worry, it only takes a few simple steps. Having colored tank gravel could be your choice, but unless it is completely cleaned, it can be a long term danger to many fish. Shirlie is a fish and aquarium lover with 16 years of experience writing on the topic of raising and keeping fish at home. Don't worry, the cleaning process is quick, so your fish will be fine. Clean and maintain the filters. It is an … You may remove 30~50% the water from the aquarium by using a gravel vacuum to pull the water into an empty bucket. I have Sand and Gravel inside my Freshwater Aquarium with Aquarium Plants! I fasten a thick filter sock on the waste end and put it in my sump. Prune the Plants. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Never use anything that came in contact with soap, detergents, or bleach to clean your aquarium, gravel, or decorations. Use your rake in a sweeping motion to clear the path of debris or dirt from your landscape gravel. You can use dish detergent or … Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. In this episode, I show you HOW I CLEAN MY AQUARIUM GRAVEL! If your aquarium doesn’t weigh too much, pour the rocks into a hand-held pan. For more details, see our, Aquarium Water Factors to Control for Healthy Fish. Remove all the gravel from your aquarium and put it in a mix of water and bleach. The longer nozzle is the best fit for removing … wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Cleaning an acrylic aquarium follows the standard procedure of cleaning an aquarium. Step 5: Remove/Replace the gravel: If you want to remove the gravel, simply put it in a garbage bag and dump it. This will let you properly clean and sanitize the tank. Cleaning aquarium gravel is a dreaded task for most fish keepers, but with the right equipment on hand, it doesn’t have to be as taxing as you’d expect it to be. If siphoning picked up the majority of big particles, leave the gravel. Once the water runs clear, the gravel is ready to be used. How do I clean the algae off of the gravel without using snails or shrimps, etc? Put all the gravel back into the tank, mixing together the dirty and clean gravel. Consider cleaning the gravel alongside your weekly water exchange. If you don’t have a stand for it, just use some scrap lumber. Learn more... Aquarium gravel serves not only as a decoration, but also as a filter. Using a gravel vacuum, you can clean the gravel and keep your fish healthy. Because of this, it tends to harbor a lot of debris and waste. The water will become cloudy with residue literally washed out of the gravel. Sometimes to get rid of calcium buildup and crusted-on algae that forms on rocks and decorations, you need to use an aquarium safe cleaning product. Ways to Clean Acrylic Aquariums. Even though new aquarium gravel may be marketed as “pre-rinsed” or “pre-cleaned” by manufacturers, bags of new aquarium gravel often contain dust, debris, grit or poisonous residue from the factory it was packaged in. If you are using a Python, or a similar type, simply turn the water on the begin siphoning. They usually come with easy to follow instructions. Our free guide can help keep your tank clean and your fish healthy. Cleaning an acrylic aquarium follows the standard procedure of cleaning an aquarium. Three inches deep my gravel grows algae on it, just use some scrap lumber probably dirty. Used to clean the gravel head has a guard to stop pieces of gravel from your landscape.. 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