How To Clean A 3.5 Gallon Fish Tank

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Keeping your tank clean is a critical role of maintaining the health of your fish. However, information technology tin can exist a bit challenging to practise a water alter with a sand substrate. Start past partially emptying your tank of both water and décor. Head into the intensive cleaning by focusing on removing full general debris and excessive algae growth. Continue your tank looking good past netting solid waste when you run into it.

1. 1

   Know your substrate type. Not all sands are the same. If you are using standard play sand then you can rake and siphon information technology without too many worries regarding tank pollution. If, however, you take a specialty planting sand you'll need to exist very careful when raking equally it tin can release ammonia and nitrates when disturbed.^[i] Read the instructions and warnings carefully on the package to detect out if whatever special handling is necessary.^[ii]

   • You tin besides visit your local aquarium shop and talk with an practiced who volition propose y'all regarding your sand options.^[3] Some options, such equally coral sand, are quite beautiful merely can be dangerous to particular species of fish.

2. ii

   Turn off the heater, filter, and all pumps. If they come with a switch, plough it to the off position or simply unplug all of these devices. Your fish will be fine in the short menstruation it will take you to complete a h2o change and for safety reasons information technology is important to not have electricity running into the tank as you handle the water.^[4]

   • You tin besides have this as an opportunity to rinse out your filter pad or cartridge with cold h2o. You volition want to do this once every two to iv weeks.^[five]

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3. 3

   Remove the plants and decorations. Dip your hand into the tank water and gently remove all decorations that y'all would like to make clean. Wash these items in warm h2o scrubbing gently with your hands or a soft brush to remove all algae and debris. Identify the clean decorations on a lint-complimentary rag or into a clean bucket.^[6]

   • There is no need to remove live plants for cleaning. It tin can mayhap impairment their roots.^[7]
   • Cleaning decorations is a scrap controversial and some contend that it is better to get out everything in the tank to preserve healthy bacteria.^[8]

4. four

   Siphon out a portion of the h2o. Place your siphon into the water and begin to drain the h2o direct into your sink or a bucket. You demand to remove betwixt 10-25% of the water depending on the dirtiness of the tank.^[nine]

   • You will want to complete this partial water modify and cleaning process every ane to two weeks.^[10]
   • This dingy water does non need to be preserved and you can dispose of it immediately.

5. five

   Prepare replacement h2o. Fill a make clean saucepan with tap h2o. Add drops of a water conditioner and wait a few minutes for it have total upshot. The water conditioner will remove impurities and neutralize the chlorine in tap water making it rubber for fish.^[11]

   • Carefully read the instructions on your water conditioner bottle. The number of drops used varies every bit does the amount of time the h2o needs to sit.^[12]

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1. 1

   Scrape off algae. Apply a specialty algae scrubber or a lint-gratis cloth to gently rub the inside of your tank. Employ consequent and light pressure while making small circles on the surface. It is okay if pieces of algae autumn to the sand every bit they will be siphoned up shortly.^[xiii]

   • Resist pushing too hard on your tank every bit it can crusade harm or make the tank peradventure tip over.^[14]

2. 2

   Rake your fingers through the sand. Place your fingers into the sand at the bottom of your tank. Gently push the sand from the lesser to the elevation. Echo throughout the tank floor until all sand has been upturned. You volition encounter that droppings and deposits have settled on the surface of the sand.^[15]

   • It is sometimes helpful to get over the sand surface one time with the siphon prior to raking.

3. 3

   Remove surface droppings with a gravel siphon. Lower your siphon until it is near ½ inch higher up the sand'south surface. Move the siphon in a back-and-along pattern, holding the depth level, equally you pick up droppings and clay. Target any peculiarly large particles.^[16]

   • You can expect for the siphon to pick up some sand particles with this method. You tin then re-rinse those particles and re-introduce them to the tank or yous can throw them out. Information technology is oft a good idea to add in new sand every few weeks anyway.^[17]

4. 4

   Replace all decor. Accept your time picking up the clean decorations and putting them back into the tank. Yous can follow the same pattern equally before or you can mix it up with a new design. Make sure each piece is anchored and motion effectually the freshly cleaned sand as needed.

5. five

   Pour fresh water into the tank. Supplant the h2o that you lot removed by adding in the treated h2o to your tank. You tin pour directly from the bucket, although that may disturb your tank and fish. A amend option might exist to use a jug to add the new water in slowly.^[xviii]

   • You can also deflect the water with a plate every bit it is added in which will lower the chance of damage even more.

6. six

   Re-actuate your heater, filter, and lighting. Equally before long as you've completed the water change you lot can plug all of your tank appliance back in. Scout to make sure that they are operating properly before leaving the tank alone.

   • You lot may want to leave your tank light off for a few hours following a water modify. This can help your fish to relax following what may have been a stressful event.
   • Check the temperature of the replacement water with a thermometer before adding information technology to your tank. Both water temps should be roughly the same or you chance shocking your fish.

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1. 1

   Always rinse substrate before adding it. Become a big bucket (5 gallons) and place your new sand in the bottom. Use a sink sprayer attachment or a garden hose to spray into the sand. Keeping stirring and churning until dirt particles ascension to the top. Pour this dirty h2o out and echo the process. Keep going until the water is clear and your sand is ready for the tank.^[19]

   • Use cold water to rinse your sand, but allow information technology to reach room temperature before adding it to your tank.^[xx]

2. two

   Use a fine net for floating waste. Proceed a small net near to your tank. Whenever you see any debris or dirt particles floating in the tank just take hold of them in the internet and dispose of them. This is especially of import to do in the 60 minutes or so after feeding fourth dimension.^[21]

3. 3

   Be careful with decoration removals. As yous make alterations to your tank décor keep in mind that items can become trapped nether the sand and release toxins into the water every bit they disuse. When y'all remove live plants brand certain to have the roots out as well. Gently dig them out of the sand.^[22]

4. four

   Remove sections of the substrate on a schedule. It is possible to supersede entire sections of your sand substrate over the course of a few months. To exercise this you lot would use a gravel cleaner to selection up the dirty sand, replacing it with new, freshly-cleaned sand.^[23]

   • Exist aware that this method may go on your tank clean but it can also stress out your fish and diminish the production of good bacteria.

5. 5

   Become snails. Snails can assist to minimize the growth of algae in your tank, leading to cleaner sand every bit well. They also dig into the sand and forbid stagnation. Become to your local aquarium store and larn nigh the different types of snails that could suit your detail tank.^[24]

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Add New Question

• Question

  Can I vacuum the sand at the bottom of my tank?

  

  Aaron Bernard is an Aquarium Specialist and the Owner of Limited Edition Corals in Phoenix, Arizona. With over ten years of experience, Aaron specializes in aquarium maintenance, custom design, manufacture, installation, and moving. Aaron holds a BS in Biochemistry from Arizona State University, where he studied the effects of climate change on coral reefs and began to propagate his corals.

  

  Fish & Aquarium Specialist

  Expert Answer

  You shouldn't vacuum the sand, every bit this could cause unhealthy bacteria and nitrates to exist released into the water.

• Question

  Would the fish consume the snails?

  

  It depends on what breed of fish y'all have. African Dwarf Frogs are able to eat a few modest-sized snails, and Betta fish (more territorial/aggressive types of fish like Bloom Horns) may think you're feeding them a snack.

• Question

  I have two Axolotl and very fine sand in my aquarium. Volition the gravel siphon work for that, as well?

  

  No. The sand will suck through, and you'll have a bucket of sand. I'd recommend moving the sand with your hand (ane day a week will help foreclose toxic gas buildup). You tin use a syphon, simply information technology does need to be at leas three" above the tiptop of the sand.

• Question

  Tin I use all kind of plants for my fish tank?

  

  You tin utilize both live or 'false' plants depending on the other details of your tank. You will want to consider what plants work well with your fish. You will also want to consider the requirements of the plants in terms of care and cleaning.

• Question

  What if I have live plants in the tank?

  

  Grace Dark-brown

  Community Answer

  You could either take them out or siphon effectually them.

• Question

  My tank is sand and pebbles for a turtle, and it got nasty. What can I do to keep it cleaner? Seems similar the filter don't handle the task well.

  

  Accept out the sand and pebbles. Buy a h2o vacuum so you lot don't accept to allow the filters exercise all the work.

• Question

  How can I get the sand out of the bottom of tank?

  

  You should not need to remove the sand from your tank. About weekly or bi-weekly cleanings will simply crave that you siphon off the muddy sand, leaving most of the substrate behind. If yous would like to replace the sand it is better to do that on a schedule and on a fractional basis.

• Question

  I've got fine sand with substrate underneath for the plants roots, how would I get about siphoning it without disturbing the substrate at the lesser?

  

  Attempt siphoning it an inch or so loftier to suck upward the fish waste without moving the sand around.

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• Have the time to detect an aquarium store with knowledgeable staff who can help you decide on the correct products for your tank.^[25]

• You lot will often accept a option of substrate, but some species of fish simply do better with sand. Lesser feeders, in particular, can be scraped by gravel and enjoy searching the sand for hidden food. Other species crave sand beds for breeding or digestive health.^[26]

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• Be conscientious not to overfeed your fish. This can add to tank droppings and volition arrive necessary to complete more than frequent h2o changes.^[27]

• Moving fish out of the tank tin can stress them out. Try to go on your fish in the tank for weekly h2o changes, if at all possible.^[28]

• Sand tin can scratch the surface of acrylic tanks. Before you rub the inside surface of your tank, check for sand particles.^[29]

• Never use lather in a fish tank when cleaning.

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Things You'll Demand

• A gravel siphon
• Two make clean buckets (ane for the water and the other for the décor and plants)
• Water Conditioner
• An algae magnet or algae cleaning sponge
• A lint-free cotton wool rag
• A thermometer

About This Article

Article Summary X

To clean a fish tank with sand, start by turning off the heater, filter, and pumps and removing all the plants and decorations. Next, siphon out 10-25% of the water, depending on how dirty it is, and set the replacement water past filling a clean bucket with tap water and adding drops of h2o conditioner to information technology. While the water is setting, utilise a lint-free cloth to scrape any algae off the glass. And then, rake your fingers through the sand, and use a gravel siphon to remove the debris that settles on the surface. To learn how to keep your tank clean over time, keep reading!

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