For a fish to be health and happy, it is vital that its tank be maintained and cleaned correctly. A fish tank is a sensitive ecosystem which can easily become toxic to its inhabitants if the right precautions are not taken.

These instructions can be used for all types of tanks.

How to clean your fish tank without killing your fish

Follow these simple and easy steps to clean your fish tank without killing your fish

Step 1: You will need the following

An aquarium, a plastic gravel cleaner (or just a tube to syphon water), a bucket, water dechlorinater, aquarium bacteria, and a water testing kit

Step 2: Water removal and gravel cleaning

You should replace approximately 20% of your tank around every 2 weeks. You can do this as the same time as cleaning the gravel by using a plastic gravel cleaner with a hose attached. Put the end of the hose into the fish tank and put the other end of the hose draining into a bucket. Suck up the gravel into the cleaner. The gravel will drop back into place in the tank while water and debris will be sucked into the bucket. You should stop when you have removed about one fifth of the water from the tank. Replacing too much water from your fish tank can be dangerous and actually kill your fish because it removes a lot of the necessary bacteria from the water.

Step 3 Filter cleaning

Ideally you should replace the filter every time you do a water change. The filter medium is usually a sponge which you should rinse out in the bucket of water that you just got from your tank. You should never clean the filter with tap water because this will kill the bacteria on it. Your fish tank requires a certain number of bacteria in it to process your fish’s waste. Never use regular soap to clean the filter medium, because it will likely kill your fish.

Step 4 Algae cleaning

You can either use a algae magnet or simply just scoop up the algae with a net. You should do this while your tank is 80% full.

Step 5: Water replacement

Your tank should now be topped up with clean tap water. Pour this into a bucket and add some dechlorinater to make the water safe for your fish. Slowly fill up your tank to the full capacity. Add some live bacteria to the water to replace the bacteria which has been removed. Aquarium bacteria comes in liquid form so it can simply be poured directly into the tank. You can now return the lid of the fish tank back on and turn the filter and light on.

Step 6: Water Chemistry

Aquarium fish require specific water conditions in order to survive and flourish. The number of chemicals and nitrate must be controlled in your tank. You can easily test these levels with an at home fish tank test kit. The water chemistry can be easily altered by adding chemicals to the tank. It is especially important that bacterial levels in your tank are maintained, as your fish depends on it.

If you follow these simple and easy steps, you will be able to clean your fish tank without killing your fish.