Only fish enthusiasts can understand how it feels when they look at a dirty fish tank. It becomes more frustrating when you have cleaned it a week before, and it gets dirty again in no time. It’s always good to have a fish swimming tank around, but fish tank cleaning can easily turn your excitement into a chore. In this article, we’ll discuss why does my fish tank get dirty so fast?
Why Does My Fish Tank Get Dirty So Fast?
Below are the main reasons why fish tanks get dirty so fast.
- Overcrowding
Fish tanks get dirty quickly because of the overcrowding of fish tanks. Fish lovers always want to buy new fish, but it makes the tank overcrowded. More fish in the tank mean that you have to provide more food to them. As a result, there will be more feces at the bottom of the tank.
When there are more fish in the fish tank, there will be more urination and breathing. It will increase the ammonia and carbon dioxide levels in the water. The best way is to keep only a few fish in your fish tank. A general rule of thumb is to have at least one gallon for every inch of fish in your tank. This means if you have 3 four inch fish, you should have at least a 12 gallon tank.
- Incomplete Nitrogen Cycle
The main elements that result in fish tank pollution are ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite. To deal with these harmful elements, you should try your best to remove them from your tank. An incomplete nitrogen cycle results in the degradation of ammonia to nitrites and nitrates. In the end, they become foods for plants and make the fish tank dirty.
This incomplete nitrogen cycle can also cause fish to die. If you don’t want the presence of live plants in the fish tank, the best way is to get them out yourself. You can do this by adding fish tank solution to your tank. When you maintain a fish tank well, it will ensure that the tank doesn’t have any ammonia levels.
- Excessive Exposure to Sunlight
When the fish tank is exposed to the sun for a long time, it will increase algae growth. These algae grow on the plants and glass of the fish tank. So, if you want to protect your fish tank from getting dirty fast, keep the sunlight exposure to a minimum.
- Overfeeding
Your affection and love can cause more damage than good. Feed only once and ensure that fish eat the entire food. If the food remains in the tank for more than two minutes, it will increase the ammonia and nitrite levels in the water.
- Lack of Live Plants
If you want to maintain clean water in the fish tank, live plants are the best solution. When there are excess live plants, the water and fish tank will be clean.
So, these are the reasons why your fish tank gets dirty so fast. Now, let’s move to the next part, which is about fish tank cleaning.
Best way to clean a dirty fish tank?
No doubt, fish tank gets dirty quickly, but cleaning and maintenance of fish tanks isn’t difficult. Follow these simple steps and keep your fish tank clean:
- Choose the right-sized tank
The fish tank shouldn’t be too large or too small. When the tank size is small, it will stress the fish and gets dirty quickly. In contrast, a large fish tank makes fish uncomfortable and will take more time to clean.
- Use a high-quality filter
The most important equipment that collects the waste and debris in a tank is a filter, so ensure that it is high-quality. Choose the filter size according to your tank setup and buy the filter according to your budget. Ensure that the filter contains chemical, biological, and mechanical filtration elements.
- Feed high-quality food
Feed your fish high-quality food on a strict schedule. It will improve digestion. Ensure that you get the uneaten food out of the tank after 5 minutes. Otherwise, it will make the tank dirty.
- Keep changing the water
When you fill the tank with clean water at a fixed schedule, it will ensure that dirty and spent water isn’t present in the tank. The best way to make your fish comfortable is to change 10-20% of the water every 3-4 days.
- Scrap the glass
Use a simple scraper for removing algae from the sides of the fish tank. Do this regularly to keep the algae growth to a minimum. It will help you maintain the original colors of the tank.
- Trim plants
Live plants are good for cleaning water. Moreover, they provide a natural source of nutrition. If you notice that leaves are turning brown or decaying, trim those leaves and keep your fish tank clean. This will prevent the decaying leaves from building up at the bottom of your tank and attracting bacteria growth.
- Clean your ornaments
Rocks, sunken ships, logs, and castle add a bit of structure, but they don’t look nice. Use hot water to rinse them, and it will remove algae buildup and help keep your fish tank clean.
- Vacuum the gravel
Fish feces, uneaten food, brown leaves, and debris all like to settle at the bottom of the tank. When you vacuum the gravel every week, it will remove debris and keep your fish tank fresh. Moreover, it also helps keep the fish tank healthier.
- Clean the tank outside
You make all the efforts to keep your fish tank clean, but you ignore the outside of the tank. It will result in dust buildup on the outside surface. Moreover, fingerprints on the outside glass become visible. Regularly keep the outside of the fish tank clean by wiping it with a towel and Windex.
Final Words
We have seen many people complaining about why does my fish tank get dirty so fast? The main reason is they don’t clean it regularly. They keep on waiting until things get worse. When you do this daily, it will keep your fish tank clean, and you don’t have to perform deep cleaning.
When the fish tank is clean, you and your fish will enjoy a healthier and fresher environment. This article can help you find out the reasons why the fish tank gets dirty so fast, and also you can maintain your fish tank clean by following the above-mentioned tips.
