How to clean and maintain a large aquarium (20 gallons or more)?

[elephantnose3334]

How do I look after and clean a big aquarium which is 20 gallons or more? I'm starting to learn how to gravel vac, but don't know how to do a complete clean. The tank being heavy when empty of water is a problem for me. I need help to maintain a future aquarium. I'm trying not to make more work for my parents, but I need help doing maintenance. I'm trying to learn how to do it myself.

 

[GaryE]

I empty tanks if I move. Other than that, never. I gravel vac once a year or so, and siphon out 30% every week. That gets mulm, if I don't want it in the tank.
I squeeze out filter media once every 6 weeks or so, and change the filter floss in box filters every few months. I clean the glass in front, take out dead leaves, and that's the whole process.
If I have a heater, I unplug it before I start cleaning.

 

[NatCardiff88]

Depends on tank. What fish do you have? And what substrate? Gravel or sand etc? I have both coldwater and tropical. I use a gravel vac also in my coldwater tank which is 80L and clean glass with magnetic algae cleaner….. will attach a picture. I do a minimum of 25% water change, rinse filter media in tank water I take out-DO NOT RINSE WITH TAP WATER once a week unless nitrates are high then 50% and I replace carbon filter every 28days. I also add stability and prime alongside fluval tap water safe when doing the water change and 1ml of melaxfix just to help with scales. Clean decorations once monthly.

Tropical tank is 240Lhoover sand daily, 30% water change weekly but I use a python (python hose) because the tank is so large. I use a flipper cleaner as it has a blade for algae removal and add algae exit once a week. Again prime,stability and fluval. I use gravel vac for any left over poop and to get water to clean filter. Clean filter media in tank water replace the cotton filter every week. Clean underneath coconut houses as the trap of food and poop other decorations once monthly.

Hope this helps

 

[NatCardiff88]

Also I personally don’t unplug heater I move it lower due to possible temperature drop

 

[Ichthys]

You never need to do a “complete clean”. In fact it’s probably a bad thing, because an aquarium is a living ecosystem that carries on maturing over the months and years (in ways I don’t fully understand or feel the need to), and a complete clean would be like starting again in some respects. A mature tank tends to be more stable.
Just keep up with water changes, remove most of the gunk from the filter before the flow rate drops much, and that’s all you need to do.

You don’t even need to clean the gravel, although it’s probably a good thing. A build up of muck only means you have a bigger bioload (the muck will get broken down into ammonia…), which grows a bigger colony of filtration bacteria to match. The rest is cosmetic, like ‘battling’ with algae and cleaning the glass (I only ever clean the front glass).

Do you know how to use a gravel cleaner to deep-clean all of the gravel, right down to the bottom glass? (many don’t, and think it’s just for vacuuming the top, that’s why I ask).

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I agree with what has been said here. Unless I'm tearing down to build a completely new aquascape, or moving the tank to a different location, I never completely empty it. When I do, I get help. I would never want to move a 20g or larger tank by myself. Even if you're strong enough, visibility is low and they're awkward, so the potential for tripping is high. The possibility of face-planting into four large panes of glass isn't something I want to think about. My face ain't much, but it's the only one I have.

 

[rebe]

I have a planted 29 gallon. The only cleaning/maintenance I do are the following:

• 40-50% water change 3-4 times per month
• I scrape algae from the aquarium walls. I have one of those razor cleaners, but I've heard a plastic card works just as well
• While I was having excessive mulm build up, I siphoned most of it out during water changes
• Test the water parameters every two weeks or so (I would do this more often if the tank was stocked more and less planted, I've never had any ammonia or nitrites)
• I dose plant ferts (seachem flourish comprehensive) as recommended on the bottle. If there was lots of algae I would reduce the amount

The (bladder) snails that live in the tank eat most or all of the algae within the tank, if there was algae building up on the leaves of my plants I would clean them gently. I don't clean the filter unless I can see stuff building up on the media.

 

[elephantnose3334]

Depends on tank. What fish do you have? And what substrate? Gravel or sand etc? I have both coldwater and tropical. I use a gravel vac also in my coldwater tank which is 80L and clean glass with magnetic algae cleaner….. will attach a picture. I do a minimum of 25% water change, rinse filter media in tank water I take out-DO NOT RINSE WITH TAP WATER once a week unless nitrates are high then 50% and I replace carbon filter every 28days. I also add stability and prime alongside fluval tap water safe when doing the water change and 1ml of melaxfix just to help with scales. Clean decorations once monthly.

Tropical tank is 240Lhoover sand daily, 30% water change weekly but I use a python (python hose) because the tank is so large. I use a flipper cleaner as it has a blade for algae removal and add algae exit once a week. Again prime,stability and fluval. I use gravel vac for any left over poop and to get water to clean filter. Clean filter media in tank water replace the cotton filter every week. Clean underneath coconut houses as the trap of food and poop other decorations once monthly.

Hope this helps

I don't have fish yet. I will get a 20 gallon or larger tank in the future.

 

[Colin_T]

When the aquarium is set up, you use a gravel cleaner to remove some of the water and clean the gunk out of the substrate. Then top the tank up with dechlorinated water. It doesn't matter what size tank it is, the procedure is the same for all aquariums.

For big tanks, use a garden hose or some clear hose from a hardware store and make the gravel cleaner out of a 1, 1.5 or 2 litre plastic drink bottle (like a Coca Cola bottle).

Use a pair of scissors and cut the bottom off the bottle and throw the bottom bit in the recycling.
Remove the cap and ring from the top of the bottle and throw those 2 bits in the recycling.
The remaining bottle is the gravel clean.

Stick a garden hose in the top of the bottle and run the hose out the door onto the lawn. Use the gravel cleaner to drain and gravel clean the tank. When you have removed 30-80% (preferably 50-75%) of the water, stop gravel cleaning and refill the aquarium with dechlorinated water.

To refill the tank have a couple of large plastic storage containers or buckets and fill them with tap water. Try to do this before you start draining the tank so the dechlorinator has time to neutralise the chlorine. Have the buckets a few feet away from the tank and add dechlorinator and water to them. Add an airstone to the water and let it bubble away while you gravel clean and drain the tank.

Get a small water pump like an AquaClear powerhead. Put a length of clear hose on the outlet of the water pump. Make a U shape out of pvc pipe (available from any hardware) and put the U on the outlet of the hose coming from the pump. The U will be upside down and hangs over the edge of the aquarium. Put the water pump in the bucket of dechlorinated water and turn it on. The pump will pump water into the tank and when the bucket is nearly empty or the tank is nearly full, turn the pump off.

 

[rebe]

Add an airstone to the water and let it bubble away while you gravel clean and drain the tank.

Is this for oxygenation or to help with dechlorinaton? I've never heard of it before but it might be worth a try

 

[elephantnose3334]

When the aquarium is set up, you use a gravel cleaner to remove some of the water and clean the gunk out of the substrate. Then top the tank up with dechlorinated water. It doesn't matter what size tank it is, the procedure is the same for all aquariums.

For big tanks, use a garden hose or some clear hose from a hardware store and make the gravel cleaner out of a 1, 1.5 or 2 litre plastic drink bottle (like a Coca Cola bottle).

Use a pair of scissors and cut the bottom off the bottle and throw the bottom bit in the recycling.
Remove the cap and ring from the top of the bottle and throw those 2 bits in the recycling.
The remaining bottle is the gravel clean.

Stick a garden hose in the top of the bottle and run the hose out the door onto the lawn. Use the gravel cleaner to drain and gravel clean the tank. When you have removed 30-80% (preferably 50-75%) of the water, stop gravel cleaning and refill the aquarium with dechlorinated water.

To refill the tank have a couple of large plastic storage containers or buckets and fill them with tap water. Try to do this before you start draining the tank so the dechlorinator has time to neutralise the chlorine. Have the buckets a few feet away from the tank and add dechlorinator and water to them. Add an airstone to the water and let it bubble away while you gravel clean and drain the tank.

Get a small water pump like an AquaClear powerhead. Put a length of clear hose on the outlet of the water pump. Make a U shape out of pvc pipe (available from any hardware) and put the U on the outlet of the hose coming from the pump. The U will be upside down and hangs over the edge of the aquarium. Put the water pump in the bucket of dechlorinated water and turn it on. The pump will pump water into the tank and when the bucket is nearly empty or the tank is nearly full, turn the pump off.

Thanks for the advice Colin. The problem is I might accidentally put chlorinated water into the tank with the hose.

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

I have:

Semi-planted 29g w random leftover community fish such from years ago, kuhlis, Cory’s, flagfish, Amani shrimp. 40% wc every 2 weeks

Semi-planted 90g heavy-filtered w 3 bichirs and a group of African Tiger Scat. 40-50% every 2 weeks

Planted 55g w 6 Gymnogeophagus Terrapurpura plus fry and some dithers. 50-60% every 2-3 weeks depending on time

Heavy Planted 42 patio pond w a small group of rosy barbs and some Xiphophorus Variatus. 40% change 3-4 weeks

Heavy Planted 42 patio pond w small group of Xiphophorus Variatus 40% change 3-4 weeks

All my wc are taylored to my fish type, the amount of fish, the amount fed, filtration, etc. Siphoned w a gravel vac into buckets, tho investing in a python water changer is a good idea. NEVER full clean your tank unless you’re starting over.

I don’t use buckets full of pre-dechlorinated water, I just add water and add dechlorinator simultaneously, never had a problem with it.

 

[Colin_T]

Is this for oxygenation or to help with dechlorinaton? I've never heard of it before but it might be worth a try

it's to help the dechlorinator mix with the water and neutralise all the chlorine/ chloramine

it also helps get the dissolved gasses in the water back to normal levels

 

[Colin_T]

Thanks for the advice Colin. The problem is I might accidentally put chlorinated water into the tank with the hose.

why and how?

you fill the bucket/s in the room with tap water, add dechlorinator, let it aerate and use the gravel cleaner to drain the tank water outside.

If you might forget to put dechlorinator in, use a pen and paper and write the date and time down and have put dechlorinator into buckets

 

[elephantnose3334]

why and how?

you fill the bucket/s in the room with tap water, add dechlorinator, let it aerate and use the gravel cleaner to drain the tank water outside.

If you might forget to put dechlorinator in, use a pen and paper and write the date and time down and have put dechlorinator into buckets

I see. I fear that the DIY gravel vac might put chlorinated water in the aquarium while cleaning it.