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

[Fish Fanatic34]

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

if you need to clean it use tank water after a water change.

 

[elephantnose3334]

if you need to clean it use tank water after a water change.

Okay.

 

[Colin_T]

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

Why should the gravel cleaner put chlorinated water into the aquarium?
The gravel cleaner is simply a hose (garden hose, clear plastic hose, black irrigation tubing, whatever) and a plastic drink bottle.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I am lucky, I have excellent well water. I have one space where I only have tanks for breeding and growing out plecos. I have a utility sink there and the faucet is adapted to allow me to attch any hose which uses a garden hose size/type of connection. On occasion I will directly top off tanks directly from the tap or fill containers into which I will park the contents of a tank when collecting the fish from it. I have no worries doing this. I even run the water at tank temps directly from the tap.

That said, I usually fill a large Rubbermaid trash can and a few other buckets with changing water and use a pump with a long hose and several different attachments for the output side. For tanks of enough size and proper location I remove water (after rinsing media and vacuuming into a bucket) using pumps and hoses. Some water goes out a window and some directly into a toilet. In winter. when the ground is frozen, it all goes down the toilet. In addition to our own well, we also have our own septic system.

I learned a long time ago, for any tank with fry from bottom dwellers, always to vacuum into a bucket. You would not believe how often one of these little guys gets to ride the wild siphon.

 

[elephantnose3334]

Why should the gravel cleaner put chlorinated water into the aquarium?
The gravel cleaner is simply a hose (garden hose, clear plastic hose, black irrigation tubing, whatever) and a plastic drink bottle.

I don't know. I never made a DIY gravel vac before. But I might give it a try in the future.