How to clean this?

[foxgirl158]

I have a temporary 3.5 gallon bucket set up with a heater and bubbler, currently housing around 17 month old platy fry. I do a water change every day, but the bottom of the bucket is getting really gross with poop and uneaten food. I cannot get a syphon in the bucket, and I’ve tried sucking it out with a turkey baster but it didn’t work. Suggestions?

 

[Circus]

Get a small diameter hose (airline tubing would probably work), fill it with water. Set bucket on table or chair. Place an empty bucket on the ground. After filling tube with water, hold both ends shut. Place one end in fry bucket, place other end in empty bucket, then let the water flow. This acts as a small siphon which lets you suck up any gunk on the bottom. Be sure to make sure no fry are in the extra bucket before you empty it.

 

[Naughts]

Looks like a bit of algae, you could wipe the surfaces with an old filter floss or sponge, but I suspect algae is good in fry tanks as they will find microscopic foods on the algae.

 

[foxgirl158]

Looks like a bit of algae, you could wipe the surfaces with an old filter floss or sponge, but I suspect algae is good in fry tanks as they will find microscopic foods on the algae.

It’s loose stuff that gets kicked up, there might be some algae but I think most of it is food and poop

 

[Naughts]

It’s loose stuff that gets kicked up, there might be some algae but I think most of it is food and poop

OK, Circus has it covered then.

 

[Slaphppy7]

A turkey baster would be best for this situation, with such a small amount of water...I wonder why it didn't work (?)

 

[Finn6419]

The best way to clean a fish tank is that first, you have to put gloves on your hand, then unplug lights and filters, take a toothbrush and wash the tank with hot water, clean the glass.

 

[Essjay]

You need to unplug the heater not the lights. Heaters have been known to shatter if they are on when out of the water.

The tank can only be cleaned with hot water when there are no fish in the tank. When there are fish, as in the question here, the tank walls can be cleaned with a scraper or plain sponge - a toothbrush can be used but it would take a long time for anything but a very small tank. The debris can be removed from the bottom of the tank with a siphon tube, or even a turkey baster in a bucket like the original question.

 

[j j m]

as circus has said id say

 

[AbbeysDad]

Don't worry about a layer of mulm/detritus on the bottom as it really doesn't hurt anything. Charles Clapsaddle of Goliad Farms in South Texas finds that the mulm in the bottom of his vats is beneficial, not only housing beneficial bacteria, but also culturing paramecium as an additional food source.