Having an Aquarium and Keeping it Clean

One of the main problems that you may encounter with your aquarium is green algae. This can build up on aquarium ornaments, leaving them slimy and dull. Even worse, algae can accrue on the glass of your aquarium too, making it difficult to see your beloved fish at all. Getting rid of algae is simple, though, and there are a number of ways to do it. Wiping the ornaments and glass every few days with a soft cloth will prevent algae from building up. Make sure not to scratch the aquarium glass as you clean it, though, or you will create lots of new little cracks and crevices in the glass for the algae to live in. Another super-efficient way to keep your tank completely algae-free is to buy a plecostomos fish, or 'plec'. These little guys actually eat algae!

They are happy to spend all day every day sucking algae off the glass, the aquarium stones, and the aquarium ornaments, keeping the tank fresh and clean. You can get both cold water and tropical plecs, depending on the type of tank you have.

Changing the water in your aquarium regularly is absolutely crucial to keeping it clean. Never completely empty all of the water out of the tank, though, when you clean it. Rather, scoop or siphon out about 2/3 of the old water and replace it with the same volume of new water. Completely removing and then replacing all the water can be quite a shock to your fish, especially sensitive tropical varieties.

One of the main problems that aquarium owners encounter with having an aquarium and keeping it cleaned involves cleaning the gravel at the bottom of the tank. Silt, old food particles, and fish poop tend to build up in the gravel, and to remain there even after the water has been changed a few times. Never fear, though! You can purchase a simple aquarium vacuum which acts like a regular vacuum but underwater. This handy device will sucking up all of the nasties that have gathered in the gravel, leaving it thoroughly clean.