Description
This article is from the Beginning
Fishkeeping FAQ, by Thomas Narten with numerous contributions
by others.
17 Equipment: Miscellaneous Cleaning Tools
Siphoning is the easiest way to remove water from a tank. For large
tanks, using a ``water python'' or other long hose allows one to
dispense with the bucket and siphon water directly into a drain or
outside garden. When removing water via siphoning, you should also
clean (``vacuum'') your gravel. Many ``water changing'' hoses are
available at local fish stores and include a gravel cleaning
attachment. The basic idea behind them is to connect a wide mouthed
tube to the end of the siphon hose. When the tube is plunged into the
gravel, the water flow churns up the gravel, but only the detritus
(dirt, mulm, etc) is light enough to be siphoned out. Note that the
dirty water being removed from your tank contains nitrates, which make
an excellent fertilizer for your flower or vegetable garden.
To remove algae from the side of your tank, a plastic, non-soapy
scouring pad can be used. If you have an acrylic tank, be especially
careful that the pad isn't hard enough to scratch the side. Many types
of algae can be wiped free using the floss inserts made for Whisper
filters (cheap and can't scratch).
Some of the slower growing algae simply can't be removed with a
scouring pad without a lot of work (and churning of the tank!). A
razor blade works best at this point. Go to your local fish store and
purchase a scraper that has a long (foot long) handle with a razor
blade on one end. A razor blade can be used to remove just about
anything from the sides of a tank. However, razor blades CAN scratch
glass, if one is not careful.
So-called ``magnet cleaners'' can also be helpful for removing algae.
A scraping block on the inside of the tank is held in place by a
magnet held on the outside of the tank. Moving the outside magnet
moves the scraping block, removing algae without having to plunge your
entire arm in the tank. The best magnet cleaners are those with a
strong magnetic field (e.g., larger magnets), and they work best on
smaller tanks, which have thinner glass.
A toothbrush is one of the most effective tools for removing algae
from the inside of plastic tubing.
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aquaria, fish, acquarium, tank, fishkeeping
