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Regular water changes are an important part of freshwater aquarium care and maintenance. Partial change of tank water allows you to control levels of contaminants and toxins more closely. To do the water change, you need to have clean water ready and suck the dirty water out of the tank. You can also combine cleaning of the substrate and removing algae on the walls of the tank, then gently add clean water to the tank so as not to affect the fish and have a nice clean aquarium.
Steps
Preparing for a water change
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Pre-treat a bucket of tap water. You will get a clean bucket, fill the bucket with tap water, and follow the instructions on the water treatment solution bottle to clean the water. Water treatment solutions will remove dangerous chemicals and metal residues in the water, making the water safer for fish. [1] X Research Source
- You should prepare two plastic buckets for aquarium use only. If necessary, you can write the word “fish” on the bucket for marking. [2] X Research Source
- Some people prefer to use tap water directly to change the water for the aquarium. This is more convenient, but it can expose the fish to harmful chemicals. To reduce this risk, turn on the faucet for about 5 minutes before flushing the bucket. [3] X Research Sources
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Turn off lights and heaters. When servicing outside the tank, it is best to limit your exposure to electricity. Remove the lid of the aquarium and the lights, then unplug all heaters. [4] X Research Sources
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Turn off the power and clean the filter. Many aquarium filters won’t work properly when there’s no water, so it’s best to turn them off when you start cleaning the tank. You don’t need to clean or replace the filter cartridge, sponge or other filter element every time you clean the tank. Instead, observe and rinse the filter under cold running water or replace it with a new filter altogether if necessary. [5] X Research Sources
- Changing the filter too often is not good for the aquarium, as beneficial bacteria will also be taken out of the tank. To balance, when replacing a new filter, you should invest in a layer of gravel or sand that already has beneficial bacteria spread on the bottom of the tank. [6] X Research Sources
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Remove plants and soiled decorations from the tank. Every time you change the water, you also need to clean the decorations in the tank. This will also affect the amount of beneficial bacteria in the tank. However, if these man-made objects are greasy or full of mud, you should gently place them in a bucket and soak them in vegetable wash. [7] X Research Sources
- Do not wash plants and decorations with soap. Chemical residues can harm fish and cause algae to thrive.
- You can also soak plants and decorations in a solution of water and a dechlorinator. For each bucket of water, add 1-2 tablespoons of dechlorinator. [8] X Research Sources
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Brush the tank. Every time you change the water, see if you need to clean the tank wall by paying attention to the green or brown film on it. While the tank is still full of water, use a sponge or brush to scrub the walls of the tank and remove any dirt. [9] X Research Source
Doug Ludemann
Professional aquarist
Doug Ludemann is the owner and operator of Fish Geek, LLC, a professional aquarium services company based in Minneappis. He has worked in the fisheries and fish care industry for over 20 years and received a Bachelor’s degree in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota. Doug has previously worked with the Minnesota Zoo and the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago as a professional aquarist.
Doug Ludemann
Professional aquarist
Professional aquarist
You can add lanthanum chloride to your tank to remove phosphate, which causes algae to grow. Lanthanum chloride is a molecule that binds phosphate molecules into an insoluble compound. This compound will make the water cloudy and you will need to filter the water to remove them, or they will stay that way in the tank. However, if you can get rid of this compound, you will also be able to get rid of the phosphate.
Carry out a water change
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Use an automatic water changer. This is the most effective and preferred way to change part of the water in the tank, especially for large aquariums. You will install the device directly into the faucet, then insert one end of the straw into the tank. This device will automatically suck water out of the tank until you turn it off. You will then turn the device back on and use the end of the hose connected to the faucet to pump water into the tank. [10] X Research Source
- This method is especially useful for those who cannot carry water to clean the tank regularly and avoid causing the water to spill out.
- Make sure the new water you replace in the tank is the same temperature as the water in the tank. Check this before starting the automatic tank water change process. [11] X Research Source
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Suction the dirt in the substrate with a fish tank suction hose. If you don’t have specialized equipment, you will need to change the water manually. Start by placing one end of the straw in a bucket, then place the other end in the base of the tank, usually gravel or sand. You will place the nozzle deep into the base of the tank at different angles to suck both dirt and water out. [12] X Research Source
- You don’t have to completely clean the substrate with every water change. In fact, it is better to divide the tank into different areas and only clean a certain area each time. This will limit the effect of the water change on the fish.
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Drain the water out of the tank. When moving the tip of the straw around the tank, you will see the dirt and cloudy water in the tank start to flow into the bucket, this is completely normal, however, you should only suck 30% of the water out at most. tank, more than this will make the tank environment unbalanced. [13] X Research Source
- For example, if the tank has a capacity of 40 L you should use a 12 L bucket to change the water. That way, when the bucket is full, you’ll know you’ve removed the required amount of water. [14] X Research Source
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Look closely inside the tank. Now when the tank has emptied of water, take a moment to observe from the inside to check the condition of the tank. If there are still decorations in the tank, you should pick them up to see if there is any damage and check to make sure the heating and water filtration system is in good condition. [15] X Research Source
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Record the water temperature in the tank. If you have a thermometer attached to the wall of the tank, record the temperature of the water in the tank after it has been partially drained. If not, you can dip the thermometer into the water to measure, and then check the temperature of the previously treated clean water. Make sure that the water in the tank and the water to be added are at the same temperature. Otherwise, you will need to wait a moment before adding water to the tank. [16] X Research Source
- Changes in water temperature can make fish more susceptible to disease. You will need to re-measure the water temperature after adding fresh water to the tank.
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Add treated water to the tank. At this point, you will put the treated water from the bucket into the tank. You can use a pitcher or ladle to scoop up the water or carry a bucket of water with two hands and pour it directly into the tank. [17] X Research Source
- Either way, make sure you don’t fill the tank with water too quickly to avoid disturbing the substrate and decorations. Many people often use their hands or a plate to reduce the force of the water flowing into the tank.
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Return all decorations and plants to the tank. If you have previously removed the decorations from the tank, you can place them in the tank just before or after adding the water. You can reposition or remove these items altogether for a whole new tank space.
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Turn on the water filtration system, heating equipment and lights. You can now turn on all appliances that were disconnected when preparing to change the water. You need to make sure your hands are dry and be careful when installing and restarting these devices. With some types of filtration equipment, such as tank wall filters, you will need to pour 1-2 cups of water directly into the filtration system to make it ready to go. [18] X Research Sources
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Wash and store cleaning supplies. Designate a separate area for storing aquarium cleaning tools. Before storing, the water bucket, brush and straw should be completely dry. Careful storage will help you limit the need to change new tools. [19] X Research Source
Keep the aquarium clean for a long time
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Partially change the tank water weekly. You should change the tank water regularly every week or every two weeks. Only about 25-30% of the water in the tank should be changed at a time. If necessary, you can clean and change the tank water completely every month. [20] X Research Sources
- You need to balance the need to keep the tank clean with the health of the fish. Cleaning the aquarium too much or too little affects the health of the fish living in the tank.
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“Reset” the aquarium with a water change. Partial tank water changes are also an effective way to re-establish the stability of the aquarium after incidents, such as a concussion or chemical overdose. Even if it’s not on schedule, you should still do water changes after such incidents. [21] X Research Source
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Limit lights on. If you keep your aquarium lights on all day, you’ll probably see algae growth and dirt build up pretty quickly. This is because the light helps the algae to increase nutrient absorption in the tank. Instead of keeping the lights on all day, you should only light 10-14 hours a day for tanks with live plants or 6-10 hours for tanks without plants. [22] X Research Source
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Avoid overfeeding the fish. Most of the dirt that is sucked out from the substrate is fish leftovers. To avoid this problem, you should only feed your fish once or twice a day and adjust the amount of food depending on how quickly the fish consumes all the food. [23] X Research Sources
Advice
- Many people find it helpful to keep an aquarium maintenance log to record the date, the amount of water changed, and the observations you find important. [24] X Research Source
- You can take advantage of the dirty water drawn from the aquarium to water the plants. [25] X Research Sources
- As you gain experience, you will be able to change the aquarium water faster and faster. If you get used to it, you can even regularly clean large aquariums in less than an hour. [26] X Research Sources
Warning
- If you have too many fish in your tank, you will need to clean the tank more often. [27] X Research Source
Things you need
- 2-3 plastic buckets (10 L each)
- Faucet head
- Automatic water changer (optional)
- Brush
- Dechlorination solution
- Fish tank suction pipe
- Filter cartridge or replacement tool
- Paper towels (optional)
- Chopsticks (optional)
- Water bottle or dish (optional)
X
This article is co-authored by a team of editors and trained researchers who confirm the accuracy and completeness of the article.
The wikiHow Content Management team carefully monitors the work of editors to ensure that every article is up to a high standard of quality.
There are 8 references cited in this article that you can see at the bottom of the page.
This post has been viewed 9,609 times.
Regular water changes are an important part of freshwater aquarium care and maintenance. Partial change of tank water allows you to control levels of contaminants and toxins more closely. To do the water change, you need to have clean water ready and suck the dirty water out of the tank. You can also combine cleaning of the substrate and removing algae on the walls of the tank, then gently add clean water to the tank so as not to affect the fish and have a nice clean aquarium.
Thank you for reading this post How to Change the Water for a Freshwater Aquarium at Lassho.edu.vn You can comment, see more related articles below and hope to help you with interesting information.
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