How to Remove Yellow From Fish Tank Glass

Yellow on fish tank glass is caused by a buildup of unwanted chemicals in the tank. It also can be caused by algae growth. In some cases, the water may turn yellow, which causes the fish tank glass to appear yellow. Regardless of the cause, removing the yellow can help ensure the health of your aquatic life and the beauty of your fish tank.

Things You'll Need

  • No-scratch pad
  • Aquarium vacuum
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Instructions

    • 1

      Move your fish and plants to another aquarium. If you fish are too sensitive for this, you may leave them in the tank, but you must skip Step 4.

    • 2

      Turn off your fish tank filters, heaters and any other accessories.

    • 3

      Scrub the interior glass using a no-scratch pad. Don't use any chemicals in the fish tank because chemicals may harm the fish when you put them back in the tank.

    • 4

      Remove all of the water in the fish tank, except for the water that covers the rocks. While you are removing the water, vacuum out the substrate using an aquarium vacuum. Excess food and waste may cause the water to turn yellow. These usually fall into the substrate and can be removed by vacuuming.

    • 5

      Change the filters in your fish tank. Dirty filters won't be able to properly clean the water. Ideally, you should have a filter that uses activated carbon as a filtering agent.

    • 6

      Soak all fish tank decorations for at least 20 minutes in a solution of one part bleach to 10 parts warm water. Rinse the decorations well after you soak them in the solution. Bleach can harm your aquatic life if it isn't thoroughly rinsed off the decorations.

    • 7

      Refill your fish tank and add any water conditioners you normally use. Turn on the filters and other accessories. Replace the aquarium decorations you removed from the tank.

    • 8

      Add your fish to the tank when the water temperature is within the acceptable range for them. If your water quality must be within a certain range, don't add fish until those quality requirements are met. Some of these include specific pH and salinity requirements.

    • 9

      Perform a 10 to 20 percent water change weekly starting from the day you removed all the water in the tank. Continue to carry out the 10 to 20 percent water changes for at least four to six weeks.