How to Clean Marine Aquarium Equipment

Cleaning and maintaining your aquarium equipment is very important. Clean equipment can reduce the risk of disease to your animals, allow your aquarium to perform better, and aid in the overall health of your system. As your aquarium runs, your filters, glass, power heads, pumps and biological media will need to be maintained. The items that you use to clean these items will need to be cleaned as well.

Things You'll Need

  • Two large bowls or containers to hold water
  • Distilled water
  • Saltwater
  • Cleaning float magnet
  • Sponge with handle
  • Fish net
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Instructions

  1. Cleaning Your Equipment

    • 1

      Fill one large bowl or container with saltwater and another with distilled "fresh" water. These two bowls will be used to rinse and clean your equipment. Do not use tap water, as the chemicals in the water will kill any beneficial bacteria that may be stored in your media. First, rinse and soak all of your cleaning equipment in the distilled water to remove any dust or any other foreign objects that may have come to rest on them.

    • 2

      Using your float magnet and sponge, clean your aquarium's glass. Algae can build up on the glass of the aquarium, so maintaining your glass will reduce the risk of unwanted algae blooms in your tank. If the buildup of algae is excessive, use your fish net to remove any floating pieces from your tank. Use the distilled water to rinse your sponge and magnet when you are finished.

    • 3

      Remove your tank's filters and biological media, and place them in the bowl or container that has the saltwater. Your goal here is to knock off any loose debris that has gathered on these items. Use your hands to remove any large pieces. If your water becomes murky or cloudy, dump the water and refill with clean saltwater. When the water in the container remains clear, your filters and biological media are clean and ready to be placed back into your tank. Do not rinse your biological media in distilled water, as this will kill off the beneficial bacteria.

    • 4

      Unplug your power head and remove it from your tank. Using the same method as above, rinse the power head in saltwater to remove any debris. Take your power head apart and check the impeller. If the impeller is dirty, clean that up as well. A clean impeller will increase the amount of current and water flow in your tank. Again, if the water becomes murky or cloudy, dump it out and replace it with fresh, clean saltwater. Continue this until the water in your container remains clear. Once the pump or power head is clean, assemble it and place it back into your tank. Just like in the above step, do not soak or rinse your power head in distilled water; the trick is to knock off any loose debris but keep all beneficial bacteria alive.

    • 5

      Clean your cleaning supplies. Once everything is cleaned up, use the distilled water to clean all of your cleaning items. Place them on a clean surface and allow them to completely dry out before putting them away. Developing good habits during the equipment cleaning process will not only ensure that your tank performs at its peak level, but that it stays free of disease and other harmful objects.