How to Clean a Large Aquarium

Cleaning a large aquarium can seem like a daunting task---many believe it involves removing all of the water, washing all parts and then replacing the water in the tank. In actuality, cleaning and maintaining a large fish tank is much less complicated, and by using a regular cleaning schedule, you can enjoy your fish for many years to come.

Things You'll Need

  • New or thoroughly cleaned bucket(s)
  • Gravel vacuum
  • Scrub brush
  • Water
  • Bleach
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Instructions

  1. Instructions

    • 1

      Decide how much water you will remove from the tank---this should usually be between 10 and 50 percent. Determine the number of gallons to remove by dividing the total aquarium capacity by the percentage desired. Removing 20 percent of a 100-gallon tank would mean removing 20 gallons of the water. Place an equal amount of replacement water, with water conditioner added, into a bucket (or buckets) and let sit overnight to reach room temperature.

    • 2

      Unplug all components of the tank, and remove the determined amount of water from the tank using the gravel vacuum. Wash and rinse your hands completely to remove anything that could cause tank contamination.

    • 3

      Use a scrub brush to remove all algae from the inside of the tank. Also remove decorative objects from the tank and place them in a bucket filled with a bleach and water mixture (1:10 ratio). Allow objects to soak while you continue scraping algae. Rinse the decorative items under running water, and allow to air dry to eliminate bleach residue.

    • 4

      Carefully remove any dead or algae-covered leaves from the plants in the aquarium. Then, remove any plants covered in algae and soak them in the 1:10 bleach water solution. Allow them to dry completely to air off residual bleach.

    • 5

      Place decorations and plants back into the aquarium. Carefully pour replacement water into the tank. Replace the aquarium top. Plug in electrical components.