The Best Way to Clean Dirty Rocks From a Fish Tank

Regular cleaning of fish tanks is needed to ensure that fish live in safe water. Rocks and gravel in the aquarium also need to be cleaned regularly to make sure waste products, excess food and other possibly harmful debris is removed from a fish tank. There are some very simple methods to use to ensure that aquarium rocks are cleaned safely and effectively.

  1. Decorative Rocks

    • The safest way to clean large decorative rocks in an aquarium is to use hot water and a wire brush. Simply remove the large decorative rocks and place them under hot running water. Use a wire brush to knock off all the dirt, algae and other contaminants that are on the decorative piece. Do not use soap or detergent because residue from soap products can stay on the rock and negatively affect the fish living in the aquarium. Hot chlorinated water should be enough to eliminate all of the harmful dirt.

    Gravel Rocks

    • For aquariums with a layer of gravel on the bottom, the best way to clean those rocks is to remove them all from the aquarium. Place the gravel into a strainer over a sink. Run warm clean water over the gravel while stirring and moving the rocks around with your hands. Continuing stirring and rinsing the gravel until you notice the water being strained out is clear and no longer dirty. No soap is necessary to clean gravel rocks.

    Bleach Solutions

    • For decorative rocks and aquarium pieces that are very dirty, a 10 percent beach solution can be used to clean them. Fill a bucket with water and add 1/2 cup bleach, just make sure no more than 10 percent of the volume of the bucket is bleach. Place the rocks into the bucket and let them soak and clean. After letting them soak, remove the rocks and wash them off carefully. Let them air dry, and when they are completely dry, they can be placed back into the aquarium. Make sure they are rinsed and dried off well to prevent any bleach from entering the fish tank and causing problems.

    Gravel Cleaners or Vacuums

    • If removing the gravel from the fish tank is too much of a chore you can buy a gravel vacuum to suck up debris, dirt and waste products at the bottom of a fish tank. There are many different gravel vacuums that can be purchased at various price points, but they all work essentially the same: they suck out the dirty water and debris from the fish tank like a vacuum cleaner, and clean water is filtered back into the tank.