How To Clean Aquarium Rocks: Quick Hacks

Owning an aquarium for your fishes is good. Providing them food and other needs is great. Cleaning their aquarium is even greater. These are all the essential works you need for them to grow as healthy as possible. All of these should be cleaned thoroughly to provide the best possible area to live in, from the aquarium itself to the aquarium rocks. How to clean aquarium rocks is as easy as you think. In this article, we’ll discuss not only how to clean aquarium rocks but everything about aquarium cleanliness.

Awesome Pets

Fish are great pets to have, whether from home or office. Also, they are pretty much low-maintenance pets. Having a pet fish at home will do wonders in the comfort of your home. The kids at home will be amazed by how these gentle little creatures can lift their moods. They make a good environment great, just be looking at them. It gives a deep sense of peacefulness and calm.

Also, what makes them great is they need daily feeding and routine water change, but also some quality time with you. So, providing them with a clean environment improves their health.

Long-Term Welfare

To ensure continuing viability for the aquatic setting, regular cleaning is a must. You’ll notice that with consistent cleaning, you avoid having to change the whole setup. It’s a nightmare to see if those brown algae start to build up in your tanks, so cleaning them limits their buildup. With this, it is essential to know how to clean aquarium rocks regularly. Regular cleaning will help ensure no buildups, and who loves removing the entire setup, right?

Maintains the Health of the Fish

If you regularly clean your tanks, your fishes will thank you for it! Maintaining the cleanliness of their environment and checking the quality of water will tremendously help their lives.

Basic Steps on How to Clean Aquarium Rocks

Perhaps you find it difficult to know how to clean aquarium rocks on your own. But once you know the proper ways, you may find it easier and convenient. Check on these five useful steps in cleaning and maintaining your aquarium rocks. 

Step 1: Remove Your Aquatic Creatures in Your Tank

To make cleaning a breeze, we highly recommend removing first all your fishes in the tank. In this way, aquarium rocks can tend directly without fear of squashing those cute little pets. Provide temporary shelter for the fishes; make sure they have plenty of space. We highly recommend using non-chlorinated water for their temporary shelter.

Step 2: Remove All Decorations in the Tank

Just like your fishes, removing all the decorations in your tank will help ease up your life. In doing so, detach your filter and remove any plants, decorations, or tank equipment. Set them aside. The tank should only be left with water and aquarium rocks, gravel, or pebbles.

Step 3: Clean the Aquarium Rocks

Provide a filter. Once provided, remove all the rocks from your fish tank and place them in your strainer. After that, rinse the rocks thoroughly with treated water. Treated water should be warm and agitate the container to wash away any stubborn remains. Do this countless times until you see a clear and water comes out from the filter.

Step 4: Put the Aquarium Rocks Back

Once you’ve successfully washed your aquarium rocks, it is time to put them back again. In doing so, place them evenly all over the tank’s flooring. Reconnect your water filter and place your decorations according to your liking. Avoid grouping them in one place. It is nice for fishes to have decorations all over the tank, not in one area alone.

Step 5: Set it Back Up

When you successfully decorated your tank, time to put the fishes now. Refill the remaining water with non-chlorinated water, if some of your fish needs a specific requirement. Requirements such as the pH level of the water, then treat your tank for that reason. When everything is in place, gently submerge the container, holding your fish to ease their way through and avoiding unwanted injuries.

Additional Reminders on How to Clean Aquarium Rocks

Here are some of the useful tips and reminders when you are cleaning your aquarium. You should be aware of these factors so that it will not compromise your health. 

Bacteria

Always remember that when cleaning rocks, there are beneficial bacteria that are good for the tank. Cleaning your aquarium doesn’t necessarily mean scraping of everything. It is about eradicating gunk while still keeping good bacteria. 

Deep cleaning rocks with disinfectants, bleach, soaps, or other hazardous methods should be done. Cleaning should aim for unsightly stuff like fish poops, and algae. Cleaning your rocks with entirely removing all bacteria will prove beneficial in the long run.

Live Rocks

The use of live rocks in your fish tank should be provided with the utmost care. They shouldn’t be washed mechanically; mechanically, we mean using tools that may harm the rock. One way of cleaning them is by gently brushing all over the rock.

If you don’t want to clean them time and time again, make sure to have your proper tank filtrations, stable pH levels, lights, and fishes that eat algae. When you clean live rocks, we highly recommend soaking them in salt water and remove any debris. Provide plenty of aeration when you have live rocks in your aquarium.

Ornamental Rocks

Always clean your rock decorations with algae remover or scraper. Clean them during your water change. Decorative rocks are specifically made to wipe off debris or scum easily. Avoid scraping the entire rock. Good bacteria may live in there. You wouldn’t want to scrape off good bacteria.

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