Sure, you don’t have to walk your fish twice a day, get them vaccinated, trim their fur, or clip their nails. I have a 2.5 gallon Fluval brand tank for one betta fish, one snail and a live plant. It's not necessary to wash gravel all the time. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. The study says lava rocks in Aquarium help you to have clear water and if you purchased high quality of lava rocks for fish tank then not only it will make your aquarium water clear but also it will release some particles that help in increasing clarity. Let the airstone to dry completely for 15 minutes. Last Updated: November 4, 2020 Only wash if you need to. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Wipe the inside with paper towel. Avoid drying your air stone with a towel, which can break your brittle pieces. 17 July 2020. Clean the filter, thermostat and tubes. You should see matter being sucked out of the gravel as you work. Fill a clean container as close to the size of your fish tank as possible with non-chlorinated water. Air stones can become clogged with dust, bacteria, or algae. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Do these methods also help get rid of the bad smell in the gravel? There are different methods that you can use to clean your air stone. Remove your fish from the tank. A magnetic algae cleaner consists of two magnets with a soft felt covering. Soak the airstone in a solution of one part household bleach to three parts fresh water (1:3) for 24 hours. The remaining water contains the healthy bacteria needed to repopulate your tank. Fill the aquarium back up slowly. This article has been viewed 26,908 times. 17 July 2020. For example, mix 9 cups of water with 1 cup of bleach. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. To do this, simply use a designated jug to transfer water into the tank – just make sure the water you're adding has been treated to suit your fish (and make sure it’s about the same temperature as your tank too!). Step 2 Soak the aquarium rocks and decorations in the bucket of cleaning solution for about 15 minutes. 2. wikiHow's. Adding a few snails also helps (if you don’t mind having snails) as they will eat most of the uneaten food and help keep the tank cleaner. Clean the tank with warm tap water. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published, This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Soak and clean the filter, heater, hose, pump, gravel and decorating things with vinegar. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. If you do end up drinking a little water, rest assured this is not harmful. Properly cleaning new aquarium gravel is an important first step in keeping water quality high. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Learn how to clean fish tank rocks from aquarium expert Joseph Caparatta in this Howcast video. You may need to do some sanding to create an area where the piece will properly fit together. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Be sure to aerate the water with an air stone during this time. Algae is easy to clean off; correcting the factors that promoted the growth in the first place is more important and requires a bit more effort, but it prevents algae from just coming right back. Clean the sides of the aquarium with the algae pad. If you have a single small fish, such as a goldfish or a betta, it is easier to remove it from the tank for gravel cleaning. Transcript To clean the rocks in your aquarium, mainly the substrate of your aquarium is going to be typically rocks, gravel, and you're going to want to clean that on a regular basis. Whether you have a small tank with just one goldfish or a large tank with many exotic fish, you can clean your aquarium gravel at home and keep your fish happy and healthy. Yes; it gets rid of the algae, which usually causes the smell. Lava rocks for aquarium are the best option for those who need clear water. Air stones help raise the oxygen levels in the tank water to keep your fish healthy. 1⁄4 cup (59 mL) of bleach per 3–4 US gal (11–15 l) of water in a separate container (optional). By using our site, you agree to our. There are 18 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Expert Interview. If you want to keep your lovely, colorful fish healthy, you need to first scrape off the algae, clean out your murky water and make sure the environment is optimal for aquarium fish to survive. Learn more... Air stones are the part of the aquarium aeration system that create cascades of tiny bubbles and help oxygenate the tank. Allow the silicone to dry for the amount of time listed on the silicone package instructions. I have a biological filter that keeps all the N levels where they should be. Vinegar is excellent for removing hard water stains, and salt will clean out a tank nicely. That icky stuff growing on your decorative aquarium rocks detracts from your underwater interior design. Be careful when moving the substrate around, as gravel, rocks, and sand can scratch the tank. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/51\/Clean-an-Air-Stone-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Clean-an-Air-Stone-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/51\/Clean-an-Air-Stone-Step-1.jpg\/aid9884387-v4-728px-Clean-an-Air-Stone-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"