 AQUARIUM CLEANING; reasons and methods for water changes.
This article will help you maintain a healthy tank via proper cleanings so that your aquatic pets are happy and your aquarium will be a compliment to your furniture. • BASIC CLEANING VIDEO • REASONS FOR WATER CHANGES (Freshwater OR marine): • FREQUENCY: • AQUARIUM CLEANING BASICS: • PROCEDURE: • METHODS FOR WATER CHANGE: • CLEANING VIDEO |
 By Carl StrohmeyerREASONS FOR WATER CHANGES (Freshwater OR marine): * Nitrate control- A nitrate level of 20 ppm or less is best saltwater, 50 ppm or less for FW (you want a Nitrate level of at least 15 ppm for planted FW aquariums). Use your nitrate level as a gauge (in an established aquarium) when to change your water. If your goal is to keep nitrates below 40 ppm, change water whenever nitrates reach this level. Please note; an average protein skimmer can NOT keep up with the organic waste output of an average stocked marine aquarium, and water changes for organic removal and nitrate control is still necessary in marine aquarium with a protein skimmer (there of coarse are exceptions in a reef aquarium with large amounts of live rock and live sand, heavy plant or green algae growth, and light animal load- even then added elements need to be replaced in a closed system). I often have told my customers that Nitrate removal was one (not the only) reason for water changes WITH vacuuming, and it is an important reason. Also as for Nitrates, especially in marine aquariums, removing organic debris before it "cycles" via vacuuming is in my opinion the main focus of nitrate removal via water change. In freshwater aquariums (especially in the absence of a large amount of thriving plants), water changes using a gravel vacuum to remove ALL the organic mulm before it goes through the full nitrifying part of the nitrogen cycle is of the only sure way of controlling nitrates in a freshwater aquarium. The importance is amplified for tanks where Under Gravel Filters are employed (with these filters it is best to occasionally remove the lift tubes and siphon directly under the plate). Please read this article for more about Nitrates: “Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle” *GH and electrolytes; this is related to the above point. Water changes will often replenish necessary electrolytes (when tap or well water are used). This is why RO water should be re-mineralized  *Ph and KH control- Maintaining a proper ph (ph levels have a tendency to drop from biological activity), KH is the buffering ability of the water and that too can decrease. KH is VERY important and a major problem I have seen over the years in my maintenance business when calling on customers who seemed to always have problems with their aquariums and claimed cleaning their aquarium caused their problems, which of course is not true. Maintaining a proper KH between cleanings is important. Wonder Shells are one way, aragonite, SeaChem Buffer are others. *Removal of harmful elements; There are many toxins that can be introduced, airborne or in other ways enter the aquarium that are not easily measured. *Control of Bio Load; Although cleanings are not the long term answer to an over crowded, over fed, and under filtered aquarium, cleanings are certainly necessary to lower your bio load by removal of decaying organics in your gravel, under décor, and often in under maintained filters as well. A common symptom of a high organic load is rapidly dropping pH and KH as well as sighting of Detritus Worms during cleanings or when oxygen levels drop (these worms will rise to the surface when oxygen levels are low seeking oxygen). These Worms are often misidentified as Planaria by many here on the internet, however they are not Planaria (which can be present too), Planaria are not a worm! For more on this subject, please read this article: Trematodes and Nematodes/ Detritus Worms  *Redox Potential ; this is an often unknown parameter to many aquarists but is actually quite important, especially with newer research I have uncovered. That said most freshwater aquarists usually do not need to worry about this if water changes and other aspects of good aquatic husbandry are observed (for marine aquariums this is even more important and is often not as easily maintained). I would recommend learning more about this parameter if you are a serious aquarist.* Rinsing of bio-sponges, media, etc. in used aquarium water (not tap water). This includes sponge filters, bio balls, and ceramic media in canister filters (canister filters need to be cleaned more often than many aquarists think)  * Removal of waste before it can go thru the Nitrogen Cycle*Lowering of DOC; this stands for Dissolved Organic Compounds. This is inter-related to some of the above reasons such Redox, Bio Load, even pH (has often high DOC will have an end result of lowering pH). This is achieved two ways in cleanings: [1] Is simply removing water on a regular basis removes DOC from the water column. [2] The second aspect is surprisingly misunderstood, even by experienced aquarists and that is by thorough vacuuming of organic mulm, you remove a major cause/source of DOC. This is amplified more by the use of re-circulating micron filter cleaning methods such as the Aquarium Cleaning Machine where as you continue to vacuum the mulm and detritus even after you are finished removing water, after which you throw out the debris/mulm caught in the micron filter which would other wise add to the DOCs in the future. I am not quite sure why this second yet rather simple aspect trips up many so called aquarium experts. * Control of algae growth; this aspect is often missed, yet is very basic. Water changes (assuming replacement with water that has natural balanced nutrients) will generally return the proper balances of Macro nutrients (PO4, NO3, K) to a freshwater tank for plants to out compete algae. In saltwater excess nutrients are removed, again allowing for less algae growth. * All these reasons are based on 28+ years of professional aquarium maintenance with some of the largest accounts in Los Angeles, CA FREQUENCY (Expanded); Use these factors to determine frequency: *Type of fish, such as fish that naturally produce more waste (partly due to the type of food they eat) such as goldfish where one fish per 8+ gallons of water is better. Also a large and dirty fish such as an Oscar is another good example. *Filtration, a properly filtered aquarium (good bio filtration, good mechanical filtration, and good circulation) with multiple filters is important. *Well maintained water chemistry (including kH and Redox) *After proper feeding, good cleaning routines (20% water changes with a gravel vacuum once per week or two), proper feeding routines, good filtrations; If after all these are checked off and you still have nitrates that struggle to stay below 40-50 ppm (20 ppm for saltwater), you probably need to change more water or increase frequency and/or efficiency (especially if there are live plants!). Also a kH and pH that starts out at proper levels, but then drops quickly after water changes and/or addition of stabilizing chemicals or products such as Wonder Shells can indicate poor cleaning routines (as well as other problems such as mulm buildup). AQUARIUM CLEANING BASICS: I recommend changing 20% of your aquarium water once per week (best) or at least 25%+ once per month (minimum). With good filtration and plants (live rock in marine aquaria), you often can go longer than once per week. Use a de-chlorinator such as Start Right or Prime (Prime also detoxifies ammonia and nitrites) while refilling your aquarium if tap water is used. All de-chlorinators work instantly usually comprised of Sodium Thiosulfate. Please read more about cleaning frequency further in this article. STEPS: * Unplug your heater so that it will not crack if the water level drops more than 1/3 of the way down the heater. This is best done 20 minutes before you begin changing water. Make sure and plug the heater back in after adding water *Make sure and wipe down the sides of the aquarium with an aquarium scrubber that is used ONLY for the aquarium to avoid contamination. Try and remove unsightly algae and especially any slime or mold (rinse this off in a sink) *Use this time to change filter media that NEEDS changing, do NOT go overboard and change all media or you risk destroying your aquarium’s bacterial colonies needed for removal of ammonia, nitrites, etc. (see this article: NITROGEN CYCLE AND AQUARIUM CYCLING; How the Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle Works ). HOB filters should have a second filter cartridge either in the filter or in the water column of the aquarium to allow for bacteria to form on this new cartridge before replacing the old one. If your HOB Filter has a sponge, bio grid (such as a VitaLife HOB filter , or bio wheel; you only need to rinse these off in de-chlorinated tap or used tank water and there is no need to prepare a second cartridge before changing the old one. For more about aquarium filters, please read this article: Aquarium Filtration and Filters . *At this point you should change your water using a gravel vacuum, siphon, or similar method. *For more about methods of water change and procedures to refill your aquarium, please read further in this article under procedure. METHODS FOR WATER CHANGE:     Basic:For cleaning your aquarium (freshwater or saltwater) a Gravel Vacuum attached to a siphon or re-circulating filter works best. These vacuums are quite easy to use; simply push the bell of the vacuum into the gravel and quickly back out. If you are having problems with sucking gravel into the siphon hose, try kinking the hose with your other hand to slow the out flow to keep gravel from being sucked up. Make sure and lift ornaments out of the way and vacuum in as many dead spots as possible. It is important to get as much of this organic “mulm” out of the aquarium as possible as this is what leads to higher nitrates, ph crashes (due to nitric acid production during decay), and poor KH levels. (Please click on picture to enlarge) Planted: If you have a planted aquarium, I recommend #00 sand (3-5 cm) mixed with Azoo Plant Grower Bed , Eco-Complete, laterite or conditioned soil with #3 gravel (2-3 cm) on top. You should not vacuum the sand (or at least below the top ½ inch layer), as this will tend to be sucked all the way thru the vacuum, and this will also disturb the natural aerobic and symbiotic anaerobic filtration going on in the substrate being performed by the plant roots and nearby bacteria. If the sand must be vacuumed, very gently push the bell of the vacuum into the sand and quickly back out, kinking the hose with your other hand to slow the out flow to keep sand from being sucked up. This point is often lost by some aquarists (based on some comments I have read including on my YouTube cleaning video). In fact in a planted aquarium it is NORMAL to have very dirty appearing gravel when vacuumed, but one should not expect or try and achieve gravel appears relatively cleaned when vacuumed as this is not necessarily an indictor of tank healthy and in fact by trying to achieve this you end up with poor substrate nutrient levels for your plants and poor de-nitrification resulting in high nitrates. See the German method below. Reef: If you have a reef or Nano Reef aquarium with live sand, vacuum very gently as I described for planted aquariums and do not push the bell of the vacuum down into the sand more than ½” to ¾” so as to not add oxygen to anaerobic (de-nitrifying bacteria). By maintaining a 1/2" layer of #3 crushed coral on top of a fine deep sand bed it traps organic waste particles better and allows easier vacuuming of the top layer of gravel/sand. Contrary to some information thrown around without much research, vacuuming the layers of sand (or gravel) that contain aerobic (nitrifying) bacteria will NOT destroy the bacterial colonies as research (that really is not that new) has shown these bacteria to secrete a glue like substance to the media they cling to and a gravel vacuum will NOT dislodge these bacteria. See this article about the aquarium nitrogen cycle: NITROGEN CYCLE AND AQUARIUM CYCLING; How the Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle Works German Method: In some successful aquarium keeping traditions (especially in Germany), no vacuuming is performed. Water is simply siphoned out of the aquarium and new water is carefully added back in. For this method to be successful in fresh water aquariums, you need a healthy growth of plants, good lighting, a thin layer of sand just enough to cover plant roots (not gravel). Good aerobic filtration is also a must. PROCEDURE and REFILL (Continued): You can drain this water into a bucket or attach the siphon to a long hose and drain it outside or into a toilet using gravity. There are other products that hook on to the sink, but these are over rated in my opinion and waste water. It is simpler to just get a long hose and get an adapter and attach your hose to the sink to fill, but drain your water into a garden where it will do some good (unless it is saltwater of course). If you do need this type of product you can make a DIY model with a Lee’s Gravel Vac, a garden hose, a faucet adapter from a local Hardware Store, and a water bed pump/drain. Lee’s also makes one that is less expensive than the Python and is exactly the same. I prefer to leave the fish in during this process, as I feel more stress is added to the fish removing them and then placing the fish back in new water conditions that the fish are not accustomed to. Add water back slowly, and if tap water is used make sure the temperature is similar to the aquarium water already present in the aquarium, you can generally safely add warm tap water to correct this. Although in the Marine aquariums I maintained, I brought my own water and it was invariably colder than the aquarium, but this does not present as much of a problem as many think. If you do some math; Say your aquarium is 78 F and you add 20% water back that is 68 F, that is 1/5th the volume, so 1/5th of a 10 F difference is only 2 F. What is more important is adding a de-chlorinator to your tap water (if tap water is used) WHILE the water is being added. I prefer Start Right, this product removes chlorine (and the chlorine ions attached ammonia in chloramines), removes heavy metals, and very importantly naturally stimulates the slime coat in fish vs. products that drop an artificial wad of slime into the aquarium that generally sinks to the bottom anyway. For new tanks or tanks with ammonia or nitrite problems I recommend Prime or similar products such as Amquel (although in my experience Prime is a superior product, please see this article: Aquarium and Pond Answers; Water Conditioners ) Prime will bind ammonia into non-toxic ammonium (NH4) and neutralize nitrites as well as remove chlorine and chloramines. However this is not a replacement for a properly cycled aquarium. Tips to staring you’re a basic gravel vacuum: *Using a gravel vacuum such as the Lees Gravel Vacuum with a start valve and shaking it up and down a few times *Filling the bell with water while plugging the small end then placing the bell quickly into the water *A quick suck (not as nasty as it sounds if done quickly) *Attaching to a long hose and running water in to the hose from a faucet, then disconnecting allowing gravity to drain out the door (into a garden or even a toilet), this is the method I used most for my large aquariums, especially in offices I maintained in my service business. This applies to Pythons and similar *Using an Aquarium Cleaning Machine in which the bell and towers are filled before start up. DIY Gravel Vacuum (Python Style)  You can make a DIY Super Gravel Vacuum using a sterile garden hose (5/8"), a Lees 10" Gravel Vacuum, some duct tape for wrapping around the end of the Vacuum tubing for a better fit, A Lees or Python Water Pump and faucet adapter. Better would be purchasing vinyl tubing in length (then adding a female adapter), or a use a RV quality hose, however I have used standard garden hoses for years with NO problems.  You can also add in this kit to splice into your standard vacuum to make attachment to the garden hose much easier. This kit also includes a valve for flow control. I recommend this as well. (please click to enlarge)I recommend removing the Gravel Vacuum when filling and using a suction cup attached to the hose to secure it to the inside of the aquarium when filling (although it works fine with water returning thru the gravel vacuum, just make sure the whole vacuum is in the water before filling just in case the end becomes detached). (please click the picture for a to go to a page with a larger picture) Cleaning Machines/ Diatoms  A new device that performs both water removal and recirculation thru a micron filter cartridge that is easily cleaned is the Aquarium Cleaning Machine. This new device uses a protected magnet-drive motor to remove or re-circulate your water thru a filter (or both). For saltwater changes, this device is a money saver and fish saver. You can change 20% of your water, then keep re-filtering it thru the micron cartridge using the gravel vacuum do pick up debris. This saves having to use more salt for larger water changes and keeps a healthier aquarium with lower nitrates, as much of the debris is removed from your system before it can go thru the nitrogen cycle (adding to the Nitrate levels).For freshwater aquariums this device is also great, especially for those with larger or multiple aquariums. I saves time but more importantly it allows for a much better cleaning while at the same time leaving nitrifying bacteria behind (which often gets stripped in large conventional cleanings in tanks with high bio loads). This machine blows Diatom Filters out of the water when used in cases of freshwater aquariums that often have cloudy water after water changes as this unit can be run even after the main vacuuming thru its micron cartridges removing floating particulates that often cloud water. These can also be useful in cleaning tanks that have had parasite outbreaks due to the micron capabilities. Personally I and my colleagues have found this an awesome product for larger freshwater or saltwater aquariums (over 60 gallon/ 225 L) and/or aquariums with high bio-loads and is the best new aquarium cleaning tool since the Python IMO! Further as to this machine/filter I will respond to some of the usual anecdotal information floating around the internet (often in forums); Most of the critics of this have NEVER used this device and are just sounding off their opinions without looking at the facts such as why this machine is so popular with aquarium service professionals or how by using this machine you can change out only 25% of the water (so a to not cause osmotic shock due to large water changes) and the CONTINUE to vacuum the tanks removing as much organic mulm form the tank as possible that otherwise lead to high DOC and poor Redox. This mulm is removed simply by cleaning the micron filter when finished (unlike a standard filter that is run continuously! Vortex Diatoms; although not commonly used still can have their place for cleaning established aquariums with high bio loads, however with the advent of the aquarium cleaning machine which performs similar functions WITHOUT the need to stir up the tank as much and add stress to the fish by doing so, these have pretty much gone the way of the dinosaurs IMO. VIDEO: Here is my NEW basic Aquarium Vacuum/Siphon cleaning demonstration that I made a video for (with some added help this time). I hope this is better about demonstrating vacuuming basics (making videos is not a talent of mine). Here (below) is a video from Ancient Mariner of the Aquarium Cleaning Machine For more aquarium information and articles (pond too), please visit this site:   
| Basic_Aquarium_Principles | Basic_Saltwater | Aquarium_Disease | Aquarium_Lighting | Goldfish_disease | Aquarium_cleaning | Nitrogen_Cycle | Redox_Potential | Clear-Pond | Aquarium_Filtration | Articles | Testimonials | | Return Home | Downloads | Shipping and Return Policy | Contact Us | Great Links | Aquarium_Information | |
||