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. • REASONS FOR WATER CHANGES (Freshwater OR marine): • FREQUENCY (& Volume): • AQUARIUM CLEANING BASICS: • PROCEDURE: • METHODS FOR WATER CHANGE: from Basic to Flow-Through • SIPHON TIPS (Troubleshooting) • REFILL • CLEANING VIDEOS 
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(1)* Nitrate control- A nitrate level of 15-20 ppm or less is best saltwater fish (1 ppm or less for Reef), 40-50 ppm or less for FW (you want a Nitrate level of at least 15 ppm for planted FW aquariums, as plants need some bio available nitrates in the water column). 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 for marine aquarists; an average protein skimmer (although many modern Marine Protein Skimmers do a much better job than they did as recently as the 1990s) 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 usually 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 an important reason (not the only) for water changes, and utilizing vacuuming as a method of removing organic mulm is an effective way of maintaining low nitrates (especially in the absence of nitrogen reducing anaerobic filter bed). Also as for Nitrates, especially in marine aquariums, removing organic debris before it "cycles" via vacuuming (although this is where a protein skimmer comes in as well) 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 these articles for more about Nitrates: * “Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle” * “Aquarium Nitrates” * “Hydrogen Sulfides/Nitrates” (2)*GH and Electrolytes ( positive mineral ions); 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 ALWAYS be re-mineralized. This is an important reason that is often missed in determining whether or not adequate methods, frequency, etc. of water changes are being utilized. If your aquarium GH (minerals/electrolytes) are falling, you are likely in need of a water change or should be employing products such as Wonder Shells and possible aragonite (although aragonite often will not respond rapidly enough to lower mineral levels as compared to Wonder shells, buffers or simple water changes). Without adequate mineralization, your fish will suffer from poor osmoregulation and as well this will lower your Redox balance.  (3)*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. SeaChem Buffers and to a lesser degrees aragonite or Wonder Shells may aid in this as well.It should be noted that is large volumes of water changes are necessary for whatever reason, it is important to make sure that the new water added does not result in “roller coaster” pH reading, for which the osmotic stress on the fish is usually much harder than pH reading that is less desirable, but is usually tolerated fish more than many aquarists realize. This consideration is especially important with fish such as Discus where a water change may cause a sudden spike in pH (unless re-mineralized RO water is used that is also pre-adjusted to pH). (4)*Lowering of DOC & Removal of Organic Mulm (Sludge); DOC stands for Dissolved Organic Compounds (some refer to the ‘C’ in this abbreviation as Carbon which would relate to carbon based molecules). This is inter-related to some of the other reasons such Redox, Bio Load, Nitrates, even KH & pH (has often high DOC will have an end result of lowering pH). This also includes removal of mulm/sludge from under under-gravel filter plates (placing a siphon tube directly under a plate often has worked well for me) as well as removal of this mulm/sludge from canister and sometimes even wet/dry filters. This is one of the more important reasons from my years of experience as well as some controlled tests since DOC in the water column and Organic Mulm/Sludge under the gravel, decorations, rocks, etc. can have a profound effect on so many aspects of aquarium health such as the previously noted Nitrates, Redox, and even opportunistic diseases, in particular Saprolegnia/Fungus and Aeromonas. This is achieved two ways in cleanings: [1] 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. A Vortex Diatom Filter can perform this as well, although the gravel must be constantly stirred to make this device fully effective, which not only is this not usually possible, but this is also much more stressful to fish (I have used Diatom filters for years and they are still excellent devices, however when the Aquarium Cleaning Machine became available, it blew the Diatom filters out of the water). Another device, the electric (battery powered) “Bag” vacuums do NOT compare to the Cleaning Machine or Diatom Filters. These use a bag that does not even trap 25% of the DOC causing mulm that a true micron filter can (such as the two noted above), my tests measuring Nitrates, KH, & Redox show this.  An exception to this would be the Eheim Sludge Remover Battery Vacuum, as it uses a much better reusable micron filter than the older style “Bag” battery Vacuums. Although the Eheim Battery Vacuum is not nearly as efficient as the Aquarium Cleaning Machine, it provides a reasonable alternative for small aquarium owner or those on a tight budget where the Aquarium Cleaning Machine is simply not practical.I should be noted that none of these devices still take the place of a water change in my experience/tests, however at least the Aquarium Cleaning Machine allows for discharge of water prior to switching to re-circulate. (5)*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. Carbon may help with this as well, but should not be over used. (6)*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  (7)*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). However, I would recommend learning more about this parameter if you are a serious aquarist, and the purchase of a Redox meter if you can afford one (they sell for over $200) may be a useful tool as well. (8)* Removal of waste before it can go thru the Nitrogen Cycle. This is related to other aspects/reason for water changes, although here I specifically mean the removal nitrogenous waste molecules in the water column that begin with ammonia, to nitrites and then end up as nitrates.Water changes can lower these nitrogenous molecules (ammonia, etc.) prior to the cycling process thus resulting on lower nitrates as noted in section #1. As well in tanks that have been medicated, especially with gram positive medications such as Erythromycin a water change lowers pressure on a damaged or even destroyed bio filter and thus removes dangerous ammonia ions. Devices such as Protein Skimmers (marine tanks only) can be an aid to this process as well. Please see this article for vastly more on this subject: The Nitrogen Cycle.. (9)* 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. (10)* Rinsing of bio-sponges, media, etc. in used aquarium or de-chlorinated tap water (generally not straight 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 due to nitrate producing and KH reducing mulm buildup). Occasionally I do not use de-chlorinated tap water or used aquarium water to rinse all parts of a canister filter such as mechanical filtration poly pads, or even some sponges, the reason is if there is more than adequate amounts on ammonia/nitrite reducing nitrifying bacteria and nitrates are quite high (I always leave at least the ceramic, volcanic rock, SeaChem Matrix or other bio media rinsed in only de-chlorinated water so as to preserve nitrifying or de-nitrifying bacteria behind). As well either at the time of water change or a midway point (or similar) between water changes, chemical filter products such as Carbon or SeaChem Purigen should be changed. Rinsing of filter media is not quite a “reason for water change” (more a reason for maintenance/cleaning), but is certainly a part of regular tank maintenance that should not be ignored. (11)* Disease eradication; changing water for disease eradication may not solve the problem, but may be a step towards the problem when done in conjunction with medications/treatments (even bleachings and subsequent aquarium re-starts). Since this is not really the scope (purpose) of this article, please see this article (in the Cleanliness section) where I give some water change examples for disease/parasite problems: “Aquarium Disease Prevention” * All these reasons are based on 30+ years of professional aquarium maintenance with some of the largest accounts in Los Angeles, CA The above section is the most objective aspect of this article, everything that follows is more subjective and utilizing what ever cleaning method, frequency, or combinations there of are all determined by achieving that above criteria which admittedly is not all as important as each other, however I would consider points 1-8 essential based on both experience and scientifically controlled tests/studies. Summary of "Reasons for Water Changes;" My point is that a 25% water change every month may be all that is required by one aquarist but not adequate for another aquarist! Or one aquarist may do fine with the German or flow through method while another may fail and the use of products such as the Aquarium Cleaning Machine may be necessary for DOC control. FREQUENCY (& volume of water change); Use these factors to determine frequency (& possibly volume/size): *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). *Caution should be used with larger volume water changes so as to not cause pH spikes either up or down, as well dramatic changes in other parameters as well. Although I have usually not seen a reason for larger water changes (with the possible exception of Betta Bowls or similar), there are those that might find the need for whatever reason based on water parameters to be met (in other words, “Reasons for Water Changes”), so I would simply caution that these pH swings can cause considerable osmotic shock to fish during larger water changes if the “new” water is not correctly adjusted for pH/KH. As I just earlier noted that large water changes simply to lower poor parameters such as Nitrates may also cause minor stress as well. My personal and professional experience has shown that rather than employ large water changes that some may use for sensitive fish such as Discus, I would recommend the use of an Aquarium Cleaning Machine since you can continue to vacuum and remove small micron organic particulates even after the water change is completed. A flow-through water change system (see the methods section later in the article) is another answer to this question/potential problem of large water changes. 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 note: Contrary to some information thrown around without much research, vacuuming the layers of 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 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 resulting in poor KH levels. (Please click on picture to enlarge) Starting the Gravel Vacuum is usually quite simple (depending upon the brand though). With the Lees, simply placing the end of the hose (water exhaust) into a bucket, the turning the “bell” of the vacuum into the tank and rotating it to remove air, then moving the vacuum bell up & down with quick actions will allow the quick start valve to start the siphon. If this valve breaks (the valve rarely lasts as long as the vacuum) or you have a vacuum without this feature, a quick “suck” on the end of the tube (below tank level) into the bucket should start the siphon with little effort. Tips to starting 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 Further Siphon Tips (including attached to hose): • If your vacuum siphon does not start easily, this may mean that you have some water in the tubing that is blocking the siphon; ANY amount of water in the siphon tube can block the siphon from starting (even a tablespoon), especially when the tube has less vertical distance and more horizontal distance to where the water is exhausted to (bucket, garden, toilet, etc.). Make sure to evacuate ALL water prior to attempting to start a siphon. • If your vacuum is connected to a hose or longer tubing, it is even more important to evacuate all water from this hose prior to starting the siphon. I recommend carefully rolling up the hose, keeping the end lower than the rest of the hose while all water is removed. You should store all hoes this way too for quicker siphon start in the future. • If you fail in the first attempt to start a siphon with a long hose attached, you may end up with water in the hose that will block future attempts, so starting over by making sure all water is evacuated will save you much frustration. Otherwise another method of starting a siphon with a long hose attached is to attach the female end of the hose to a faucet and turn on the faucet until all “bubbles” are blown out through the vacuum bell into the tank. Once this is done, simply detaching the hose from the faucet will immediately start the siphon. Caution should be used in this second method that the vacuum bell is securely placed under the water and that you do not turn the hose on with too much force, otherwise this may result in the vacuum bell “jumping” out of the tank and making quite the mess or at the least the bell not staying under the surface of the water resulting in a failed siphon attempt. • Finally attaching the hose to a “siphon pump” at either a sink or the faucet makes draining the tank (starting a siphon) quite easy, however this also wastes much water (although you can detach the siphon pump after starting the siphon if the exhaust from the hose is below the water level of the tank). DIY Gravel Vacuum System (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. (please click the picture above/left to go to a page with a larger picture).  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).If the faucet adapter pump fits poorly to your sink/utility faucet, resulting in a messy spray of water, I recommend to simply wrap a small towel or similar around the faucet adapter, this will allow the water to drip harmlessly into the sink. PLANTED AQUARIUM: 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. I will occasionally push the vacuum bell deeper into the sand in alternating areas of the aquarium sand looking for build up of organic debris/mulm and also to prevent sulfur reduction resulting in hydrogen sulfide production. The idea is to vacuum most of the waste off the upper layer of gravel while occasionally pushing the bell into the sad allowing just enough oxygen and nitrates to penetrate so as to prevent sulfur reduction. What you want to look for is areas of “black mold” in the sand bed, which is actually not mold but indicative of hydrogen sulfide production vie sulfur reduction. This method is also important for a FOWLR aquarium (fish only with live rock) that employs sand for de-nitrification. GERMAN METHOD: This method is really a variance of the freshwater planted aquarium cleaning method in my opinion; 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 AND anaerobic filtration (that is nitrogen reducing, NOT sulfur reducing which would produce hydrogen sulfides) is also a must. This method can also be employed in part with other methods such as partial vacuum cleanings in certain areas as I do in my planted aquariums. FLOW THROUGH METHOD This method is the aquarium version of the “spring fed pond, or pond over flow method” that I use in ponds (this is especially useful for delicate fish such as Discus or German Rams, but this must be done correctly as well for these fish to be successful). Commonly this method is set up in ware house type setting, but can be single aquariums as well. With this method, you would have a small drain right at the surface of the aquarium water line (usually with a strainer to prevent fish form accidentally getting in). Water is added either from a large holding tank via a slow rate water pump or directly from the tap or well water lines. If added directly from tap water, your municipal water company must NOT use chloramines as these are not readily removed and remain in the aquarium for long periods of time, where as chlorine in municipal tap water is not generally a problem if added at a rate of less than 10-20% per day, provided you have good aeration and possible some carbon filtration as well. Personally I recommend the use of holding tank or large drum, as chlorine may not be the only issue, such as low KH, pH or similar (even with well water). With the holding tank you can add buffers and minerals such as a Wonder Shell. This method can even be employed with marine aquariums, however this definitely necessitates a holding tank for clean/mixed saltwater. Another variation on this method is much more simple or basic and that is (if you have time) to simply “skim” off a total of 10% of your water per day at varying intervals. One advantage of this method (among a few) is that you will often have very health and balanced Redox. Which ever way you employ this method, if your tank has gravel or does not employ healthy de-nitrification (whether in a deep sand bed for marine aquariums or planted freshwater) you should still vacuum at intervals needed to keep water parameters to the desired levels of the fish you are keeping. Combined Methods Since “HOW” (method used) you clean you aquarium as well as “FREQENCY” are subjective, while “WHY” (desired water parameters) is more objective you can often employ multiple methods of cleaning (as I do) and achieve excellent results as that is really the bottom line and those who will tell you that there way is the only way is often someone you do not want to get aquatic advice from. I recommend the method or methods that achieve what is outlined at the very beginning of this article and that is “The reasons for a Water Change/Cleanings”. As long as these points are met, what ever method or combination is working for you is good. I vary this from client to client do to many variables such as bio load, feeding habits, filtrations, even frequency of visits. For personal tanks I am currently using some of the German/Planted tank method along with the over flow/skimming method, vacuuming and finally the use of the Aquarium Cleaning Machine to lower DOC (this is an exceptional tool for high bio load tanks in particular). 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 (controlled experiments I performed in the late 70s confirmed that removal for cleaning is much more stressful to fish). 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 if you are filling via a hose, DIY Python, or similar device. I prefer to use the full strength of the water conditioner as per aquarium size so as to obtain all the benefits of reducers, electrolytes, etc. of your water conditioner. I will add approximately 25%-50% of the conditioner prior to start of the refill with the rest added incrementally as I fill. *If using a bucket, I add the water conditioner per each bucket prior to adding each bucket back to the aquarium. I also recommend adding further water conditioner as per the complete tank volume after bucket(s) are added to obtain all the benefits of the water conditioner as noted previously (depending upon conditioner used, as product such as “API Tap Water Conditioner” only remove chlorine and provide no other benefits) I often use 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. Otherwise I prefer/recommend Prime or similar products such as Amquel (newer Amquel Plus is more similar to Prime), although in my experience Prime is a superior product over Amquel, please see this article: Aquarium and Pond Answers; Water Conditioners . Prime or Amquel Plus is a must for new tanks or tanks with ammonia or nitrite problems. 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. 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). Please note that this is a Planted aquarium where much plant grower substrate is used, along with partial use of the “German Cleaning Method” so the appearance of an extra dirty aquarium is normal, but what counts is water parameters as stated earlier in this article (which are A+). Here (below) is a video from Ancient Mariner of the Aquarium Cleaning Machine For more Cleaning Machine Videos, please visit this page: “Aquarium Cleaning Machine Instructional Videos” 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 | |
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