Looking for a way to safely clean your fish tank? Then, you are in the right place. We have got you covered. From the supplies you will need, to the steps you will have to take, it is all here for your convenience. We have done all the research so that you do not have to. All the measures put in place here are safe so that you are guaranteed peace of mind that your fish will be swimming happily in their newly cleaned tanks.
What Do You Need To Clean Your Fishtank With Vinegar
- Vinegar.
- Salt.
- A new bucket. This should be one that has not been used with any household chemicals.
- An approved scrubbing brush from a fish store. Be aware that if your fish tank is acrylic, you should opt for a sponge instead. This is to prevent scratching on the tank.
You will need to dedicate a set of cleaning equipment that is only to be used for the fish tank. This is very important as even a tiny drop of detergent present on an old sponge can get into the water of the fish tank and slowing poison your fish. It is highly recommended to use scrubbing pads that are sold by pet stores. This is to ensure that these products have not be laced with cleaning products.
What Next?
The use of vinegar is great for removing hard water stains. The salt is used to clean out the tank in a very thorough way. It is important to not be shy when it comes to pouring in that salt and vinegar. There are no measurements but we recommend quite a lot. In this case, the more the merrier. Add some warm water to the mixture into the empty tank, along with the vinegar and salt. After this, use your scrubbing brush or sponge and scrub the solution around vigorously. Once the tank in cleaned nicely, you will need to rinse the tank out well. Finally, you will be left with a perfectly clean tank ready to become a home to some fish.
Keep in mind that this is how you clean an empty fish tank. Do not go and put vinegar and salt in a fish tank that still has fish in it or else you will be sentencing your fish friends to death, and no-one wants that.
The Final Step:
So your tank is clean and you are ready to introduce your fish to their new home. Well, you have one more crucial step that you need to follow. You need to begin cycling the tank. This process helps in building up a colony of good bacteria in the filter. Why is this important? The good bacteria help in converting ammonia and nitrates. If this is not done, it will otherwise result in a build-up of these substances that have the capability to kill your poor fish, and we do not want that happening.
Why Use Vinegar? Is It Safe For Fish?
The question asked by many people is why vinegar? Well, if you are new to the world of fish tanks and have yet to discover all the hysterical warnings about never using soap or detergents to clean a fish tank, then I can understand why you may be puzzled by the use of vinegar. Well, why not soap and detergent? Simply put, this is because it is highly impossible to remove all the soap and detergent from the seals. Failure to remove this soap and detergent will result in the killing of the fish present in these tanks over a period of months. Vinegar is a great natural product that can be used to safely clean your tank.
There are many benefits of using vinegar to clean fish tanks. One is that it is great at neutralizing unpleasant fish odors present in the tank. Along with this, vinegar is also readily available and almost every grocery shop around or online. Moreover, it is also cheaply available. Therefore, you do not need to break your back trying to provide a clean home for your fish.
