Tropical fish tank cleaning

What do you use to clean out the yuk! on the bottom of the tank? We have one of those scavenger fish but he seems to have given up The tank is starting to go furry around the plants & we are over-run with snails too! Any tips on cleaning ... siphoning with a tube? We have a glass cleaner that is Ok.. but it`s just the stuff on the bottom ... thanks! Lucy

We have a syphon pipe, so each month when we change a 1/3 of the water, OH sucks all the dirt out from the bottom of the tank (well not him personally) , but we have this horrible looking 'thing' which eats algae only and has made a really good job of it too! we do get some muck in between the stones on the bottom, but that gets sucked out during the water change.



Haven't a clue what this fish is called, but boy is he ugly!! Spends most of his time sucking on the side of the tank like a sink plunger

sorry don't mean to stick my nose in but could i ask how much it costs you to keep your tropical fish?

When I looked after fish at college, we used those syphoners - and I choked on the water! ick!

I use a syphon with mine too. Get a pleco (thats whats in the picture! ) I have a bristlenose as they stay fairly small and get rid of all the algae Also, buy an algae scraper for the glass if thats got a bit dirty too

Sharon
Your fish is called a Plecostomus and it's a type of catfish

Lucy
You can get a special syphon tube with a type of gauze funnel on the end that u insert in the tank.This allows the gunk to filter up the pipe but not your gravel.You should do a half water change fairly regularly and this should keep your algae at bay.
What size is your tank?If you have live plants then you will get a lot more algae.
If you have a large tank it maybe too much work for 1 fish to keep clean.You can get a variety of tank cleaning fish including Corydoras ,Plecostomus,loaches and various other catfish..
Is your tank a communal one?
Be carefull as some catfish will kill and eat the smaller tetras like Neons.
You can clean the sides of your tank with a clean unused pan scourer just soak it in boiling water before u use it to sterilise and when it's cooled down u can use it.
Never wash the tanks filter in tap water always wash in some water u have removed from your tank

Molly
Initially when you start out there is a large outlay for tank and equipment.A lot depends on the type/size of tank.If you are a beginner then why not pick one up from the classified adds just to start...It's not for everyone and it can be an expensive whim as a lot get bored with it.
You can pick up a decent second hand tank for around £40.Go to the library or buy yourself a good book on tropical fish keeping.There is usually a section for setting up a tank.Remember you have to set your tank up at least 14 days before you add the fish.
Make sure u go to a reputable dealer to buy your fish a good tip is to visit the shop as early in the morning as you can and see how many dead fish they have floating in their tanks .Any more than 3 in one tank is a sure sign they are not being looked after.
Don't buy too many fish in one go.Just get a few neons to start and see how they settle in.a week later buy a few more fish and a tank cleaner like a plec.,and so on.
If u need any more advice then let me know.I'll help if I can

You'll need to cycle your tank before you add any fish too You can use ammonia, or a fish, but you need something pretty hardy. I've always used siamese fighting fish for cycling with no problems at all.

Ooh, and buy a good test kit and may sure everythings looking ok before you add anything!

Here's a very good fishy forum that will help you out : http://www.uk-aquarist.com/index.php?act=idx See if you can spot me on it

Thanks for your help! Hiya Boi .. that`s great information, thanks ... looks like I am going to be busy this weekend , but they are worth it, I love my fish Do you think artificial plants are better? Lucy

We used to have live plants but found there was far too much algae with them so switched to plastic.
The only time we use the live is when we have babies in the live bearing tank(we have 2 1 for live bearers and one for egg layers)
Then we buy the type of plants that float on the surface for the babies to hide in

Yes, you can get something called a gravel siphon. This is a siphon tube with a wider bore (circa 2") bit for doing the gravel without sucking the gravel into the bucket.

Tip: You can get valves which you can insert in plain siphon tubes to avoid getting a mouthful of water. Basically, you suck until the water is just past the valve and you close it. Move the bucket into position. Put the siphon end in bucket and open the valve. The water should flow nicely into bucket. When the bucket is full, shut off the valve, empty bucket. Open valve again and the siphonic action will start again.

Once up and running, your tropical fish tank needs to be heated. In a cooler room you might need to consider electricty costs. I think mine costs about £16 a quarter in electricity.