Cleaning tips

oscar1658

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 8, 2013
6
0
1
manchester
I dont know if my tank or my fish class as monster fish but thought it would be a good place for tips on cleaning big tanks :D ive recently gone from a 54 litre to 420 litre for my two common plecs who are gunna grow anyway so hey, just stick them in that and let them have a ball in the huge tank! £250 for everything including the 6 foot tank, stand etc :) they love it in there too they are very happy and doing well...my question is is i'm struggling to do water changes, cant reach the bottom of the tank even when i stand on a chair...other day i was trying to put some cucumber slices in the bottom and was gunna fall in! clumsy..very! but i'm adjusting :p just wanted to know your maintenance routine, what you use etc etc anything that would make my cleaning easier! thanks :)
 

joe jaskot

Dovii
MFK Member
Sep 16, 2011
3,864
390
107
Clifton, NJ
To clean the bottom of deep tanks, I made a gravel vac out of a clear 36" plastic tube (1 1/2" diameter). On one end of the tube I place an old rubber diaphragm from an air pump. Cut a hole in the center of the diaphragm and insert a 3/4" piece of hose. Cheap to make and works great.
 

petspoiler

Piranha
MFK Member
Jan 7, 2011
3,352
32
81
rural Calif.
You just have to start thinking like a short person ;-)
I stand on a small 3-step fold up ladder when working in my tank... use a sponge cleaner on a long handle to wipe down inside the tank walls, and squeeze grabber tongs to manage things on the bottom.
I use water current to blow crap over by the intake tube and keep the sand looking clean. only time I siphon-vacc detritus is during water changes, & to turn over the sand a bit.
 

rodger

Polypterus
MFK Member
Apr 29, 2008
3,343
283
92
Kansas City
I am 6'9" and stand on a stool to clean my 240. It will be the same way when I have the 700 ready. Aqueon makes a water changer with a 24" tube on it. I only know this because it came with a used tank I bought.
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store