Cleaning Aquarium Glass
Clean aquarium glass inside and out: tools for glass and acrylic, stubborn algae, waterline mineral deposits, and how often to do it.
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Maintenance
Weekly Aquarium Maintenance
Weekly aquarium maintenance works best when it is boring. You should not need to rebuild the tank, replace half the equipment, or scrub every surface until it looks new.
Monthly Maintenance Checklist
A monthly aquarium checklist: inspect equipment, service the filter without losing the biofilter, clean, trim, and review water and livestock.
Water Change Guide
Regular partial water changes are one of the least glamorous jobs in fishkeeping, but they are also one of the most useful.
Gravel Vacuum Guide
How to use a gravel vacuum: choosing one, starting the siphon, vacuuming around plants, sand and aquasoil, and how often to do it.
Cleaning Aquarium Decorations
Clean aquarium decorations safely: removing them, cleaning algae and deposits, when disinfection is really needed, and keeping them clean.
Filter Maintenance Schedule
How often to clean an aquarium filter, how to maintain mechanical and biological media, the impeller and hoses, and why to stagger the work.
Preventing Algae
Algae is a normal part of a freshwater aquarium, and a small amount on rocks, wood, or glass is not a sign that the tank has failed.
Vacation Aquarium Care
A stable freshwater aquarium can usually handle a short absence better than it handles last-minute overfeeding, major cleaning, or untested equipment.
Emergency Water Changes
When an emergency water change is needed, how much to change, preparing safe replacement water, what to check afterwards, and mistakes to avoid.