cleaning our tank

P

paullism

New member
Joined
Nov 13, 2008
Messages
113
Reaction score
8
Points
0
Location
Sydney, Cabarita
Country
Australia
Display Name
Paul
I know this sounds so dumb, but I want to make sure we are doing the right things. We have now had our axolotls for 1 & 1/2 months. Every one is happy, eating & healthy. I am doing all my water changes & tank maintenace to the filtration system.

What I do not know (I have never had fish let alone Axolotls) is should we be cleaning the glass, the fake plants & hiding places ? & how often should we be doing this. If this helps we have a 165 litre tank with 3 axolotls.

Thanks from Paul, Chelsea - and of course Midnight, Smiley & Sunshine
 
I usually clean the plants off in the tank water that was already present before I cleaned it, does that make sense?
Not too rough rough, just a rinse type thing.
Only clean the glass if it gets green and mouldy.
If the objects are really dirty and starting to develop a layer of goo then it is probably best to give them a more thorough clean.
 
Thanks Stef

I touched the glass and could feel a film on it, I felt their hiding places & they felt a bit slimey. Is that normal ? as I said I am a total novice at all this and I would hate for any thing to happen to my 12 y.o daughter's pets.

If I was going to clean them yes I would use the tank water just like we do when cleaning the pump pipes & sponges.
 
The 'slime' is the bacteria that is essential to your tank. It's normal, and healthy.

As far as cleaning, I usually clean the essentials: hoses once a year (ish), the filter media gets a good rinse every 3 months (or whenever needed), and I scrub the front pane of glass on the tank (but rarely the others).
 
I clean my tanks every time I change the water. I do this every weekend just because I am too temporally challenged to manage the every-second-week thing ("did I do this last week or not?"). I use the siphon hose to clean all surfaces, and shake the plants about a bit while I'm at it. I life the caves and clean under there, too. I stick my hands into the sand and root around in it with my fingers just in case there are any nasty air pockets. If larger pieces of trash are floating around (pieces of plants), I catch them with a net.

Once I've let out the water, I clean the part of the glass revealed, scrubbing off the limescale and polishing it all with a cloth I have for the purpose. Then I top off the water to its original depth. This way the tank always looks sparkly clean from the outside but I'm not really disturbing the bacteria on the glass.

-Eva
 
And that's why Eva's tanks are much more beautiful than mine. Mine have that... 'natural' look. lol.

In seriousness though, a thorough cleaning of the substrate and plants where waste might get trapped is fine. I just don't recommend scrubbing all your tank decorations.
 
Thank you both very much. I really do appreciate all the help.

My daughter Chelsea has had her membership now approved, she is coming over this weekend, and she is looking forward to being a part of this great community. So we will have have some photos up to introduce Mightnight, Smiley & Sunshine.
 
Thanks Jen for the article. Very interesting.
I am cleaning the sponges, then a couple of days later the carbon filters.
I am also using the water that I empty from the take to clean them with & the water that I put back into the take has been aged for a couple of days and I use Seachem Prime & Stability when aging new water.

I do find that when I turn the pump back on after cleaning the carbon filters or the sponges that the comes out cloudy when I first turn the pump back on. Should I be concerned about this ?

Thanks
 
G'day, Paul,

The water looks cloudy because you have disrupted, and most likely dislodged a lot of debris that was trapped in the sponge (mechanical filtration). But this isn't a worry because the debris will either: (1). Settle to the bottom of the tank (which can be cleared off with partial water changes), or; (2). Be collected by the sponge, again.

I am cleaning the sponges, then a couple of days later the carbon filters.
Click to expand...

Rinsing the sponge with tank water will suffice. Some people also change their their sponge every six months. Regarding the carbon filter, there's really no point in washing it with tank water. You're better off using the tank carbon filter for about two months, and then replacing it. There are some pet stores that will lead you to believe that it is possible to "recharge" a used carbon filter. However, this is only possible if the carbon is completely saturated. "Recharging" is most commonly done using either a salty brine or extremely acidic/alkaline baths. Personally, I find it easier to replace the carbon filter.

Good luck!

Jay.
 
Thanks Jay, much appreciated !

I am now breathing again.

That is a relief...... I replaced the carbon cartridges last week for the first time & have it listed on my own personal schedule to be replaced again in 8 weeks.
 
It's great to see that your on top of your game! :happy:

Remember to wash the fresh carbon thoroughly, i.e. until the water runs clear. Carbon has the potential to cloud up the water very quickly if it's not cleaned properly.

Jay.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    There are no messages in the chat. Be the first one to say Hi!
    Back
    Top