An Exercise In Cleaning

**JimTheBetta** · 12-02-2009, 03:15 AM

Before i start my rambling, this post has a point, let my mistake be a lesson for you all. Skip till the fish smiley to skip all my ranting and just hear the point.

Well I have had my 3 tanks going without a hitch for a good 4 months straight. No problems, nothing breaking or going wrong. The occasional shrimp would die, but just the older ones (all the ones bought at the pet stores are dead, only have there children now).

BUT, and a very big but, like Jennifer Lopez big, other then water changes, i hadn't been really cleaning my tanks. They were starting to get tons of hard water deposits around the filter and lights, and the shrimp tank was overrun with algae. Not to mention i hadn't gotten around to changing the filter media for any of my tanks in at least 4 months as well.

So after the death of my Betta Jim (a houdini whos body still has not been found) and the... passing... of my last Molly, i figured it was time to clean my tanks.

A process that thanks to also trying to get ride of snails (bleaching everything, then cleaning till no bleach left) took 2 days to do because of the short amount of daylight. There was a whole lot of scrubbing, rinsing, and tons of scrapping. I had to buy new a few pieces that were beyond salvaging, including a whole new filter for the shrimp tank, and new media for all tanks.

Needless to say it was a tiring expereince, for both me and my fish. Now though everything looks good again, and the bit of old media from the shrimp tank i saved and divided into the tanks has gotten a nice new colony of bacteria going devouring that pesky ammonia. I have a new betta, Bob, who even though i loved my Jim, is beyond awesome. We also got 3 new fish for the big tank to replace the mollies, 3 Odessa Barbs, and they are a lot more fun to look at and watch then the mollies ever where.

The overall point? Save yourself my same headache, and don't just do water changes, take a wet paper towel once every few weeks and wipe off and clean everything outside the tank you can. Hard water and dried algae is a pain to get off, and so is completly replacing the sand in one tank because its more poo then sand.

Oh and don't buy mollys, damn are they nasty little fish xD

**Aeonflame** · 12-02-2009, 03:33 AM

I guess that is a lot more feasible for smaller tanks. Complete mainainance like that is good every now and then, but it can become very time consuming for larger/multiple tanks.

**JimTheBetta** · 12-02-2009, 04:00 AM

Originally Posted by Aeonflame

I guess that is a lot more feasible for smaller tanks. Complete mainainance like that is good every now and then, but it can become very time consuming for larger/multiple tanks.

Even for 3 small tanks its at least a day long affair, and thats really busting it trying to get it done as fast as you can.

Each tank got drained, sand/gravel either thoroughly cleaned or replaced, and every little piece got scrubbed clean, and in the case of the betta and community tanks, bleach for all the parts that a snail could have laid eggs on. Then theres trying to get the bleach 100% off everything, and of course putting it all back together.

Honestly it might be good and they look great, but occasional spot cleaning with just a damp rag (and treating all plants before putting them in your tank) can save you from having to ever do a full tear down. This is the 3rd time now I've done a full tear down on my 20g long. Its not very fun xD

**domjd05** · 12-02-2009, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by Aeonflame

I guess that is a lot more feasible for smaller tanks. Complete mainainance like that is good every now and then, but it can become very time consuming for larger/multiple tanks.

IMO if you can't do the regular maintenance you probably shouldn't have larger/multiple tanks.

**Aeonflame** · 12-02-2009, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by domjd05

IMO if you can't do the regular maintenance you probably shouldn't have larger/multiple tanks.

I wouldn't consider that regular maintenance. Water changes and substrate vacuuming, yes. As for whatever algae accumulates on my glass or driftwood, its just food for my bn plecos, and they do a great job of it.

**Rue** · 12-02-2009, 04:09 PM

I always do an overall clean when I do the water changes...I want the entire tank to look nice, not just be healthy for the fish...

If you keep it up, it's really not a lot of work. It's more work to let it go and THEN scrape everything and whatnot...

But good for you for getting it done! Now just keep it up!

**JimTheBetta** · 12-02-2009, 07:04 PM

Originally Posted by Rue

I always do an overall clean when I do the water changes...I want the entire tank to look nice, not just be healthy for the fish...

If you keep it up, it's really not a lot of work. It's more work to let it go and THEN scrape everything and whatnot...

But good for you for getting it done! Now just keep it up!

The only problem with me doing it that constant is my job. I am out of town during the week and the weekends im pretty much dead. Im usually half awake while doing water changes. I can barely get through all three before i am ready for a nap. I used to be hardcore about it, but over time i just lost, i guess the will to be A.D.D. about it.

**Red** · 12-02-2009, 07:06 PM

I have 18 tanks right now up and running, it takes me about 6 hours to clean everything and thats if I am not behind. When I get behind it takes close to 8 hours.

**bushwhacker** · 12-02-2009, 07:51 PM

i have to admit i've been a bit slack lately and my 100 gallon looks like crap got a case of ditoms but the last time i put BN's in there the 4 line cats ate em