How to Clean a Fish Tank With a Suction Hose

For those of you who have a fish tank, the most important thing that you need to do is to maintain the quality of water used inside the tank. One way of cleaning your fish tank is by using a suction hose where you would be able to clean any debris that you can find at the bottom of your fish tank that has already been mixed up with gravel. A suction hose helps you move out the water from your tank enabling you to fill in new and fresh water into the fish tank. Fish tank is normally cleaned about once a week or even two and this will very much depend on how much of the fish leftover food that are in the tank’s water along with dirt and debris.

To clean a fish tank with a suction hose, you need:

  • Suction hose
  • Large bucket
  • Clean rag
  • Water conditioner
  • Aquarium salt
  • Clean filter for water pump
  • Clean source of water

Cleaning a Fish Tank with a Suction Hose


How to Clean a Fish Tank with a Suction Hose

  • First thing that you need to do is to inspect the suction hose that you want to use
    • You must make sure that there is nothing stuck or blocking the hose from inside it that can stop water from being sucked out.
    • You suction hose must also be clean and clear of dirt whenever you start to place it into the fish tank.
  • The next step is for you to set the larger side of your suction hose right into the fish tank until the mouth of your suction hose reached the bottom of the tank or the gravel in the tank.
    • Then, you need to drape the suction hose over the tank and place a bucket on the floor right nearby the fish tank.
    • You need to hold the suction hose on the bottom of your fish tank as you suck the dirt out along with the water so that the hose does not float up away from the area of your gravel.
  • Next, you need to wrap your hand around the other end of your suction hose which is not in the water
    • Then, block the air from getting out of the hose.
    • After that, you need to move the hose around in the water so that you are able to create a suction process.
    • After a few seconds, the water will start coming up through your suction hose and you must immediately set the end of the suction hose which is on the outside of the fish tank into the bucket that you have prepared earlier.
  • Always monitor the flow of the water when it starts to enter the bucket
    • You must make sure not to remove too much water or always ensure that the water does not overflow the bucket and wet the whole floor of your house.
    • You also need to move the end of your suction hose that is in the water around by using one hand. This enables you to remove any of the dirty particles out of the bottom area of your fish tank.
    • As for the water, you only need to remove at least one-half up to two-thirds of it from your fish tank.
  • In order to stop the process, you have to lift the end of your suction hose that you have set in the bucket high into the air with its end pointing up.
    • When the end of the suction hose that was in the bucket is way above the tank, you will find that the water will just stop flowing through the suction hose.
    • Finally, you can remove your suction hose away from the fish tank.

The water that you have removed from the fish tank should be replaced with fresh water. You can also fill up the fish tank with appropriate amount of water conditioner and aquarium salt.

Always remember that if you want to clean a fish tank using a suction hose

  • Remove the lid on top of the tank and any light attached to the fish tank
  • Make sure that you firstly remove all the fish away from the tank and put it inside a pail or a container. This is to avoid the fish from being sucked into the hose and protect them from being harmed by the suction hose.
  • Ensure that you have unplugged any filters as well as heaters connected to it.

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