How to Keep Betta Tank Clean

How to keep betta tank clean is easy. But surprisingly, many people turn away from betta fish keeping because you have to empty the aquariums for cleaning regularly. Hear me out; you can keep the betta tank clean without much effort.

Let’s face it;

Just like other living organisms, betta fish eat and excrete waste. You need to do regular cleaning to keep the fish happy.

Nevertheless, you need to take proper care of your fish friends to protect them from diseases and infections. That includes proper feeding and treatments.

That aside, some aquatic plants in the aquarium need trimming. If they go untrimmed for an extended period, they hinder lights and reduce space in the tank.

However, there are several ways on how to clean a betta fish tank without a siphon. To be clear, you don’t have to drain the water to perform regular cleaning.

Read on!

How to Keep Betta Tank Clean

1. Schedule Regular Maintenance

At times, regular maintenance may seem to be tiresome.

See, you can do a partial water change once a week or two. This makes it easier because these fish friends don’t require much care.

Later, you can perform full tank cleaning after a few months. To carry out thorough cleaning, follow this simple procedure.

See also: How often to clean betta tank

Step 1: Prepare the water you want to add to the aquarium. If you plan to add tap water, treat it in advance. Then, heat it to the right temperature.

Step 2: Unplug the heaters, filters, lights, and other equipment connected to the tank.

Step 3: Gather cleaning items. These include the bowl where you would put the fish, scrubbers, and the net or a cup to scoop the betta fish.

Step 4: Scoop your betta fish from the tank and place them in a small bowl.

Step 5: Set aside the percentage of water you would like to add back to the tank. If you plan to add 85% freshly prepared water to the tank, take 15% from the tank before draining the rest.

Ideally, collect the water directly from the filtration output nozzle before unplugging the filter.

Step 6: Drain the rest of the water. Then, remove the rocks, gravel, and plants in the aquarium and place them aside.

Step 7: Scrub the tank to remove residues but thoroughly inspect your cleaning items to avoid harmful chemicals.

Then, rinse the tank with a small hose and dry it with paper towels.

Step 8: Afterward, wash the gravel, rocks, and aquatic plants with tap water and add them to the tank.

See also: How do I purify my betta fish’s tap water?

Step 9: Fill the tank with the water you separated, followed by the freshly treated water. Then, confirm the temperature is right.

The next step will loop you in on how long to wait to put betta fish in the tank after cleaning. Read on;

Step 10: Allow the system to filter the water for about 20 minutes and reintroduce the betta fish to the tank. Keep an eye on them for any behavior changes.

2. Invest in a Bigger Tank

Larger tanks are easier to maintain. They keep the water temperature consistent and maintain the water chemistry.

In addition, it takes longer for the harmful chemicals to accumulate to higher levels. That means you will change the water less frequently.

On the other hand, smaller tanks need regular cleaning because the build-up of chemicals encourages algae growth.

Read: Do female betta fish fight each other ?

3. Have a Bigger Filter

How to clean betta fish tank with filter is simple because it’s an automatic process.

Usually, adding a filter system to the tank is the best step to clean the tank. If your tank has a capacity of 20 gallons, get a filter rated from 20 to around 35 gallons. That will cycle the water more often.

Ideally, set a sponge or a paper in front of the output nozzle to control the current. A bigger filter will release water in high currents, which causes stress on betta fish.

Read: How to care for a betta fish for beginners

4. Reduce the Number of Fish in the Tank

The more fish you have kept in the tank, the more the waste builds up. To keep the tank clean, reduce the number of fish by transferring them to a separate tank.

5. Don’t Overfeed Your Fish

If you feed the fish with more food, you will have waste. Excessive food sinks to the bottom and collects around the gravel.

With time, it rots and releases harmful toxins.

Additionally, overfeeding the fish will lead to more waste, and also, they may get sick.

Read: Betta swim bladder symptoms and treatment

6. Introduce Live Plants

Live plants create a natural ecosystem for fish. In addition, the plants will absorb carbon and ammonia from the water. Also, live plants compete for nutrients, with algae inhibiting their fast growth.

However, you will have to schedule regular trimming of plants to allow light and create more space in the tank.

7. Introduce Snails and Shrimp

Adding snails and shrimp helps to keep the tank clean. Luckily, they stay away from betta fish, and you will rarely see betta fish attacking them.

Snails and shrimps will feed on fish waste, algae, and food waste because they are scavengers. So, you will neither notice ammonia from fish’s wastes nor rotting food at the tank bottom.

However, control them in the tank because they may breed too fast. Ideally, go for Nerite snail species since they don’t reproduce more quickly.

8. Get Self-cleaning Tanks

There are two types of self-cleaning tanks. Take a look;

• Gravity tanks

They automatically pump the waste out of the tank at the bottom. As such, you will have to keep adding the lost water.

On the other hand, you will be keen on temperatures because they may drastically decrease once some water is lost.

• Hydroponic tank

They have herbs that use fish waste as fertilizers. Additionally, their roots filter water.

FAQs on How to Keep Betta Tank Clean

Read: How to cure fish depression

Reference

Medium: 10 Easy Steps to Cleaning Your Betta Fish Tank

Classroom Aquarium Education Program (CAEP): Disinfecting aquariums and equipment