Routine care
A clean tank is a healthy tank — but “clean” doesn’t mean scrubbing everything. Follow this simple daily, weekly and monthly routine to keep your water stable and your fish thriving, without crashing the good bacteria that keep them safe.
At a glance
Aquarium Cleaning Checklist
| Task | How often | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Glance & head-count | Daily | Spot problems early — behaviour changes before test kits do. |
| Remove uneaten food | Daily | Leftover food rots into ammonia. |
| Wipe the glass | Weekly | Keeps the view clear and slows algae. |
| 20–30% water change | Weekly | Dilutes nitrate and refreshes minerals. |
| Vacuum the substrate | Weekly | Removes trapped waste before it fouls the water. |
| Rinse filter media in old tank water | Monthly | Clears clogs without killing the good bacteria. |
| Check heater, filter & lights | Monthly | Catches failing equipment before it harms fish. |
Step by step
The Weekly Clean, In Order
So they never run dry while the water level is low.
An algae pad or magnet scraper, inside, before you drain.
Use a gravel siphon to pull waste from the substrate as you remove water.
Dechlorinate and temperature-match the new water before it goes in.
Plug everything back in and watch the fish settle for a few minutes.
Avoid these
What NOT To Do When Cleaning
- Don’t rinse filter media under the tap — chlorine kills the beneficial bacteria living in it.
- Don’t do a 100% water change or replace all the media at once — you’ll crash your cycle.
- Don’t clean the filter and vacuum the substrate the same week — space them out to keep bacteria stable.
- Don’t use soap or household cleaners on anything that touches the tank.
- Don’t forget to dechlorinate and temperature-match new water.
Get the Free Aquarium Survival Checklist
The printable companion to this routine — 25 things to check before your fish die.
Cleaning FAQ
How often should I clean my aquarium?
A 20–30% water change with a substrate vacuum once a week suits most tanks, plus a quick daily glance and a monthly equipment check. Heavily stocked tanks may need it twice a week.
Why shouldn’t I clean the filter with tap water?
Your filter holds most of the beneficial bacteria that process ammonia. Tap-water chlorine kills them, which can trigger a mini-cycle and an ammonia spike. Always rinse media gently in a bucket of old tank water instead.
Should I remove the fish to clean the tank?
No — for a routine clean, leave them in. Netting and moving fish is far more stressful than a calm partial water change around them.
How to clean an aquarium without crashing it
A clean tank is not a sterile tank. The goal is to remove waste while protecting the bacteria that keep ammonia and nitrite under control.
- Change part of the water, not all of it, unless you are responding to a true emergency.
- Rinse filter media in old tank water instead of untreated tap water so beneficial bacteria are not shocked.
- Vacuum visible debris from the substrate, but do not tear apart every surface in one session.
- Clean algae from viewing panels while leaving some mature biofilm on hardscape for shrimp and grazing fish.
Good cleaning should make the tank more stable. If a cleaning routine leaves fish stressed every time, it is probably too aggressive.
Cleaning schedule by tank type
Different tanks need different cleaning pressure. A lightly stocked planted tank may only need glass cleaning, plant trimming, and a modest weekly water change. A goldfish tank, overstocked community tank, or tank with messy feeders may need more frequent substrate cleaning and stricter nitrate tracking.
Shrimp tanks should be cleaned gently. They benefit from biofilm and stable surfaces, so avoid stripping the tank spotless. Remove obvious waste, keep the filter flowing, and make smaller steady water changes instead of huge swings. Stability is more valuable than a perfectly polished look.
New tanks should also be cleaned carefully. During the first weeks, the filter and surfaces are still building bacterial colonies. Rinse clogged media in old tank water, but do not replace everything at once. If debris is building fast, reduce feeding and improve flow rather than doing a harsh reset.