Clean a Saltwater Tank

If you're setting up a saltwater tank or already have one, you'll need to learn how to clean it. Fortunately, with regular cleaning, a saltwater tank is just as easy to clean as a freshwater tank. Follow daily or weekly, biweekly, and long-term cleaning schedules, so your tank stays clean and healthy for your fish. It may take a little getting used to, but cleaning your tank will soon become a habit.

Steps

Performing Regular Maintenance

1. Remove uneaten food. While you should only be feeding the fish in your tank enough food for them to consume within an hour, there may occasionally be food leftover. Take a net and skim the uneaten food out of the tank. Do this an hour after you've fed your fish.
   • If you leave uneaten food in your saltwater tank, it can decay and make the water cloudy.
2. Rinse the collection cup. At least once a week you should remove the collection cup from your protein skimmer. Dump the dirty, brown water out of the cup and rinse the cup with fresh water. Place it back in the protein skimmer.
   • If you wait to dump the collection cup, the skimmer won't be as effective in cleaning the water and the cup may even overflow with thick, foamy water.
3. Wipe away any salt creep you see. As saltwater evaporates from your tank, a crusty, white salt residue will build up on power cords or near the top of the tank. Dip a clean cloth in fresh water and wipe away the salt. Use a dry cloth to dry the cords or tank.
   • You should check for salt creep every day. It's a lot easier to remove salt creep if there's only a little of it. Excessive salt creep can actually wear down your cords and tank.

Following a Biweekly Cleaning Schedule

1. Remove ten percent of the water. You should replace about 10 percent of the tank's water every two weeks. Turn off the power to the tank and take off the cover glass. Use a siphon to take ten percent of the water out of the tank. It should go into a bucket. Discard the old water.
   • Take the opportunity to clean filters, hoses, and pumps before you add the new salt water.
2. Clean the glass panes of the tank. You can use a simple kitchen sponge to scrub the inside and outside of the tank glass. Ensure that the sponge doesn't contain a rough side that would scratch the glass. Or you can an algae scraper that will remove algae that's stuck on the glass. You can even buy a magnet cleaner that will make it easier to clean the inside of the tank without sticking your arm in.
   • If the glass becomes dirty, you may need to clean it more frequently. Try cleaning the glass every other day.
3. Vacuum the substrate. Be in the habit of vacuum cleaning the gravel or substrate when you change the water. Many gravel vacuums use a pump to suck the algae and detritus from the surface of the substrate. When you use the vacuum ensure that there's a fine mesh screen, so you don't accidentally suck up the gravel itself or small organisms.
   • Follow the manufacturer's instructions for the vacuum. You'll generally have to hold the vacuum a few inches above the substrate when you clean it.
4. Wipe the protein skimmer. Every few weeks you should wipe the neck of the protein skimmer clean. This will make the skimmer more efficient and prevent dirty buildup. To clean the neck, just take a paper towel or clean cloth and wipe the neck clean.
   • If you notice slimy, gunky buildup, you may need to take the skimmer apart and soak it in vinegar. Rinse it clean and reinstall it.
5. Rinse the prefilters. Remove the prefilters from your tank and rinse them under fresh, running water. Reinstall the prefilters. Try to do this every two weeks, so they don't become clogged with organisms or dirt.
   • If your prefilter hasn't been cleaned in a while and doesn't become clean after rinsing it, you may need to buy a replacement filter.
6. Mix and add new salt water to the tank. Follow the instructions on a bag of commercial salt mix and add dechlorinated tap water to combine new salt water to add back to the tank. Remember to check the temperature and salinity before you slowly pour the new water into the tank. Turn the power back on and put the cover glass back onto the tank.
   • To check the temperature, look at the thermometer in the tank. To check water salinity, use a hydrometer or a refractometer. You'll drop a sample of water onto a plate glass and visually inspect where the water registers on the salinity scale.

Following a Long-Term Cleaning Schedule

1. Clean the aquarium and lighting fixture covers. About once a month you should remove the aquarium cover glass and the plastic lighting cover. You'll probably see white, crusty residue from the water. Take a damp cloth or paper towel and wipe off the salt creep.
   • If the residue doesn't come off, it's probably calcium deposit. To clean calcium deposits, soak a sponge or cloth in white vinegar and scrub the deposit away.
2. Clean the air intake hose and skimmer. Take the air intake hose and valves from the protein skimmer off and clean them once a month. Soak these parts in white vinegar for about an hour. Take a small aquarium brush and remove any calcium deposits that you see. Rinse the parts off and return them to the protein skimmer.
   • If the intake hose and valves become clogged with calcium, the skimmer won't effectively make foam.
3. Deep clean the hoses every few months. Spend some time removing all of the algae you see on the pump, filters, and parts of the aquarium. You can use an aquarium brush to scrape away the algae or soak the part in white vinegar, so you can easily scrub away the algae. Do this every other month or as soon as you notice gunk building up in the tank. Focus on deep cleaning these parts of the tank:
   • Protein skimmer
   • Return pump
   • Biofilter overflow box
   • Powerhead
   • Heater
   • Thermometer
   • Hoses

Things You'll Need

• An algae pad, sponge, or cleaning magnet
• 5 gallon (10 liter) bucket
• Siphon-type gravel vacuum
• Filter media (cartridges, sponges, carbon packets, and so on) if you're changing the filter
• Salt mix and dechlorinated water
• Paper towels or clean cloths
• Small aquarium brush
• White vinegar

Sources and Citations

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