# I need help with buying cleaning stuff?



## dreamwaves (Aug 18, 2010)

I want my keep my aquarium water so clean. What are the cleaning materials I need to keep my aquarium clean and safe for the fish to live in?


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## digital_gods (Apr 23, 2010)

First think will keeping your water clean and pure is a good filtration system. It could be intank, hang on back or external canister filter. When you shop for a filter, look at the tank size its recommended for and how many gallons per hour (gph) it puts out. If your going to have a heavy amount of fish, then get a filter that is the next size up from the recommended size. The gallons per hour come into play for you want the filter be able to turn your tanks water volume at least four times per hour. When you look at the filters, choose one that will give you mechanical, chemical and biological filtration. The mechanical is filter screen mater. The chemical is done by active charcoal within the filter. The biological filtration is done by having media within the filter that will allow anaerobic bacteria establish a colony where it can break down the ammonia and nitrites within the water.

The second part to good clean water is water changes. Its recommended to change 25% of the water every two to three weeks. This will help to reduce the buildup of ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and phosphates with in the water. This also will help control algae within your tank. 

For the needed chemicals, I recommend the brand SeaChem. You can find this at the major pet stores and most smaller pet stores. If your using tap water, pretreat your water with Seachem Prime. This will eliminate chlorine within the water, making it safe for the fist. The second chemical is Seachem Stability. This has active anaerobic bacteria, helping keep your biological filter at peak performance. Stability is used for establishing a new tank and little added at every water change. The last chemical I recommend is Seachem Clarity. This product help reduced the cloudiness out of the water by binding the particles together so the filter can catch them. 

A major tip for good water quality is to not over feed the fish. Give them enough that it would last them three minutes. If the food is lingering after three minutes, then reduce the amount givin at next feeding. Excess food will diminish your water quality and cause you problems in the long run.

If you got any more questions, just let me know.

Regards,

Robert B.


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## Dielectric (Oct 7, 2008)

Water polishing pads


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

"Clean" and "Safe for the fish" are not always the same thing. 
The water can look really clean and clear to the eye, yet be deadly to the fish. You cannot see things like ammonia and nitrite in the water. You cannot see what the mineral levels are and know they are in the right ranges for the fish and plants. 

Get a good test kit. 
Monitor ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, GH, KH and pH. 
Keep these in the proper range for the fish you want to keep. 
Ammonia and nitrite = 0 ppm
Nitrate ought to be under 20 ppm, but not lower than 5 ppm for a planted tank. The plants need some nitrogen. 
GH, KH and pH depend on the fish. 

Do not use pH altering products. Get the GH and KH right and let the pH do whatever it wants. It will usually be just fine when the mineral levels are good. 

Get to know the tap water. Is it the same year round? Or does the supply change? Does the water company add chlorine or chloramine? Maybe you are on a private well. Get the water (municipal or well water) tested if you have any questions about it, but start by testing with your aquarium test kit. 

Set up a good schedule of water changes. Go by the test results, not some arbitrary schedule that someone else says works for them. A heavily planted tank may not need so many water changes, but a lightly planted tank is almost as bad as no plants. Needs a lot more water changes to keep the nitrates low to keep the fish healthy.


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