Cleaning Your Aquarium

A Fish’s Home

Healthy, happy fish require clean and safe environment.

Let’s make a dry subject silly by taking a pop quiz!

Before you clean your fish tank:

True or False

1. You should take your fish out of the aquarium every time you clean it.
2. Depending on how many fish you have and how messy they are, you should clean your tank about once every two weeks.
3. It is possible to add too many fish to an aquarium.
4. If you do take your fish out of the tank to clean it, you can let them back in right away.
5. Buying an aquarium water test kit can help you navigate how the water in your aquarium is doing.

As you clean your fish tank:

Multiple Choice

1. What are some reasons a fish tank can get dirty very fast?

     a.  Too much food

     b. Lack of sunlight

     c. Too many fish

     d. All of the above

2. The first thing to do when thinking about cleaning your aquarium is?

     a. Stick your hand in and pull out the biggest particle of food.

     b. Dip a soup spoon in and take out floating particles.

     c. Not worry about it and just snap photos for your Instagram feed.

     d. Test the water quality.

3. The second thing to do when cleaning an aquarium is:

     a. Wipe the outside with a clean cloth.

     b. Scrub the tank with an algae scraper.

     c. Scrub the tank with any kind of sharp object.

     d. Take a sponge and use your arm strength to really get at the algae.

1. If you keep live aquarium plants, make sure to:

     a. Prune them. Remove any dead leaves and trim overgrown foliage.

     b. Let them grow to their full, healthy potential.

     c. Remember what they’re called.

     d. Match them with the color of your fish.

1. Before removing any water from the aquarium:

     a. Dip your finger in to feel how warm it is.

     b. Grab a bucket.

     c. Unplug and turn off all equipment so it doesn’t get damaged by running without water.

     d. Take a measuring cup and take it out of the tank one full cup at a time.

Fill in the blanks:

Vacuum the substrate. Move decorations since ___________ tends to collect underneath them. Clean the filter at least _________ a month. Refill the tank with fresh, clean ___________ that matches the temperature of the existing aquarium _____. Turn on the heater and __________. Clean the lid, light, aquarium stand and outside glass of your aquarium. With regular care, your aquarium will be beautiful all the time.

ANSWERS

True or False Answers:

1. F
2. T
3. T
4. F
5. T

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. D
2. D
3. B
4. A
5. C

Fill in the blank answers:

Debris

Once

Water

Water

Filter

How did you do?

If you answered under 5 correctly you: Deserve an E for Effort. But you might want to talk to your pet store specialist for help.

If you answered under 10 correctly you: Know your stuff! You sure you’re a beginner? Still, might want to brush up on the specifics.

If you answered 15 or below correctly you: Aced it! You’re ready to dig into the nitty gritty of things like water temperatures and methods for cleaning the filter properly. 

It’s not all fun and games to your fish …

Games aside, all of this stuff is vitally important to your fish. But if you’re willing to educate yourself and have a little patience with all of this, you’re well on your way to giving yourself a lot of enjoyment and your fish a happy and safe home.

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