Before getting into the heart of the matter, it is important to remember the need to maintain your aquarium and perform weekly water changes. Indeed, aquarium maintenance is not solely a matter of aesthetics. It is not just about trimming plants because they look unsightly or removing algae from the glass because you cannot see your fish properly. In itself, plants and algae on the glass are absolutely not a problem for your fish, and even less of a danger to their health.

On the other hand, what will be very important in maintaining your aquarium is siphoning the bottom of your aquarium if you have a lot of waste and debris, as well as maintaining your filter and changing the water, which brings new trace elements into the water for your fish and removes some of the nitrates (which are very harmful to your fish). So, if there is one step you should never skip, it is the weekly water change. If you do not have time to give your aquarium a thorough cleaning, that is fine, but at least do your water change.

To maintain your aquarium and perform water changes, you will need a few tools.

The main tools you will need are: a bucket, an aquarium siphon, a scraper or a magnet, a small brush, pliers, a pair of scissors, a small towel, paper towels, and glass cleaner. So, very importantly, before putting your hands in the water, you must always unplug your internal filters and heaters. You will also need to remove the lid or the light hood to access your aquarium and perform the water changes.

Next, the first step is to trim the plants, especially stem plants that have grown excessively. If they have become too large and have grown to more than half their size, they need to be trimmed to make them easier to maintain. Trimming them is very simple: just take one of the stems and cut it exactly at the water's surface. You can keep the top to make new cuttings and/or replant the plants if you wish to give the aquarium a nice shape, for example by creating planted beds.

The second step consists of cleaning the decorations that we can remove from the aquarium to rinse them better under tap water.

This generally includes resin decorations, artificial plants, roots that do not have plants on them, as well as rocks, pebbles, etc.

Next, cleaning the glass.

Having green algae on the glass is a completely normal phenomenon. Every aquarium has some. It is part of the weekly maintenance of every aquarium. For this step, use a scraper or a magnet, depending on your preference.

And finally, the last step: the water change

To change the water in your aquarium, you will need a siphon or simply a hose. You can use a siphon vacuum model if you have one or if you wish; otherwise, a hose may also suffice. And obviously, you will need a bucket to collect the water you siphon out.

So, while you are siphoning the water from your aquarium, take advantage of the opportunity to get close to the bottom to collect the largest pieces of waste.

In freshwater, we will change about 20 to 25% of the water each week. This will depend entirely on the efficiency of your filter, your fish population, and of course, the volume of your aquarium. Adjust according to your nitrates: less in a lightly stocked and well-planted tank, more with goldfish or a heavily stocked tank.

We will also take advantage of this to maintain and clean the filter. Indeed, the filter media, whether biological, sponges, or filter wool, should never be rinsed under tap water, which is far too cold and contains too much chlorine. This would kill the beneficial bacteria. Therefore, always rinse and maintain it in the water you previously siphoned from your aquarium. Once all these operations are completed, we will no longer need the water. You can pour it down the toilet, or if you have plants, you can use it to water them.

All that is left is to fill the aquarium with water that you have drawn 24, 40, or 8 hours in advance and stored in bottles or containers so that it is at room temperature and, above all, so that the chlorine evaporates on its own

And there you have it! Your aquarium is clean.