How to change the water in an aquarium?

How to change the water in an aquarium? To maintain your aquarium, it is essential to change its water every week. Otherwise, pollution risks destroying its ecosystem and this will affect the quality of life of your fish. Indeed, the accumulation of organic waste can harm their health, hence the need to regularly renew the water either partially or totally. But, how to proceed? The answer in this complete guide!

4 steps to changing the water in an aquarium

An aquarium contains a complex biotope where plants, animals and micro-organisms live. Their aquatic environment must remain balanced to provide all the nutrients necessary for their survival.

And precisely, the water loaded with oxygen allows plants, fish and bacteria to develop. This is why it must keep a stable level of acidity and hardness (PH 7 and KH 7). The amount of clean water added each week guarantees this stability. Let's zoom in on the 4 steps required to change the water in an aquarium.

Step 1: Gather the right tools to renew the aquarium water

Before you remove some of the dirty water from your jar, gather the following accessories:

• A 20 liter container;
• A landing net;
• A vacuum cleaner with siphon and a hose;
• A small soft brush;
• A clean aquarium filter;
• A magnet to clean the walls of the aquarium;
• A pair of scissors ;
• Tap water without chlorine;
• A towel.

Step 2: remove dirty water from the aquarium

At the rate of once a week, it is necessary to renew 10% to 20% of the volume of water. Remember to unplug the electrical outlets and remove the aquarium cover. With the landing net, collect the large waste from the plants that you have cut with the scissors. Then use a vacuum cleaner with a hose to dump the dirty water into a sink or large tub. The vacuum cleaner is also used to siphon off all the detritus located at the bottom of the water. If your filters are very dirty, rinse them with the water collected in the tank.

Step 3: completely drain your aquarium (only if necessary)

If you notice that your aquarium remains dirty despite a partial drain, opt for a complete drain. To do this, here are the steps to follow:

• Fill a tank with water taken from the aquarium;
• Put your fish in the water in the tank using the landing net;
• Then completely empty your vivarium in a sink using the vacuum cleaner;
• Clean the inside walls of the aquarium with a magnet and a cloth soaked in white vinegar;
• Take out all the elements of the decor to rub them with a brush;
• Rinse the rocks and roots with clear water in a bucket;
• Remove the waste that remains stuck to the bottom of the tank before putting the decoration back on.

Step 4: fill your aquarium

We've almost finished our guide! The final step is to add water to the aquarium to top it up.

For this, use tap water deposited the day before in a container (open container). Thus, you leave the chlorine all the time necessary to evaporate naturally (about 24 hours at room temperature). Fill your aquarium using the vacuum and hose. Finally, put the fish back in the aquarium with the water from the tank.

Changing the water in an aquarium: what to remember!

Aquarists know that maintaining their vivariums is not just a matter of aesthetics. The cleaning of all its components is essential to the balance of their scaled companions. It is for this reason that the renewal of water is a vital operation. So be careful when changing the water in your aquarium!

And for additional information on maintaining an aquarium, we strongly advise you to consult the other articles of our blog.