How to clean the bottom of an aquarium without a vacuum cleaner?

How to clean the bottom of an aquarium without a vacuum cleaner? Even if you renew the water in your aquarium regularly, sometimes the bottom remains dirty. The substrate consisting of sand and rocks must be stirred to remove its waste. Otherwise, the organic matter that accumulates there can poison your fish.

With a vacuum cleaner, the evacuation of rubbish is an easy operation to carry out. But, what if you do not have this electrical device. How to clean the bottom of an aquarium without a vacuum cleaner?

3 ways to clean the bottom of your aquarium without a vacuum cleaner

Even if you don't have a vacuum cleaner handy, you can clean the bottom of your vivarium without difficulty. Three simple tricks allow you to obtain the same result as with an electric siphon.

1. Use a flexible hose;
2. Completely empty the tank to easily access the bottom;
3. Add animal species known to clean aquariums.

Let’s zoom in on these three techniques in detail.

How to clean the bottom of an aquarium with a hose?

Before starting this operation, equip yourself with a flexible garden hose, a hose clamp, an empty plastic bottle and a large bucket. Then do the following:

• Cut the plastic bottle 10 centimeters from the end to make a bell;
• Insert the neck of the bell at the end of the pipe (use a clamping ring to properly adjust the diameters of the two elements);
• Place the free end of the hose in the bucket located lower than the aquarium;
• Immerse the bell facing upwards in the aquarium water;
• Turn the bell to the bottom, once the pipe has filled with water;
• Stir the substrate with the bell which sucks up the detritus, avoiding the pebbles;
• Take the bell out of the aquarium to stop siphoning;
• Top up the aquarium using an aged, chlorine-free bottle of tap water.

How to completely empty the aquarium to wash the bottom?

The complete draining of your vivarium can be done with a garden hose. This allows you easy access to the tank substrate. To do this, equip yourself with a landing net, a bucket, a garden hose, two or three cans and a soft brush. The cans will allow you to transfer the water from the aquarium.

For this method, do the following:

• Immerse one end of the tubing, pointing upwards, into the aquarium;
• Place the other end of the hose in a container placed on the ground, lower than the vivarium;
• Return the end of the hose immersed in the aquarium towards the bottom;
• Color the water in the bucket;
• Take the hose out of the aquarium to stop the water flow;
• Place your fish in the bucket filled with water;
• Continue emptying the tank;
• Fill the cans with the water that pours out;
• Collect the stones, rocks and roots to rinse them in a container with clear water;
• Put the decor back in place;
• Fill the tank gently with the water canisters;
• Gently incorporate the fish into the aquarium.

Which cleaner fish to choose to clean the bottom of the aquarium?

The third solution which makes it possible to purify the bottom of the aquarium is based on the action of the fish-cleaners. Among the most effective are catfish, which feed on waste deposited on the ground. They live at the bottom of the vivarium and eliminate detritus from the smallest corners of the aquarium. Some molluscs such as shrimp are also very popular with aquarists. Their action in the sand eliminates any detritus and makes the electric vacuum cleaner unnecessary.

Cleaning the bottom of an aquarium without a vacuum cleaner: the final word!

Now you know how to purify the substrate of your aquarium without using a vacuum cleaner! The three tips offered to you are simple, ecological and economical. You will only need a few utensils to perform these water-saving methods. So, do not hesitate to test the three in order to retain the one that seems most appropriate to you.

And to learn more about maintaining your aquarium ecologically, visit our blog for more tips and tricks!