my tanks starting to get dirty please help

i have two pumps in my tank and they are working perfictly fine and the gravel is dirty and my glass is starting to get that way also my decorations are getting dirty any tips.

Well for the gravel, you'll need to get a gravel cleaner that is quite simple to use. You just stick the larger end down into the gravel and the tube end goes into a bucket. By moving the larger end around in the gravel you'll soon suck up any detritus that's buried there. It might seem a bit fiddly to begin with but you'll soon get the hang of it.

As for the tank, I just use an algae sponge and toothbrush to keep the glass and other areas clean. Every couple of months, I also clean out the filter pipes with this nifty double ended wire brush that I got in the LFS.

Mary wrote:

I also clean out the filter pipes with this nifty double ended wire brush that I got in the LFS.

I need one of those, i got a toothbrush stuck inside my spraybar yesterday and it was a PITA to get out. In the end I used my teeth but not a nice thought for how much gunk was in there :face:

I use a bottle top cleaner - not sure of the real name but you know those things you use when you're cleaning the teats of a babies bottle?

Mmmm, I bet Ben didn't want to get too close that night MC :lol:

algae teeth, don't worry, i got the dental floss out

Kelvin, as you may know, unless you have been living on another planet, I have recently bought a new camera!! I have been driving everyone mad with photos of the fish which is ok, but unfortunately the camera shows up all the muck and algae on the glass, which I cant see too much of when I haven't got my glasses on :lol:

I know now I have to do a really thorough tank clean!

I guess the one thing about just having one fish is that it doesnt get too mucky too quick

Deffo gravel vaccum. Is it algae dirt or dirt dirt!

munchycarrot wrote:

I need one of those

Well this brush cleaner is really nifty - it's basically like two bottle brushes of different sizes joined together by a long flexible wire so it fits all different pipe sizes and you can pull it straight through the pipe. Only cost €5 - after the aquarium tongs, it's my second favourite bit of equipment.