How To Know When To Clean Your Aquarium

How do I know when to clean my aquarium?

The organisms or the toxins that are going to dictate whether you clean your aquarium are microscopic. They're not visible to the naked eye. Testing is paramount. I tell people to test depending on the type of tank. It could be as often as every week, or it could be every four weeks. You should never have ammonia, never have nitrite, and your ph should be stable, 7-0 to 7-8 freshwater, 8-1 to 8-3 saltwater. The real kicker or the indicator is the nitrate level, typically in freshwater and saltwater fish only. If that starts to climb above 40 parts or 60 parts per million, it's now telling you that your waste levels are climbing up. You're going to start to see more algae growth, and maybe your water is going to get a little yellow or be a little cloudy. You want to get the service done before any of that takes place. Test the water and look at the nitrate as your water change indicator. When it hits about 40 to 60 parts per million, then do your partial water change. The other rule of thumb is that if it's a reef tank, every week do a small water change. If it's saltwater fish, only every two weeks. Do a larger water change, and if it's a freshwater tank do anywhere from 20% to 50% every four weeks. You could do that blind without testing. I don't recommend it, but they usually go hand in hand when all other things are equal.