Best Way to Clean a Nature Aquarium

Nature aquariums are beautiful centerpieces for a home or office. Visually stunning and teeming with life, these living displays need cleaning and upkeep to maintain their appearance.

Knowing exactly how to clean a planted tank can make the task less daunting. Below are some useful aquarium cleaning tips specifically for nature aquariums, covering the equipment you need and tips for maintaining your aquarium long-term. 

Balancing Your Nature Aquarium Ecosystem

The ecosystem of an aquarium relies on balance. Small, seemingly inconsequential changes can cause a ripple effect that leads to algae blooms and water quality issues.

When we talk about balance in a nature aquarium, we're talking about having harmony between the plants, fish and beneficial bacteria that inhabit your aquarium. Each has an important role to play in keeping your aquarium healthy. Having too many or not enough of any of these lifeforms can affect the stability, health and appearance of your ecosystem. 

The Role of Beneficial Bacteria

Bacteria are the powerhouse of the aquarium. Just like plants, these beneficial microorganisms help break down the waste products produced by fish, such as nitrite and ammonia, in what's known as the aquarium cycle. 

The purpose of this process is to keep your ecosystem healthy for the various organisms living in your nature aquarium. 

Biofilm and Algae

While algae can be an eyesore, it can help your aquarium stay healthy, as long as it's kept in check. Too much algae can block vital light and steal nutrients from your plants, creating an imbalance that can take time to fix. A small amount of algae, though, can break down some waste compounds that your plants can't. 

Biofilms can also look scary. Often appearing on botanicals that have recently been added to the ecosystem, biofilm is actually a good sign. They don't harm your aquarium, and while they may grow rapidly over a short period of time, biofilms tend to go away after a while. You can also add snails and shrimp, which will happily feast on the stuff. 

Essential Aquarium Cleaning Tools

You want your aquarium to be healthy and as self-sufficient as possible, but that doesn't mean it won't still need to be cleaned. The best tools for aquarium maintenance can help you get the job done:

• Gravel vacuum: A gravel vacuum cleans the solid waste that accumulates at the bottom of your aquarium. Every few months, move any decor around to clean the waste that accumulates underneath. 
• Soft sponge or cloth: A soft sponge or aquarium cloth will greatly help maintain your aquarium by removing marks and streaks from the glass.

• Algae scraper: Used to remove any particularly stubborn algae from inside the glass on your tank, a good algae scraper is key.
• Aquarium-safe bucket: Any aquarist will tell you that a bucket is essential for aquarium maintenance and water changes. Having multiple buckets on hand makes cleaning your planted tank much easier.
• Scissors and tweezers: Use your tweezers to add and relocate plants and remove debris, while you can use scissors to prune dead leaves and overgrown plants. Curved-bladed scissors are particularly useful, as they make it easier to prune shorter foreground plants.

Step-by-Step Cleaning Process

With the right knowledge, figuring out how to clean your nature aquarium is relatively straightforward, but it's important you get it right if you want your aquarium to stay healthy and look great. A full aquarium cleaning process includes:

1. Preparation

Your first step is to gather any tools and materials you may need. Remember to unplug any electrical equipment such as your tank's lights, filters and heaters. You may also want a few towels and some cleaning supplies to clean the workspace after you finish.

2. Clean the Glass

Your first cleaning task should be to clean the glass — it will likely cloud the water, so you don't want to leave this task until last. Starting with the algae scraper, gently remove the algae from the glass. Take this opportunity to look around all sides of the tank to check for any problems.

3. Rinse the Filter

When cleaning your filter or anything else in your aquarium, it's important to avoid using fresh tap water because it often includes chlorine, which can kill the bacteria and organisms in your tank. Use a container of used aquarium water to rinse the filter sponge. For hang-on-back (HOB) filters, inspect inside the housing for excess algae growth and replace filter floss if necessary. For sponge filters, ensure the internal components, air stone and tubing are free of blockages.

3. Vacuum the Substrate

Next, use your gravel vacuum to clean the substrate. Gently vacuum around any fish, taking care not to disturb any plant roots as you do so. For tanks with small fry or juvenile shrimp, you can attach fine mesh to the end of the vacuum to avoid sucking them up. 

For sand substrates, run the vacuum lightly over the surface. If you have gravel, you can often insert it into the substrate to remove waste that's fallen through the cracks. You may want to only vacuum a portion of the substrate during each cleaning to preserve the beneficial bacteria levels in your nature aquarium.

4. Trim Plants

If your plants are growing a little too well, trim them using scissors. Then, use tweezers to carefully remove any leaves and other debris. 

5. Change the Water

Water changes are an essential component of aquarium maintenance because the aquarium can have buildup of nitrates, imbalance of minerals, and buildup of chemicals or hormones from fish and plants that could lead to poor water condition or growth of the aquarium plants and fish.

How much water you need to change will depend on the size of your tank, how regularly you clean it and what's living in it. It's often best to first add the fresh water to a bucket, treat it for chlorine and heavy metals and allow it to reach the same temperature as the tank before adding it to the aquarium. You may also want to add water treatments to clear the water or reintroduce important bacteria.

Cleaning Frequency and Schedule

How frequently you clean your nature aquarium will depend on factors such as the size of your tank, how many fish and plants you have and the feeding habits of your fish. 

A typical weekly planted tank cleaning schedule might look like:

• Wiping and scraping glass.
• Changing 20-25% of the water in the aquarium.
• Vacuuming 25% of the substrate. 
• Clean filtration as suggested by the label.

It's important to be flexible in your cleaning schedule when necessary. By being flexible, you can nip problems in the bud before they snowball. For example, if you notice algae is quickly covering the glass, scraping more regularly and adjusting your lighting schedule could quickly resolve this issue, helping the algae growth settle again.

Tips for Maintaining a Clean and Healthy Nature Aquarium

There's no escaping the need to clean your aquarium. If you give your nature aquarium the best conditions to thrive in, though, it can help maintain your aquarium and possibly minimize how often you need to carry out your cleaning tasks.

For optimal conditions, your tank should have:

• Proper lighting: To avoid algae while giving your plants adequate light to grow, place your tank out of direct sunlight. Use a lighting system specifically designed for aquariums.
• Balanced fertilization: Learn to spot the signs that your aquarium is lacking in certain nutrients, and then use the necessary fertilizers to rebalance it. 
• Appropriate stocking and feeding: Avoid overstocking your aquarium with fish or overfeeding, as doing so can result in an abundance of waste.
• Regular water testing: Test your water regularly to ensure it's within healthy parameters. If you notice elevated ammonia, nitrite or nitrate, take appropriate action to protect your fish.
• Add a cleaning crew: Cleanup crews like shrimp and snails can be great helpers in managing excess food, biofilm and algae.

The Best Cleaning Equipment for Nature Aquariums

As the only official U.S.-based distributor of Aqua Design Amano, AFA's products are of the highest quality. Visit our online store for the best aquarium cleaning tools, equipment, plants, livestock and decor. We have everything you need to keep your natural aquarium looking its best.