How often should I clean my Betta’s 3.5 gal (U.S.) tank?
My son was gifted with a beautiful scarlet betta for his 2nd birthday, and I know that these fish can live from 3-6 years if cared for properly. So I want to make sure that I’m doing it right. I found alot of info on websites, but not any about how often my tank should be cleaned. After we recieved the fish (in a totally unacceptable glass cube the size of my fist) I read up on them and bought him a new 3.5 gal tank w/ a heater, thermometer and filter. I used smooth natural pebbles for substrate and put in a few long, leafy silk plants. I bought the betta pellets and the bloodworms and I’ve been making sure that his tank is a comfortable 80 degrees Farenheit. So, do any of you know how often I should clean the tank? Any other suggestions are also welcome.
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well you should do water changes (almost like cleaning the tnak) every week so new water can come in and keep the bacteria growing. i clean my betta in a 2.5 gal every 2 weeks but do water changes twice a week since its a little tank, i clean my female bettas tank out every 3 weeks. she’s in a 10 gal tank with other fish. i do weekly water changes because 1. helps bacteria 2. gets some ammonia and nitites out.
hoped i helped,
cleaning the tank out is very simple. at walmart they’ve got these siphon tubes with a pump so its so much easier to clean the gravel out. just don’t take your gravel out wash it put it back in cause thats were the bacteria live…just pump an inch or two of water out in a bucket (ice cream 1 gal containers work) and add more water conditioned of corse, make sure the water is a degree or two off…make it seem sorta luke warmish. thats a water change. cleaning the tank- do the same thing except put the vacuum in the gravel and pump out the dirt….if you have live plants, don’t go near them since they need the dirt. then just add more water.
also HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUR SON!!!
You should change about 10 to 20 % of the water every week and clean it every month
here are some tips on how to clean it
Make sure you have everything you need! Run through your checklist, and make sure everything you need is within reach.
Decide how much water you are going to change. If you are on a regular schedule and if your fish are healthy 10-20% should be enough
Start the siphon and direct the water into a 5-gallon pail. You may need a larger bucket if you have a large aquarium.
Push the gravel vacuum through your gravel. Fish waste, excess food, and other debris will be sucked out through the vacuum.
If you have a sand substrate, do not use the vacuum like a shovel. Use just the hose part of the siphon, not the plastic tube, holding it under an inch from the surface to suck up waste without disturbing your sand.
If your decorations are covered in algae, you may want to feed your fish less or change the water more frequently. Excess algae growth is caused by excess nutrients in the water. You can wipe the decorations off in the tank water you siphoned out, and use an algae scrubber to remove algae from the walls of the tank.
Don’t change the filter cartridge unless it is falling apart. The filter is where a lot of the beneficial bacteria in your tank lives, and replacing the cartridge will kill the bacteria and cause toxins to build up in your tank. Instead, you can rinse it in the old tank water to clean it off every once in a while.
Replace the water you took out with fresh, treated water at the temp of the aquarium.
Any cloudiness that remains will normally dissipate in a few hours, leaving the water sparkling clear
good luck
Once per week remove 25% of the water.
Fill a 1 gallon container and treat it with the proper amount of conditioner.
Have another container that holds a couple of gallons for taking out the water.
They sell very slim vacuum hoses that are perfect for a tank this size. You just syphon out the water while vacuuming the gravel. Fine gravel is better than coarse gravel because waste is less likely to sink in where it will collect and rot. I go with sand because everything uncollected by the filter just sits on top and I just suck it all out during the water change. Sand makes for the cleanest tanks. I used hermit crab sand for my betta in his 3 gal before I got the 10 gallon (in that I use home depot play sand).
If you do this each week the tank will remain clean and fresh and never need to be totally cleaned, which is really best avoided. If you’re bored and feel like doing something for the fish in between – do a small water change. Despite some myths floating around, partial water changes only have positive impact on the tank and fish and you can’t, within reason, do too many.
Don’t feed the fish too much. about 3 pellets or or blood worms each day is enough to keep him healthy. If you go away for the long weekend, don’t feed the fish at all – it’s better for him then the alternatives.
My last betta lived to almost six years old (in a 15 gallon community tank) and this is how I do things