Q&A for How to Clean Aquarium Decorations

Absolutely. Once you've removed the decorations, spray them down with hydrogen peroxide and leave them in the sun to dry. Then, rinse them thoroughly with water and place them back in the tank.

If you're going to use vinegar, I would recommend mixing half a cup of vinegar into a few cups of water.

Scrub the walls and then do a 50% water change.

Yes. but let it sit out for two days after you are done cleaning to ensure there is no chlorine/chemicals/residue.

Yes, you can, as long as you rinse them in dechlorinated water to remove any dust before putting them in the new tank.

It shouldn't unless you're scrubbing too hard. If you're concerned about this, you can easily remove algae with your fingers.

No, you need to rinse and scrub them in dechlorinated water, and to kill germs, use a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water.

I actually had a snail outbreak in my tank, but decided to leave it after the glass became virtually spotless.

If you rinse and soak with water long enough, the soap will eventually disappear. Use clean sponges and equipment however, because soap can stay longer inside sponges and such.

Yes you do, and you should clean the decorations in the fish tank at least once every month or two.This will keep your tank clean and bacteria-free.

I would recommend waiting for it to dry out. You shouldn't soak it, as then it will absorb chlorine in the water. Just rinse it under hot water, that should be good enough.

Any animal left alone for two years with no food or care will definitely die. Ask your grandparents to feed your fish for you and show them how to keep up with the maintenance of your tank.

It was likely something wrong with your water parameters, not your decoration (though it could have been). Buy a test kit. In addition, a 50% water change is very large. Usually, don't do more than 30% unless you have a heavily stocked aquarium. It is likely that it happened from this. When changing water, always mix new water with purified water like RO/DI.

It would be best to not use rainwater, you just don’t know what might be in it. If you do use rainwater, you should still treat it. Stress guard might be better than a regular dechlorinator for rainwater. In terms of cleaning gravel, use a gravel vacuum. It works to remove any poop or leftover food. Also, agitate the substrate before doing a water change to help keep it clean.

Very gently rubbing the algae off the leaves with your fingers, a toothbrush, or a clean cloth can work for softer algae. If you can remove the Anubias from the tank, diluted hydrogen peroxide can also help soften or kill algae without harming the plant. Add about 1-3ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of water and dip the plant in for a few minutes at most. Then try rubbing the algae off the leaves and thoroughly rinse the plant in unchlorinated water before returning it to the tank. Be sure not to use stronger concentrations of hydrogen peroxide as this could end up harming the plant.

Algal growth on its own is not harmful to your ecosystem or fish. The only reason you would want to replace aquatic decorations is for a chosen visual appeal, however, it is easier to use the steps above to try to remove the growth.