How often to wash artificial plants in the aquarium. Artificial plants in the aquarium: all the pros and cons. Washing and cleaning the aquarium in emergency situations - after illness and treatment of fish

A home artificial reservoir is a complex system in which the biological balance is maintained artificially. Cleaning the reservoir is one of the ways to maintain cleanliness and biological balance. If the aquarium with fish is not cleaned correctly, then inside the vessel it may fade. Therefore, the aquarium should be washed, taking into account all the subtleties and requirements, in order to avoid many ailments and maintain the health of the inhabitants. The article will help novice aquarists figure out how to properly clean the aquarium without harming the fish.

Aquarium cleaning is vital for all living organisms inside the reservoir. Pollution appears on all surfaces: soil, bottom, wall, plants and decor, and the filter becomes dirty. Plaque and debris appear as a result of the vital activity of the inhabitants, which excrete feces, the remnants of uneaten food and the active growth of algae. Regardless of size, large and small aquariums equally need washing, if the procedure is regular, then washing the vessel will not be difficult, since strong pollution will not have time to form.

How often should you clean your aquarium

The cleaning of the aquarium should be carried out depending on the rate of plaque formation, which, in turn, directly depends on the density of the population inside the reservoir, as well as on the species of fish. Usually wash the aquarium 1-2 times a week. And also significantly affects the frequency of harvesting the presence and number of living plants. Vegetation well absorbs nitrates and nitrites, as a result of which the need for cleaning the vessel is reduced.

Signs indicating that it is necessary to wash the container:

• Plaque on the surface of plants and decor items.
• A small movement of fish near the substrate contributes to the raising of turbidity.

It should be noted that under such conditions, the water parameters do not change much, so there is no urgent threat to the life of the inhabitants. However, if the water inside the vessel has begun to change its color, cleaning is urgently needed.

How to clean an aquarium

For high-quality cleaning of the vessel from the inside, it should be washed using special equipment.

Necessary tools and accessories to clean the aquarium:

• Glass scraper to remove plaque and algae.
• Soil cleaner -.
• Bucket or bowl.
• net.

The scraper must be selected according to the type and size, relative to the type of aquarium. The most expensive and convenient option is a magnetic scraper that collects dirt by passing along the outside of the wall. The reservoir can be washed with a regular sponge, without impregnation with cleaning agents.

A soil cleaner is required to be able to clean the substrate without removing it from the tank. If a significant or complete change of water is planned inside the vessel, it is necessary to purchase a net for the safety of the fish. The landing net should be selected according to the size of the pet, so as not to damage the delicate fins.

When washing, you can use baking soda as a cleaning agent. Soda is important to rinse thoroughly.

What cleaning products can be used

It is not recommended to use cleaning chemicals to clean the reservoir, as there is a risk of leaving particles of the substance inside the vessel. The remaining agent can cause significant harm to the health and life of the inhabitants. The use of baking soda is allowed, however, this substance is also harmful to pets. After cleaning the aquarium with soda, it must be rinsed with running water several times.

If there is a need to still use strong chemical mixtures, you can use:

• Soap.
• Domestos.
• Comet.

An important rule when using such products is to thoroughly rinse the container with water.

Washing and cleaning a new aquarium

It also needs washing. However, the first time you wash the vessel should not be so thorough. A small container can be rinsed with running water in the bath, where it will be as convenient as possible. It is recommended to rinse the aquarium with not hot water, using a sponge. Too hot water can damage the glass walls of the vessel.

If there is doubt about the cleanliness of the vessel, then baking soda can be used, soap is not recommended, and before starting the vessel, it is necessary to make sure that all cleaning agent particles are washed off. To do this, under strong pressure, the aquarium is rinsed at least 4 times. When cleaning is completed, the aquarium must be rinsed with clean, chlorine-free water. To do this, tap water should be defended for several days.

The purchased substrate also needs to be washed. The soil is washed without the use of chemicals, until the water becomes clear. The new filter also needs to be thoroughly rinsed. All decor items are also washed, but using baking soda.

How to properly clean an aquarium

It is important to clean an aquarium with and without fish, following certain rules, regardless of whether the reservoir is large or small. If the cleaning sequence is violated, it will be difficult to achieve proper cleanliness. Regular cleaning is essential to maintain the natural balance of beneficial and harmful bacteria.

The procedure for cleaning an artificial reservoir:

1. Removal of deposits from algae and bacteria from glass.
2. Cleaning of decorative elements and stones.
3. Thinning out living plants.
4. Removing rotten leaves on plants.
5. Soil siphon, to eliminate waste products.
6. Partial drain of water.
7. Cleaning and washing filters.
8. Filling with clean water.

If the aquarium is not new, then before you start cleaning it is important to turn off all appliances connected to the electricity. Fish, if necessary, can be left in the reservoir, if the procedure is carried out correctly in compliance with all recommendations, the fish will not be harmed.

We clean the walls

Glass is always contaminated and covered with a coating, even with the highest quality content of the inhabitants. Without regular cleaning, the glass becomes cloudy, preventing comfortable observation of fish life.

You can clean the walls without draining the water. For the procedure, use a scraper or sponge. For plastic walls, the use of metal scrapers is prohibited. For tall containers, it is convenient to use a magnetic scraper to thoroughly clean the entire height. However, it is difficult to clean corners and hard-to-reach places with such equipment.

If it is not possible to easily clean the plaque, you can use the blade, but this should be done very carefully so as not to damage the surface. The walls on the outside and the cover of the reservoir can be washed with a sponge and water. On sale there are solutions for washing containers, which can be purchased at specialized points of sale.

Bottom care in an aquarium

To rid the aquarium of turbidity, it is recommended to completely wash out the soil. A siphon with a hose is used to clean the substrate. The device allows you to remove turbidity, let water through, preventing stones from being drawn in. Cleaning is recommended to start from the most contaminated area of ​​the substrate, moving in the process of cleaning to the cleanest areas. It is recommended to use a white basin to drain the water. A light container will allow you to immediately see a small fish that has accidentally fallen into the hose.

Replacing the water in the aquarium

After cleaning the aquarium inside, you can start. The amount of water changed depends on the degree of contamination. As a rule, about 25% of the total amount of water is replaced. The required amount of water for replacement should be drained to clean the soil. Water is drained using a siphon, following the instructions of the device. It is forbidden to use ordinary running water for replacement, it must be defended in advance. It is recommended to pour new water onto a grotto or saucer that was previously placed on the substrate, so that the pressure of water does not immediately fall on the ground and does not damage it.

Filter cleaning

It is not recommended to wash the internal filter together with other elements of the aquarium, as a sharp change in the biological balance can cause significant harm to the inhabitants of the reservoir. Once a month, the filter can be disassembled and washed using a toothbrush.

Cleansing manipulations should be carried out in such a way as not to harm the beneficial bacteria that have settled on it. They should not be washed thoroughly. The filter elements are lightly rinsed in aquarium water. If the filter has a ceramic filler, then it should not be washed more than once a month.

Vegetation processing

If there is living vegetation in an artificial reservoir, then it also requires care and purification. Plants can be cleaned at home, following certain rules:

• Plants do not like transplants.
• Vegetation is processed not at each harvesting manipulation.
• Broken and damaged leaves are cut off.
• Overgrown plants must be removed so that they do not become an obstacle to the free movement of fish.
• Pruning should be done as the bushes grow.
• Overgrown bushes should be thinned out so that they do not interfere with the penetration of light into the container.
• If it is necessary to remove the plant with the root, the manipulation is carried out as carefully as possible in order to prevent turbidity from rising from the substrate.

Helper fish

For additional help in the daily cleaning of the aquarium, you can have fish - orderlies. There are species of fish that feed on unicellular algae, thereby saving the artificial reservoir from excessive sedimentation of plaque. However, these pets are only helpers and begin to eat algae only when they feel hungry.

Useful tips for cleaning in an artificial reservoir:

• How often it is necessary to completely wash the reservoir depends on individual indicators and the speed of its pollution, it is not necessary to perform unnecessary manipulations, interfering in the life of the reservoir. As a rule, the procedure is carried out 1 time in 2 weeks.
• If possible, it is recommended to refuse the use of cleaning products.
• Plant substrates should not be washed.
• If the new aquarium is large, then cleaning should be done on site, and detergents should not be used, as in such conditions there will be a struggle with chemical particles that are difficult to wash off.
• Hydrogen peroxide can be used to wipe down a new aquarium;
• All cleaning equipment must be safe and used for one body of water only.
• It is not recommended to feed the fish a few hours before washing the vessel.

Wash your home aquarium carefully, applying all the recommendations, and then the artificial reservoir will delight with its beauty, and the fish and other pets will be healthy and attractive.

An aquarium in our apartment or office is a small corner of wildlife, the underwater world. He always pleases the eye of the owner and attracts the views of guests.

Natural purity creates the illusion of a short-term immersion in the realm of Neptune. How to make sure that this feeling does not disappear? How to avoid water bloom and green plaque?

Every lover of the underwater world in the room sooner or later had to deal with the problems of cleanliness of the aquarium.

The most frequent problems.

1. Cloudy water. Water loses its transparency and acquires a whitish tint. Most often this happens in a new aquarium that has just been populated with fish. This phenomenon is temporary. The development of a mass of bacteria makes the water opaque. This goes on for two or three days. With proper feeding of fish and optimal temperature conditions, the next stage in the formation of the underwater world begins - the biological balance between unicellular organisms and more highly organized ones. Infusor turbidity disappears.
2. Rotting in the ground. After some time, the soil may be covered with a dark film and periodically release bubbles. There is a rotting of organic residues that fell into the ground initially or with the process of feeding the fish. To prevent this, it is better to underfeed pets than to overfeed. Snails are an additional means of dealing with organic matter in the soil.
3. Water color change to green or brown. This is due to the development of algae in the water: green, blue-green or brown.
4. Formation of plaque on the walls. Plaque is also green or brown.

These two problems are interrelated, often have common causes, the means to eliminate them are also the same. Plaque on the walls is the biggest nuisance in the life of an aquarium.

Brown plaque is caused by the development of brown algae. The reason for its formation is the lack of illumination in the aquarium. As in any living body of water, in our closed underwater world there are all kinds of microorganisms, bacteria and algae.

The imbalance leads to the rapid development of one or another organism. Brown plaque is eliminated by leveling the lighting to normal. Wash the walls, change a little water and add light - and you're done.

The problem with brown algae is solved. Most often this happens due to their replacement with green algae, as more highly organized ones.

The most famous of the school biology course is the green euglena. It is this algae that is the main cause of green water. Plaque is formed by green algae of other species - threads of edogonium and xenococus.

These are the most common green algae that grow on the walls of the aquarium and stones on the ground. It is much more difficult to deal with them, so we will consider all methods.

1. The main reason for the rapid development of green algae is excessive lighting.. Avoid direct sunlight on the aquarium. The distance to the window must be at least 1.5 meters. Choose artificial lighting lamps at the rate of 0.5 W / l with a duration of no more than 8 hours a day. At a higher pH in the aquarium, green algae also grow less intensively.
2. Regular wall cleaning and partial water changes. Take care of your underwater world and you will avoid many problems. Cleaning the walls should be done with a soft sponge, cutting with a blade is an extreme measure. Scratches on the glass make it possible for algae particles to remain and continue to multiply. Water changes should not be more than ¼ of the total.
3. Biological cleaning method. This is the most desirable method. Many types of aquarium fish feed on algae. Almost all viviparous are guppies, swordtails, platies and mollies. Carp, goldfish, veiltails, telescopes also diversify their diet with greens. Experts say that the better aquarium plants grow, the less algae will multiply. A variety of snails will be of great help in cleaning the walls and water. They eat the remnants of the remaining food, some filter the water through themselves, thus feeding on unicellular algae. Ampoules love to gnaw algae off glass. But, as with everything, you need to follow the measure. Daphnia and cyclops can quickly clear the entire volume, but they themselves are tasty prey for fish.
4. Salting water. In this article, we are looking at freshwater aquariums. The sea walls are not overgrown with green algae, there are problems there. If water acidification is not possible due to the content of certain fish species, you can try to add salt to the water, no more than 1 g / l. Salt will delay the development of green algae in the water.
5. Chemical method. Antibiotics are useful in the fight against bacteria and lower algae, if the problem has gone too far and other methods do not help. You can treat the aquarium with Riboflavin, Tripaflavin, Rivanol (0.1 g per 100 l). But when using these substances, snails and some aquarium plants with delicate green leaves suffer. Cabomba and hornwort will shed their leaves immediately after applying these remedies. Streptomycin and Penicillin are less harsh. Plants and fish are not affected. The applied dose of Streptomycin is 0.3 mg/l for 48 hours, then the water should be changed. The safest aquarium disinfectant chemical is 3% hydrogen peroxide. Concentration from 2 to 6 mg/l with enhanced aeration. No water change required.

The easiest way to keep an aquarium clean is to organize it properly from the start.

In a properly organized aquarium, a biological balance is established, and the water in it can not be changed for years.

A few tips on how to start setting up an aquarium.

1. The larger the volume, the easier it is to establish a biocenosis in it. Aquariums from 10 liters are generally considered temporary - for jigging fish for the duration of sanitary work or for spawning. An ideal aquarium is an aquarium with a volume of at least 100 liters. Only in such a water space can life organize itself.
2. The population of the aquarium with fish should be at the rate of 1 medium-sized fish per 5 liters of water, a little more liquid is better. Planting should also be taken into account. Plants absorb the waste products of fish and snails from the water, saturate the water with oxygen, converting carbon dioxide in the process of photosynthesis. But at night, plants themselves consume oxygen, and the process of photosynthesis stops at this time. Therefore, an overabundance of plants can play a cruel joke with an inexperienced aquarist, although this is rare. An excessive number of snails can turn from a squad of cleaners into a crowd of pollutants, it is necessary to thin out their population in a timely manner.
3. It is advisable to purchase fish, plants and snails in specialized stores or from experienced breeders. The risk of introducing an infection from a natural reservoir is too great. This also applies to the infection of the aquarium with euglena in the summer, when it multiplies intensively in ponds and lakes.
4. Feeding the fish should be very moderate. Dry food should be eaten within 10-15 minutes. Preference, of course, fresh live food. For most aquarium fish, it is not particularly difficult to fast for 3-4 days. If you are going to be away from home, do not pour food in advance.
5. Illumination. The aquarium should be set up so that direct sunlight does not fall on it, but the illumination is sufficient. A distance of 1.5 m from the window will be ideal. Solar lighting is best organized in the morning, and the duration of lighting 8-10 hours a day is sufficient. The lack of sunlight can be compensated by artificial lighting.

The established biological balance in the aquarium is characterized by the transparency of the water and the natural greenery of the plants. The color of the correct water, if you take a glass from the aquarium, is yellowish. This is the so-called Fish condition water.

The water became alive, the biocenosis was established. After about a week of operation of the indoor underwater world, this should happen. If not, you need to analyze the errors, but you should not panic. Nature is wise, you just need not interfere with it.

Artificial plants for the aquarium are used as an alternative to living ones. Such algae do not require painstaking care and are durable, and their appearance almost does not differ from living samples. This allows you to significantly save on the purchase of rare and expensive live plants, but at the same time have greenery in your aquarium. For all its merits, artificial algae have certain characteristics, and their safety is partly overgrown with various myths.

Advantages and disadvantages

Before analyzing the pros and cons of artificial aquarium plants, we will find out why flora is needed in an aquarium at all and in what cases it can (or even need to) be replaced with artificial greenery.

Why do you need plants in an aquarium

Living plants and algae in a closed aquarium water system perform 2 main functions:

1. Decorative and aesthetic: they fill the interior space of the aquarium, are used for aquascaping (aquarium design), with their help create picturesque compositions and underwater local "gardens". It is thanks to the flora that the aquarium becomes a real design object in the interior and decorates it.
2. Regulatory: plants create an ecosystem inside a closed water space, regulate the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the water, purify the water from the waste products of fish, and with a soil root system, they also prevent the formation of stagnant zones in the soil.

Did you know?The aquarium is a real miniature ecosystem model, and it is possible to trace the relationship between living organisms and their habitat. The ecosystem consists of abiotic components (temperature, light, etc.) and 3 groups of living organisms: producers (producers - algae and plants), consumers (consumers - fish) and decomposers (destroyers - fungi and bacteria, snails and catfish that process dead organic matter ). Each of the groups of organisms, in interconnection with others, participates in the cycle of substances, maintaining the balance and making the very existence of the ecosystem possible.

Among other things, live plants are not the least important for many inhabitants of the aquarium. So, some fish use algae as food, and in another case, vegetation acts as a substrate for spawning - many fish prefer to lay eggs in dense thickets of aquatic plants.
On the one hand, living plants seem indispensable in an aquarium, but on the other hand, they are not necessary in every case. Partial performance of their functions can be shifted to additional aquarium equipment. And sometimes it happens that living flora is not only not necessary, but also does more harm than good.

In such cases, live plants are replaced by artificial ones. Today they are sold in every pet store, they cost almost the same as the originals, and outwardly they practically do not differ from living flora. Many people cannot even always determine that the vegetation in the aquarium is not real.

Important! Plastic algae can completely replace the entire living flora of the aquarium, but they do not perform the function of producers in the ecosystem. Therefore, the implementation of such tasks as water purification, oxygenation, plant food for fish, will have to be taken over by a person.

Advantages of artificial algae

The main advantages of artificial plants in the aquarium environment include the following:

Did you know? Plastic algae are made from polyamide. This material is used in medicine, for example, to create artificial blood vessels, and food containers for food storage are also made from it. Therefore, it is considered completely safe and environmentally friendly.

Flaws

However, in addition to a large number of advantages, artificial plants also have certain disadvantages:

• there is no desire to take care of living plants, but it is possible to install a powerful filter and aerator;
• in aquariums with unpretentious inhabitants, which are most often active and large fish;
• if you keep fish that love to dig the ground and eat plants;
• in quarantine aquariums.

Important!You can combine artificial and living flora in an aquarium. This will allow you to create any design at your discretion and at the same time provide aquatic inhabitants with living plants with their useful functions.

How to check the quality of artificial algae dye

Since low-quality products can release paint dangerous to aquatic organisms into water, it is recommended to check them for color fastness before use, and, therefore, for the quality of the product itself. It is very simple to do this: just place artificial algae in the Whiteness solution.

"Whiteness" is a bleach based on sodium hypochlorite. In addition to bleaching, this substance also has disinfectant, antiseptic, disinfecting properties. And it is great not only for checking the quality of aquarium decor, but also for disinfecting it.
It must be remembered that "Whiteness" destroys all living microflora - not only pathogenic, but also necessary, it can also kill fish. Therefore, it cannot be used in a populated aquarium. However, sodium hypochlorite is very unstable and decomposes quickly, so a day after use, any decorative elements, even without washing, become safe for aquatic inhabitants.

To check the decor for color quality, you need to do the following:

1. Make a 10% solution. To do this, stir "Whiteness" in clean water in a ratio of 1:9.
2. Calculate the required volume of the solution so that the water completely covers all the decorative elements.
3. Soak all plastic plants in the solution for 15 minutes. If the products are of poor quality, the paint will discolor during this time. If the quality is good, then the color will remain the same.
4. After 15 minutes, if the appearance of the decorations remains the same, place them in a container of warm water for another 15 minutes.
5. After that, thoroughly rinse the products under clean, running warm water.

If you rinse for half an hour, then you can be completely sure of the complete cleaning of algae from "Whiteness". In extreme cases, processed items can be left in the air for at least a day, after which they will again become suitable for placement in an aquarium.

Important!Bleach is suitable not only for the treatment of artificial plants, but also for the disinfection of the aquarium tank itself, all internal appliances and any decor. However, if any elements have a porous structure, then it is necessary to clean them of sodium hypochlorite especially carefully, since the substance clogs into the pores, after which it can get into the water and poison the inhabitants.

DIY artificial plants for an aquarium

Of course, you cannot create exact copies of real plants with your own hands, since this requires special equipment and materials. However, you can make an interesting hand-made, which, although it will not have a direct resemblance to living representatives of the flora, can look interesting in the aquarium space.

For example, you can make algae from green yarn. It swims beautifully in the water, looks fluffy, does not damage the fish and is great for spawning, as the eggs are easily attached between the fibers of the threads.

To create artificial algae, you will need:

• a skein of high-quality green wool yarn;
• a square piece of hard cardboard measuring 20 × 20;
• scissors;
• a small piece of foam as a float;
• medium-sized decorative stone as a weighting agent.

Algae with your own hands is ready. Now it only needs to be submerged in water. Since wool yarn does not sink well, dip it in water and squeeze, squeezing air bubbles out of the thread structure. In this way, the water will penetrate the yarn faster, and it will sink into the water faster. If this is not done, the threads themselves will get wet for a long time.
Such a product can be used both in spawning and in a regular aquarium.

Aquarium Design Rules

In order for artificial plants to look organic in the aquarium, they must be placed taking into account some rules:

1. Equipment disguise. Such products are well suited for hiding equipment that interferes with the natural appearance of the underwater landscape. To do this, it is necessary to use tall and long specimens, placing them next to the devices so that the thick leaves hide the equipment from the eyes.
2. The back wall of the aquarium is best made neutral or dark, then attention will not switch from the plant composition to the background. The color depends on what color the plants will be. If the composition is replete with different colors, then a light, neutral background will look more advantageous, and a dark one will do if the plants are predominantly monochromatic, for example, light green.


3. The soil is also best to choose a neutral shade - light gray or beige. Small pebbles or sand are fine. You can also use soft shells.
4. If the soil is poured in layers with a thickness decreasing backwards, then an impression of perspective can be achieved. Closest to the front wall, a more impressive layer of soil is poured, and towards the back wall, the layer thickness can decrease by 2-3 times.
5. Approximately in the middle of the tank, in its central part, at the bottom, spray stones (aeration stones) can be placed that emit air bubbles. These bubbles will enliven the underwater world, draw attention to the design elements and enrich the aquatic organisms with oxygen.
6. In the center of the aquarium, medium-sized plants, such as the Amazon, are usually placed.
   Ideally, if the height of the plant reaches about 1/3 of the capacity. This algae will be the basis of the composition, so you should pay attention to the choice of plant, its size and color. The tallest plants are best placed at the back, close to the background.
7. To focus on the central plant of the composition, snags, stones, shells should be placed next to it. Using plastic products of a different type (for example, a sunken galleon) is not recommended, as they will destroy the whole organic design. Around this area, you can "plant" small algae and small bushes that will not block the visibility of the central part.


8. Near the front wall, you can leave an empty space or "plant" it with small specimens. It is important that they do not distract attention to themselves and make the rest of the aquarium space visible. More dense thickets may be near the side walls and in the background.
9. To make your aquarium design more interesting, do not use plants of only one type, color and size. But do not try to "shove" into the aquarium all the variety of plastic products that are found in pet stores. It is best to opt for 3 types of plants, 2 of which will be similar in color, and the color of the third will be different. Each species may have its own size.


10. When placing plants, do not strive for geometric accuracy. Try to avoid straight lines, correct quantitative ratios, do not plant products in one row. In nature, there is always a slight negligence.
11. You can also experiment with lighting. Artificial flora does not need bright light; moreover, under too bright and prolonged lighting, the products will begin to fade faster. Therefore, you can limit yourself to only the light that the underwater inhabitant needs, and not all fish need daylight. In addition to brightness, you can also experiment with the color shade of lighting - blue, pink, greenish.

How to clean artificial plants in an aquarium

The aquarium environment contains its own ecosystem, and over time, artificial plants begin to become covered with small-celled algae. Products from this, of course, do not deteriorate, but lose their aesthetic appeal. Therefore, plastic copies must be cleaned periodically. Cleaning can be done in two ways.

Aquarium artificial plants and decorations can be difficult to clean, especially when they are heavily covered with algae. There are several basic recipes for how best to clean them.

Looking ahead, I will say: Never try to clean algae with soap and water or with highly toxic cleaners.

By placing artificial plants in the aquarium, after such cleaning, you can see the rapid death of all your fish. I highly doubt this is what you are looking for.

The aquarium needs to be cleaned regularly. It is desirable to combine these actions.

A well-functioning aquarium is home to beneficial bacteria, and cleaning everything out of the aquarium environment can kill or greatly weaken a colony of these bacteria.

If possible, try to wash your aquarium decorations and plastic plants one at a time, rather than all at once, on the same day.

There are several effective and safe ways to clean aquarium artificial plants.

How to clean artificial aquarium plants?!

With the help of boiling water

Hot water easily kills algae, making your decorations easy to clean. It is best to use this method as it does absolutely no harm to your aquarium fish.

But, he will add some part of the physical work with a scraper.

Recipe for cleaning with boiling water

• We boil water
• Put plants in boiling water
• We are waiting for 10-15 minutes
• We clean the scraper from algae
• Putting it back in the aquarium

It is sometimes acceptable to use a bleach solution as this alone can, in rare cases, help get rid of algae on plants.

However, be aware that bleach can discolor some or all of your plants and cause serious harm to your fish if you don't wash it off completely. To be honest, the discoloration effect can only be seen when cleaning really penny aquarium products.

High-quality plastic aquarium plants are coated with a special varnish that can withstand exposure to bleach.

Never use bleach when cleaning artificial driftwood and corals. Also, do not mix bleach with other substances to create a more vigorous mixture.

Safe bleach cleaning of aquarium plants and decorations

• Mix 1 part bleach and 9 parts clean water. We need a 10% solution.
• Soak the decorations and artificial plants in the solution for 15 minutes.
• After the solution with bleach, place the decorations in plain water for 15 minutes.
• Rinse in running water. Rinse thoroughly.

If possible, use a chlorine neutralizer during the soaking in clean water.

Cleaning silk artificial aquarium plants

First, rinse thoroughly in hot water. Boiling water is not necessary.

After that, you will need to prepare a paste from a mixture of non-iodized salt and lemon juice.

Using a toothbrush, apply the paste to the silk decor and thoroughly clean the algae. When you are sure that you have cleaned all the algae, all that remains is to rinse the product under hot running water.

Get yourself snails in an aquarium, they will eat most of the algae even before all the above operations are required. Mollies are also very helpful in removing algae.