Tank Cleaning Gone Very Wrong! (Fresh Water)

[Bigdaddypuff]

Hell guys i was doing my first tank clean today and it went really really bad. The cleaner thing i got took more water out then was needed. And it steered up everything in the tank and now my Water is Green and has poop and everything floating around, all the fish are freaking out. I got about 1/2 of water left in the tank right now i have starting to get some clean water ready for the tank. Is this normal? I am starting to freak out ;/

45-50 Gal Tank

15 fish in it.
All some find of tetra and some Neon's and some Glow fish.
also i have a 1.3 Foot long Pleco in it.

Thanks in advance
~Bigdaddypuff.

 

[fluttermoth]

It's not 'normal', no. It means that you need to clean out more often! Top it up, let it settle and then do another one

 

[redbug]

It's not 'normal', no. It means that you need to clean out more often! Top it up, let it settle and then do another one

I would suggest cleaning half your tank gravel evry week that will help keep the tank healthy in the long run

 

[Bigdaddypuff]

It's not 'normal', no. It means that you need to clean out more often! Top it up, let it settle and then do another one

I would suggest cleaning half your tank gravel evry week that will help keep the tank healthy in the long run

So i just empty out the tank and then take the gravel out and clean it all?

 

[twodoctors]

It's not 'normal', no. It means that you need to clean out more often! Top it up, let it settle and then do another one

I would suggest cleaning half your tank gravel evry week that will help keep the tank healthy in the long run

So i just empty out the tank and then take the gravel out and clean it all?

No. They meant "vacuuming" the gravel. ie disturbing it like you are doing now. The poo and other rubbish will float and the gravel/sand will sink. Whatever that floats will be sucked out by your gravel vacuum/siphon.

Adrian

 

[forest1]

the same thing happend to me you just need to clean the tank more often

 

[guppybreeder1]

i just take out 1/3 of the water out with the gravel pump, and clean the filter

 

[redbug]

What i meant was ti clean half the tank with the gravel vac.
I would continue until the gravel is clean
I just drained about 35 gallons from my 150 tank and am filling it now. then in 4 days i will do another area of the tank

 

[Bigdaddypuff]

So just do a different section every 4 days? That sounds like a way better idea then that i was trying to do, Thanks

 

[Rynofasho]

Not to mention you have a 15" pleco in a small tank. That fish alone will produce a ton of waste and that tank is far too small for it.

 

[Bigdaddypuff]

Not to mention you have a 15" pleco in a small tank. That fish alone will produce a ton of waste and that tank is far too small for it.

right now he swims around in it just fine. BUt he is getting to big for it. And i check my water ever 4 days and the waste levels have been low. Cleaned the tank last night and it went alot better then the first time around.