Fish Care

HG wrote,

I have a black betta fish that is living in a feng shui glass container
with bamboo and rocks. How would I go about cleaning the glass
container?

A: I’m not really well versed in feng shui but I can tell you that spring is good time for cleaning house and bringing in positive energy and it’s a great time to set up an aquarium or do an overhaul on an existing aquarium. For me personally, I do some pruning of my aquatic plants, buy new varieties and go to town aquascaping. It’s also a good time to take apart filters for a good cleaning. Don’t forget those impeller blades and always be sure the system is unplugged before disassembling.

Aquarium glass is easier to clean than acrylic and can be scraped clean with an algae scraper from your local fish store or a razor blade, which I find to be most effective. Fully cycled tanks shouldn’t be completely broken down as you may loose your biological filtration. Instead, just do a good

gravel siphoning and clean the algae from the glass. A larger 50% to 75% water change may help get your nitrates back on track if they have been slowly creeping up over the winter. You can feng shui your aquarium gravel with a change in color or pebble size but don’t remove all of the old substrate as it holds lots of beneficial bacteria. Acrylic aquariums can be cleaned with a plastic scraper or aquarium cleaning sponge but do be mindful of scratching.

An small uncycled tank can be completely cleaned since nitrifying bacteria haven’t had the chance to establish themselves. You can rinse gravel in hot water and wash out the tank using a 10:1 water/bleach solution. Hand or dish soap can leave a residue that is toxic to fish and plants. Never use household cleansers in the tank. After cleaning with bleach rinse extremely well. When you think you’re finished rinsing… rinse a few more times. Allow the tank to dry completely before refilling with water and add a little dechlorinator for good measure if you weren’t already. Commercial window cleaner can usually be used safely on the exterior tank glass but a better alternative is a 50/50 water/vinegar solution. Vinegar is better for the environment as a whole and is less likely to harm fish if a little sprits gets near the water. It’s also safer for you, your children and your pets.

Aquarium Spring Cleaning ideas:

– Vacuum or wash aquarium gravel
– Scrape clean aquarium glass
– Disassemble and clean filters
– Replace warn air stones and tubing
– Replace all fluorescent bulbs
– Prune old aquarium plants
– Order new aquarium plants. I like Aquariumplants.com
– Change around décor
– Wash exterior tank windows with vinegar
– Test your aquarium’s water parameters
– Test your tap water’s parameters (It usually changes in the spring)

From a feng shui standpoint, water and fish increase chi in the home and bring good lucky when placed properly. They are often used to stimulate an influx of money and general wealth and are believed to lead to financial success. A single black fish in an aquarium is said to absorb negative energy and keep it away from the occupants of the home. Often many colorful fish (usually gold or orange) are kept along with the black one. This, of course, is only lucky for the fish if they are compatible and in a large enough aquarium. 😉

Good luck with your Betta and may you enjoy the rewards of a clean tank and good energy.