Crayfishes are very dirty creatures. If you want to keep them, you’ll have to know how to clean and maintain a crayfish tank. Otherwise, your crayfish tank will just look like a pile of garbage!
In this article, I am going to show you step by step how to clean a crayfish tank. I’ll also answer some of the frequently asked questions you might have regarding cleaning a crayfish tank.
So, without further ado, let’s get started!
Things You’ll Need
- Siphon Pump
- Bucket
- Algae Scraper
- Toothbrush
- Water Conditioner
Steps For Cleaning A Crayfish Tank
For your convenience, I’ll divide the cleaning process into several parts. It’ll help you understand everything better.
Cleaning The Glass
Here are the steps to clean the glass of your crayfish tank:
- First take an algae scraper. If you don’t have an algae scraper, an old credit card would do. Now use the scraper to remove all the debris, algae, etc. from the glass.
- Hold the scraper at an angle and then scrape off the glass.
- If the crayfish tank is made of acrylic, then don’t use an algae scraper. It can leave scratch marks on the tank. In case of acrylic tanks, use an old credit card.
- Take a toothbrush and brush the corners of the tank. The corners are hard to clean with an algae scraper. The toothbrush works brilliantly to clean these corners.
- If you don’t want to wet your hands, you can also use a magnetic cleaner. However, it might not be quite as effective as an algae scraper.
Cleaning The Decors
Now it’s time to clean the decors. This is quite easy.
You don’t need to take out the decors from the tank. It is quite unnecessary. Just take your toothbrush and brush off the surface of the decors. It will clean any type of debris, algae, etc. from the surface.
I like a little bit of algae on the surface. It feels like more natural than a squeaky clean décor. Just my personal opinion!
Cleaning Filter
I would be very careful while cleaning the water. I don’t recommend cleaning the biological filter media as you might kill all the beneficial bacterial colony. It is very dangerous and can be detrimental for the health of your crayfish.
If you are using any filter floss for mechanical filtration, then just change it with a new one. This would be good enough for maintenance of the filter.
Also, if the inlet/outlet pipe of the filter gets blocked with dirt and debris, clean it with your toothbrush. Or, you can take a tweezer, wrap some filter floss around it and then clean the pipes with the filter floss wrapped tweezer.
This is a quick DIY tip that will help you out a lot!
Changing Water
Now comes the most important part. Even if you don’t clean the glass or decors, it won’t cause any problem to your crayfish. However, if you don’t change water weekly, it will harm your crayfish. So, even if you don’t want to clean the glass or decors, just change the water.
I recommend using a siphon pump like this one to change water. It makes everything a whole lot easier. With this siphon pump, you can drain as well as fill in the tank with water.
When removing the water, make sure to siphon the sand. The sand will entrap all the crayfish waste, uneaten foods as well as other organic matters. That’s why it is very important to siphon the sand properly.
I recommend changing at least 40% water on a weekly basis. Some people change water once every two weeks. That’s okay. But I prefer to change water every week as this way the tank remains much cleaner.
How Often Should You Clean A Crayfish Tank?
It depends on what level of cleaning you are talking about.
- For water change, I like to stick with a weekly schedule. As I’ve said earlier, I like to change about 40% of the old water once every week. I think this provides the best result for a crayfish tank. If you don’t have the time, changing 50-70% water once every two weeks is also okay. But that’s not the most optimum option.
- For cleaning the decors, once a month is okay. It actually depends on the condition of your tank. If the decors get too dirty, clean them off regularly. If the don’t get that dirty, you can clean them with a more flexible schedule. Same goes for the tank glass.
- Change the filter floss of the filter every week after you do your water change. If it doesn’t get too dirty, you can change it after every 2 weeks too.
How Do You Clean Algae Off The Side Of A Crayfish Tank?
You can easily clean algae off the side of a crayfish tank by using an algae scraper. If the tank is made of acrylic, then it’ll be wiser to use an old credit card as the blade of the algae scraper can leave scratch marks on the acrylic.
Just hold the scraper at an angle and scrape off the glass. You’ll see the algae as well as all other debris, white marks, etc. will get cleaned off easily. In case of an acrylic tank, just use an old credit card.
What Is The Best Way To Clean Rocks?
According to my personal opinion, the best way to clean rocks is by brushing them with a toothbrush. It is easy, effective and you don’t need to spend any money.
Remember to brush the rocks as well as other decors before the water change. It is very important. If you brush them after the water change, then all the debris will just float around the water and get attached to something else.
Many hobbyists like to take out all the rocks & decors and then clean them under running water. I don’t recommend it as it can kill all the beneficial bacteria living on the surface of the rock. Taking out all the rocks & decors can also stress out your crayfish.
Final Words
So, this is how I like to clean my crayfish tank. The cleaning shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes. You should at least spend 20 minutes for your crayfish every week to make sure it lives in a healthy and clean tank!
