[labloverl]

So just how spotless does everyone keep their tank??

I do the weekly water changes and vaccum the gravel. What about the algae and **** that forms on the filter box? What about the stuff that's left on the glass when the water level drops? What if the tank smells "fishy?"

 

[vilmarisv]

I basically remove 50% of the water I'm siphoning the bottom and scub the glass with a filter sponge. I rinse anything I want to rinse (filter sponges, decorations, heater, etc.) in the old water and place back in the tank. Then I finish siphoning the tank of any gunk that has fallen back on the gravel and refill with new water.
This deeper cleaning I usually do once a month. In between I just do small water changes.

 

[Bombalurina]

I do a 35ish% change on Odysseus's 5 gallon once a week with a gravel vacuum.
The shrimp tank (3 gallons) gets a 50% change about once a month.
The overstocked but heavily planted and overfiltered sorority (16ish gallons) gets twice weekly changes, one of 25% and one of 33%. I vacuum the sand both times, and sometimes do a bit of gravel-poking. I disturb the sand once a week.

If I see algae, I wipe it off. I tend to rinse my filter sponges once a month, sometimes less (mostly because I forget). I don't really get residue on the glass from evaporation, just duckweed, which I wipe off. My tanks never smell fishy, so I haven't had that problem. Except when I break them down to rearrange them. Good grief, what stink.

 

[JBosley]

I do a 50% change once a week and a 100% change every other week. Use a turkey baster to stir up the substrate and grab any floaties ;-) and rinse the gravel with hot water when I do a 100% change. Rinse all plants and decorations during the 100% change, sometimes during the 50% change! And use a sponge to wipe things off the sides of the tank. I love everything looking nice and clean! :-D

 

[labloverl]

Ok, well I was told for my 10 gallon to only do a 50% change once a week because it is cycled. Is that correct? I guess I need to do some wiping next time.