Aquarium Cleaning Tools for Organic Mulm/Sludge Removal

Aquarium Cleaning Tools for Organic Mulm/Sludge Removal

The regular cleaning of your aquarium which generally includes a vacuuming and discharge of water and replacement of this water is in most cases an essential part of aquarium maintenance.

However often there are times when food gets over fed or organic mulm builds up (sludge, detritus, etc.), and a water change is not a viable option (sometimes in the case of a marine aquarium you do not have mixed saltwater readily available).
This is where tools such as the Eheim Quick Vac is a very useful and practical tool to have on hand.
While this product does not replace water changes not is it as thorough as the Aquarium Cleaning Machine (which can also change out water), it is very quick and simple to use, which neither a water change nor the Aquarium Cleaning machine can boast as to quickness of use/procedure.

Here are a few other reasons to use an Eheim Quick Vac:

• Useful for Freshwater aquariums with high DOC (dissolved organic compounds) where a large water change to remove organic mulm would cause osmotic shock. You can first vacuum with this Eheim Battery Micron Vacuum to remove heavy mulm accumulations, then perform a more "normal" water change (using a gravel vacuum such as Lees or Python)


• For Nitrate removal in marine or freshwater aquariums, vacuum as much mulm/sludge as possible (under ornaments, rocks, etc), then change 20% or more of your water as you would normally. This lowers the amount of organic material before it can go through the nitrogen cycle resulting in lower Nitrates than just performing water changes.


• Cleans gravel without removing essential bacteria


• While not an essential Aquarium maintenance tool, this is still a good investment such as a UV Sterilizer or Reverse Osmosis Water Filter

For further aquarium care information, please see this excellent directory of only the best internet aquatic resources:
Aquarium Information

For further professional based advice as to what to do first when our fish get sick:
Fish Diseases | How to Treat Sick Fish

For our recommended basic bio filter:

AAP/ATI Professional Sponge Filters

For a product that any serious aquarium keeper should be using in between water changes (please note that Amazon and others are selling clearance product that is NOT fresh and therefore does not supply the mineral Cations that makes this product so useful):
AAP Wonder Shells ONLY authorized online seller of full line fresh product
Please support the quickly disappearing professional aquarium industry by purchasing from AAP, not Amazon, Aquarium Co-op or others!