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!

Aquarium Cleaning Tips

Aquarium Cleaning Machine Tips;

The Aquarium Cleaning Machine is an aquarium cleaning device which is similar to the Vortex filters that were popular a few decades back (& a still used by some), utilizes fine micron filtration (30 microns) with carbon (although it does not need to be used), a powerful motor, and a vacuum bell.
Although I have used a few similar ideas, including rigging some ideas of my own, none have been as effective while at the same time being so extremely simple.
Many popular aquarium cleaning devices such as the Python or even a home made version using Lees aquarium vacuum parts and your own hose are still often practical, however these cannot polish the water in the way this machine can.
This makes the Aquarium Cleaning Machine effective for nitrate control, a more staple pH/KH (by removal of mulm that produces acids, thus destabilizing pH and using KH), and even lowering of Ich Tomites by filtering out many of these Tomites in the micron filter

Combined with other aquarium maintenance procedures and the use of a UV Sterilizer (make sure you change the UV Bulbs in your sterilizer every six months for best results), this aquarium cleaning device can one more tool in keeping a healthy/thriving aquarium

I use this aquarium cleaning device as another tool for proper aquatic husbandry, not as a cure all or magic bullet. I still change 20% + water, the difference is I will use this machine to vacuum and while doing so drain water into a toilet or into the yard (FW). Then after I have changed the desired amount of water, I will then switch the cleaning machine to re-circulate (polish water similar to older Vortex Filters) and continue to clean ALL the mulm and debris that will add to high nitrates if left during a normal cleaning. Please click on the picture to the above/left for a larger view of how I connect a garden hose for easy switching between water changes and then further water polishing
After this I clean the micron cartridge with a bleach solution and I am ready for the next time. All this without the wasted water of Pythons and a vastly cleaner aquarium without the stress to fish of 80% water changes (due to the change in chemistry and other parameters bring) to remove all the mulm.

In freshwater tanks with sand or marine tanks with fine oolite sized aragonite deep sand beds I only thoroughly vacuum the top 1/2" so as to not "aerate" the de-nitrifying bacteria in the sand bed, with occasional “deep” vacuum bell penetrations to prevent mulm buildup or sulfur reducing bacteria buildup.

In these tanks with sand, I will also set the flow valve VERY slow to make it easier to vacuum in sand without pickup by the machine. Once finished in the sandy areas or simply running the machine to polish the water after completion of vacuuming, I generally will turn the valve to a higher flow rate again.

Please see this article for more: "Aquarium Cleaning".