Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2011 6:35:23 GMT -5
Deep Cleans
[/u]What are they? Why do we do them? How are they done?[/center]
What is a "Deep Clean"?
A deep clean is when you replace or clean everything in your tank. Generally done no more than once every six a months. However, smaller tanks will need to be deep cleaned more often than larger tanks.
Why do we deep clean?
When we perform a deep clean: we are killing any bacteria that may have started to grow in our tanks; we are removing any left over food and waste we've missed during our daily cleaning routines; we are redecorating; we are giving our keeping our crabs from getting bored with the same ol' thing.
How are they done?
Different people prepare for their deep cleans in different ways. There is no right or wrong way to do them.
I will give you details on how I prepare and preform my deep cleans in hopes that it will help you figure out the best way for you to get through your next deep clean.
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Preparing
When it comes the time of year that I start thinking about deep cleaning my 55 gallon, I have to start planning it out.
Where do I put my crabs?
Time to dig out that ISO. Start setting it up to hold proper humidity and temperature. Give the crabs plenty to climb on and hide in. Make sure there's space for food and water. Move the crabs over.
The way I move my crabs over is I just pick them up any on the surface and put them in. But, what about those molters? If you keep track of your crabs, you can wait for any molters to come up. If you don't think you have any or if you think you have lost those crabs that have disappeared on you, it'll be okay to carefully dig through the substrate.
**Always dig carefully!**
Buying/Cleaning Supplies
Since we want to replace or clean everything in our tanks, it's important to figure out exactly what you want to replace and what you want to clean.
I always fully replace my substrate and clean any decorations/shells I have in the tank. You can, however, bake your substrate to clean it instead of replacing it.
Once you know what you're replacing, it's time to go out and buy the replacements.
Cleaning is fairly straight forward and simple.
Anything you can boil - boil.
Anything you can't boil - bake.
If you can't boil or bake, spray it off with the hose (maybe take a little soap to it if need be) and let it dry in the sun.
**This is also a great time to stock up on anything you might be running low on!**
Getting Down To Business
Once you've taken all your crabs out of the tank, it's time to start taking out the decorations.
But wait. You're going to get sand everywhere!
Put something down on the floor so it's easier to clean up afterwards (I've used tarps, sheets, newspaper, etc.).
Now you can remove all your decorations!
If you plan on throwing out any of your decorations, it's best to just throw them in a trash can as soon as you pick them up.
The decorations you plan on keeping - separate as you take them out of the tank. Have a pile for boiling, a pile for baking, and a pile for sun drying.
Get rid of that substrate!
Work on getting all that substrate out of there.
It's up to you what you do with your old substrate. Here we have really bad run offs from the rain and I usually just fill those in with my old sand. I've also put it in the flower bed. The coco fiber I use along with the crab waste is good fertilizer - there may not be much of it, but it's good none the less.
Cleaning the Glass
Once you've completely emptied the tank of all decorations and substrate, it's time to actually clean off the glass.
If your glass isn't too bad and you're just looking for a quick wipe down, you can use vinegar. You can use it as straight vinegar or dilute it a little with some water. Wipe down the glass and let it air dry.
If your glass is a little worse or you're deep cleaning due to bugs, bleach may be the way to go. I never suggest using straight bleach. Dilute it and get to scrubbing. Bleach is really good for cleaning away any kind of scent trails some bugs leave behind to guide other buggy friends. If you choose to use bleach, let your tank air dry in the sun for at least a day (longer is safer!). This will kill any trace of bleach that might be left in your tank.
**Vinegar is good for removing water stains!**
That's all there is to it!
Of course, you'll need to add your substrate and decorations before you'll really be finished.
It’s important to remember that deep cleaning isn’t always necessary. If you spot clean your tank on a daily basis, it keeps your crabitat looking good (not to mention it means less deep cleaning).
This guide was written for the people asking how it’s done. I wrote it based off of my experience, this is by no means the only way to go about things. Please do not copy and redistribute this anywhere else without my permission.
This guide was written for the people asking how it’s done. I wrote it based off of my experience, this is by no means the only way to go about things. Please do not copy and redistribute this anywhere else without my permission.