Cleaning Bow-Front Tanks Is Tricky: These Hacks Make It Easy

It’s true that bow-front tanks are harder to clean. That said, with the right knowledge and equipment, it certainly doesn’t have to be. Although bow-front tank owners find difficulty scraping off algae due to the shape, many tools exist to help make your life easier. Read on to discover a few hacks that make the tricky job of cleaning bow front tanks easy.

Choose a Proper Cleaning Magnet

Most bow-front tank owners struggle to find the right magnet, as most algae scraping magnets suit flat tanks. When looking for a cleaning magnet for any curved tank, you’re going to want to find a small but long magnet. A rectangular cleaner will conform to the curves of your tank and allow you to clean the corners where the curved front meets the flat sides.

MacGyver Your Tools

If you’ve found the right magnet but still can’t reach down into the tank, don’t be afraid to attach the magnet to a pole. Many aquarium experts add their own twist to tools, even attaching their magnets to broom handles with thick rubber bands.

While that might sound a little odd, it allows you to clean deep into the tank and remove the pole without damaging the magnet. However, if you’re worried about the rubber band catching on the glass, a piece of cloth between the magnet and the glass prevents catching and stops any gravel or substrate from scraping the tank. Don’t worry—a quality magnet will still work with a cloth in front of it and will work even better as it conforms to the curve.

Deploy a Cleaning Crew

Across forums and books, experts say that one of the best ways to clean your tank is to get someone else to do it. And by someone else, they mean your fish! Algae cleaners are fantastic at preventing algae build-up and cleaning up those hard-to-reach corners. One of the best algae cleaners is the brown or red ramshorn snail.

Ramshorn snails have an insatiable appetite and will seek out algae to snack on. If you’re concerned about how quickly these snails breed, just limit their added food supplement, as these snails will only breed as much as you feed them.

Curved fish tanks may seem difficult to clean, but now that you know these hacks that make cleaning bow front tanks easy, you can have whatever tank size or shape you want! With the right tools and knowledge, you won’t have to worry about how you’ll keep your tank clean and sparkling!