Wipe the glass with a damp rag (freshwater) or a paper towel with Windex sprayed on it
*Don't spray the glass directly because the chemicals could get into the water!!
Inside
Once a week or as needed
Method 1
Put on the algae mitt and wipe the inside of the glass
Once you finish, rinse off the mitt and hang to dry
Method 2
Use a magic eraser to clean the algae off of the upper 3/4 of each wall. This prevents the sand from getting stuck on the eraser and scratching the glass.
Use the eraser to clean the bottom 1/4 of the walls
*If it's a water change day, it's good to do this first*If you wait longer than a week, the algae starts calcifying and is much harder to remove*Magic Erasers last 2-5 uses
Fill ATO Bucket
Once a week
Take some filtered water and pour it into the ATO bucket beneath the tank
*To get filtered water, see the section below on Filtering Water.
Filtering Water
The water filter can filter about 2 gallons per hour. If you are trying to fill a 5-gallon bucket, let the water run for about 2 hours.
Connect the filter unit to a faucet
Place the filter and waste water tube in the sink or somewhere the water can drain
Place the automatic shut off valve against the inside of a bucket and the magnet on the outside of the bucket to keep it in place
Turn on the water
Wait until the bucket is full
Turn off the water
Disconnect the filter and put it away
*The deionizer unit needs to be replaced when it completely changes color*The other units need to be replaced about once a year (we just replaced them all)