The Best Fish Tank Accessories
A clean, beautiful fish tank provides a safe home for your fish and also functions as an interesting piece of decor. With that said, you need to have all the right accessories in place in order to have the best-looking tank possible. To help you create the best underwater world for your precious pets, we've rounded up a few of our favorite fish tank accessories. Read through to discover the perfect ones for you.
What to Look For
When searching for the best fish tank accessories, we focused on a few key features: safety, aesthetics, and price. No aquarium is complete without some real or faux vegetation, so our favorite option is the artificial plants from CousDuoBe, which come in a variety of vibrant colors and designs. When it comes to keeping your tank clean, however, we recommend the fresh and saltwater conditioner from Seachem, which removes any heavy metals or other harmful substances that have built up in your tank. To discover more of our favorite fish tank accessories and to find one that’s right for you, read on.
CousDUoBe Artificial Aquatic Plants
You’ll simply love how these artificial aquatic plants look in your tank. You get 11 plants altogether, and they’re all vibrantly colored, creating a lush, green space for your at-home aquarium. We love that these plants are made from long-lasting plastic and ceramic bases so that you don’t have to worry about them slipping and sliding around. They’re also very easy to clean. Talk about an underwater dream world for your fish.
Pros:
- The stable ceramic bases keep these from falling over, even in tanks with gentle currents.
- We love that we get to choose between 11 different styles, heights, and colors of plants.
Cons:
- We wish this product didn’t come with so much packaging.
Seachem Prime Fresh and Saltwater Conditioner
Detoxify your fish's home
With the Seachem Prime fresh and saltwater conditioner at your disposal, you’ll be able to easily and permanently remove all traces of heavy metals and other harmful substances. This complete, concentrated conditioner works hard to get rid of the bad stuff, and it does so equally well in freshwater and saltwater tanks. Impressively, a single bottle of this stuff will treat 1,000 gallons of water, so you’ll be set for some time to come.
Pros:
- The complete, concentrated conditioner works for both freshwater and saltwater.
- It immediately and permanently removes chlorine and chloramine and detoxifies heavy metals, nitrite, and ammonia.
Cons:
- The cap seal is a little flimsy.
Neptonion Glass Cleaner
Gunk be gone
Scrub away the algae growth from the sides of your tank using Neptonion’s glass cleaner and your aquarium will look its absolute best. In fact, we’d go so far as to say that this is one of those tools that you shouldn’t skimp on if you want to keep a clean, healthy fish tank. Non-slip and easy to hold and use, this glass cleaner effectively scrapes off all the algae in your tank without causing any damage to the glass.
Pros:
- The scrubber side is made of tiny hooks that scrape off the algae without damaging the glass.
- It floats, so you never have to worry about it sinking to the bottom of the tank.
Cons:
- This is best suited for medium- to small-size tanks, so if you have a particularly big tank, this might not be the right fit.
PINVNBY Natural Aquarium Driftwood
Wood and water
Upgrade your aquarium with PINVNBY’s natural driftwood, which makes for a natural, lovely-looking addition to your fish tank. You get three pieces of driftwood in one set, all of which create an authentic, beautiful environment for your fish. We love that each piece is hand-selected, and therefore unique and varying in shape and size. Depending on how much space you have in your tank, you can easily make this driftwood the focal point of your aquarium or accessorize it.
Pros:
- We love that this is made of real, high-grade, long-lasting driftwood.
- Each piece varies in length and is hand-selected.
Cons:
- This is a tad pricey compared to artificial wood accessories.
GreenJoy 12-Pack Fish Tank Accessories
No need to fish for compliments
If you’re looking to really accessorize your fish tank, you can’t go wrong with this 12-pack of accessories from GreenJoy. This variety pack includes simulation plastic plants of varying sizes and colors, a starfish, a broken barrel, and a tree trunk. Your fish will love exploring all of the different pieces, and your tank will look all the more visually appealing.
Pros:
- You get 12 different accessories in one pack, ranging from brightly colored plants to starfish.
- These are all made of safe, non-toxic materials.
Cons:
- The pieces are fairly small, so not suitable for larger tanks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often do I need to clean my fish tank?
This really depends on the size of your tank, how many fish you have, and the type of filter system that you have. Typically, for average-sized to bigger tanks, a weekly water change is extremely beneficial for your fish, and a monthly check of ammonia, pH, and nitrate levels is ideal. Then, at least twice per year, you should do a deep cleaning of your tank and make sure that everything is in prime working condition.
How do I clean my fish tank the right way?
Again, this will depend on the size and type of your tank, so it’s important to check the product label for washing instructions. In general, you’ll want to unplug the filter and heater, remove and clean any artificial plants and decor using a good scrub with an algae scraper, and then clean the inside of the glass with a clean cloth and an algae scraper, if necessary. Next, you can clean the gravel by using a water siphon to vacuum dirt and debris away. Finish by refilling the tank with new water (just make sure that this water has already had the chlorine removed).
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