Cleaning your Fish

The task of preparing a fish for eating need not to be so bad compared to the pleasure of catching it. In this guide I will cover the basic methods for fish cleaning.

Firstly take a sharp knife and make a shallow cut on its belly. The cut should run from the gills down to the anus. With your fingers pull the cut open and start to pull at the organs. The fish insides can be quite delicate, so be gentle! At each end of the fish you should pull at the organs to separate them from the fish's body. Inside the fish's body there may be a dark vein running along its spine which you should scrap out.

Now at this point it is my personal taste to cut the head of the fish off. It can take quite some effort to do so. You can also cut the fins off. When finishes clean the fish thoroughly with water.

Fish Descaling Video

How To Descale A Fish

Removing scales from a fish is done by firstly removing all fins. It tends to be very messy so putting the fish in a plastic bag may be a good idea! Using a sharp knife scrape the scales off the fish. The knife should be going in the opposite direction to the way the scales travel.

Cleaning a Fish - Video of Filleting Fish

How To Fillet a Fish

Firstly clean the fish by running water over it. This removes slime from the fish and will make it easier to clean. To remove the scales use a blunt knife or a fish descaler.

Make a vertical cut in the fish just behind the gills. Don't cut right through the rib cage.

Turn the knife 90 degrees and make a long cut down the length of the fish. Push the knife until it comes out at the other end.

Cut the fillet free from the rib cage.

Repeat these steps for the other side.

Siphon - Cleaning the Fish Tank

A siphon is the most common method of cleaning a fish tank. It is a useful fish cleaning supply since it is a very easy method of replacing water in the fish tank. It is a tube that allows water to be removed from the tank and put into a bucket for example.

To use a siphon place one end in the fishtank and then start sucking on the end of the tube. You must apply constant pressure for the water to travel along the tube. When the water is near the end of the tube quickly let go and cover the end with your thumb. Then place the tube in a bucket, at a lower level than the fish tank and let go.

The water should then flow from the tank to the bucket.

Tap Safe - Cleaning Supplies

When changing the water in your tank you should use some sort of fish cleaning supplies that will make the water safe for the fish. Personally I would recommend 'Tap Safe' by Gold. From past experience it does a good job of removing harmful chemicals from the water.

Usually I add a full cap of the liquid to a bucket the night before I intend to clean the tank.