cleaning/vacuuming substrate

[finfan]

ok i hear a lot of cleaning/vacuuming the gravel/substrate

i have a eco-complete substrate and have new plants all over the substrate, i don't plan on over feeding the fish (so far i have been good about it, usually most stuff is eaten by fish in ~2minutes), so there is no excess food laying around on substrate

the fish poop will obviously accumulate, but that should go into the substrate and be fertilizer for plants, so other than aesthetic reasons, why would i need to clean the gravel if i eventually want a heavy planted tank?

please explain, the benefit to the fish/aquaria environment/plants to cleaning the substrate under the circumstances noted above, thanks in advance

[rrocket2002]

Re: cleaning/vacuuming substrate

Sounds like a job for EK!  He could tell you a thing or two.

Raul

[CichlidFan]

Re: cleaning/vacuuming substrate

The only thing I can add on this topic is my desire to have more hands on control of the overall process of keeping their environment healthier. I have heard about gases that can build up in the substrate that are extremely hazardous to the fish, so this is the main reason I like to keep the substrate mixed up, either with my hands or the vac......  

Plus I do see little bits of gunk being sucked up now and then, and that means it's working to me.

CF

[wvgdiscus]

Re: cleaning/vacuuming substrate

Poop adds to the bio load of the tank & water quality will drop if you dont get it out.

Plants do not use it all up. After a while try vacuuming it out & you will see a cloud of black water coming up.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: cleaning/vacuuming substrate

I posted but got an error....a real good reply too with lots of info but I got an error404....then I tried pasting my reply and ended up replying to the wrong thread with the wrong copy....stoopid phone.


Well if the tank is planted well I would not disturb it. Plants will soak it all up if they are provided a good amount of light and co2. The plants will soak up what's there and all I ever do is water changes and never come near the substrate in my planted tanks. What you can do though is take the gravel tube off and use the tube only to siphon about an inch above the substrate to pick up the detritus.

Eco is coarse so there's little to worry about it packing and building anerobic gas pockets that are lethal and the plants should help there too.

Gravel vacuuming plant substrate can become problematic if its rich in nutrients cause it will shorten the life of it and at the same time release excess nutrients that are waiting to be used into the water column leading to nutrients being available to algae.

[Tiapan]

Re: cleaning/vacuuming substrate

i agree

[Anonapersona]

Re: cleaning/vacuuming substrate

I have observed that my tanks start to decline after a few years and I never did gravel vac. The experts at AGA (Tom Barr for one) say that you should uproot, clean, and replant 1/4 of the tank each year.

I know that when I did break down a tank (while moving it to a new site), wash the gravel an replant, the plant growth took off and looked wonderful.

Prior to doing that, I had general and mysterious fish deaths -- though I'll admit that has also been much improved since I started using a carbon filter when refilling the tank.

So, I rarely do it, but I know that I should. In fact, I was just noticing the layer of crud in the gravel in the tank I set up last Christmas -- it needs to be gravel vac-ed and it is such a chore -- it makes my back hurt just thinking about it. ( I use a big 20 gal bucket to catch wastewater and dragging it outside is hard)