Fish Waste

[SXI - Matt]

Hi all, iv had my tank set up for about a week now and its still cycling, iv got quite alot of built up of fish waste all over the gravel so i brought an electric tank hoover to remove alot of it iv one it twice now but just checking this is the best thing to do, or should i just leave it? Many thanks Matt

 

[WILDER]

Shouldn't touch the gravel till the tanks cycled, meaning ammonia and nitrite should be 0 once the tank cycled.
need benefical bacteria in your substrate.
How many gallons or litres is the tank.
How many fish and which type.

 

[celaeno]

hoovering your substrate shouldn't prevent beneficial bacteria from forming, so if i were you, i'd do a weekly gravel vac.

if you read one of bignose's recent topics, you'll see that water changes have no effect on the time it takes the tank to cycle. so don't worry about removing and then replacing the water. just remember to use dechlorinator.

you should also gravel vac because the fish are already producing enough ammonia for the beneficial bacteria, and the bacteria doesn't need more from the decay of fish waste, which can really foul the water.