How Do You Vacuum Planted Aquarium?

[mnemonik23]

Just curious when it’s time to do 25% water change, how do you vacuum gravel with carpet type plants?


Thanks!

 

[waterdrop]

cautiously

 

[Mikaila31]

^ as above, just be careful

If it is a densly planted tank, with all or most the substrate covered. Then you just use the gravel vac to suck up loose leaves and debris. Normally you don't disturb the gravel.

 

[Rooster]

I just use a plain pipe (with a bit of rigid plastic wedged in the end to avoid the flexipipe bending !) and "hover" over the sand an inch or so...
I have tried a few of the "tank cleaners" but gave up and went back to the good old syphon !

 

[waterdrop]

yes, to give a more serious answer and agree with rooster, I have read many posts where members report they work on getting the right "hover" height

 

[mnemonik23]

Cool, thanks!

Since sand was mentioned, is there any way to prevent sand to be sucked into tube?

 

[waterdrop]

no, the height is even more important with sand, so that its not sucked in.. some people develop ways to "fan" the debris off the sand and into the water above and then move the vacuum around in this recently fanned up debris

 

[DaveW860]

Wow that was a great question I was probably going to ask the same question when it came time haha. Now I know!

 

[Loony Fish]

i would do the fanning thing. and then use a syphon/pump to get the junk out.

 

[backtotropical]

If the tank is heavily planted, it probably won't need vaccumed at all as the plants will use all the nutrients created when the waste breaks down. It effectively disappears as if by magic. I know lots of people who don't gravel vac ever.

Its important to remember that this only works if the tank is heavily planted. Otherwise, I agree with Rooster and WD.

 

[mnemonik23]

How do you do sand "fanning"?

 

[waterdrop]

Hey BTT, that's a pretty interesting comment. If I remember right, you've been working on planted stuff and I guess planting more heavily, so you've had some of these observations yourself? I'm interested in your feelings about how gravel cleaning changes a bit as you plant more heavily (as we're talking about lol) but in terms of the dilemma between the feeling that planted tanks could stand with less disturbance, but in contrast, it being felt that regular gravel cleans are a fundamental way to guard against excess debris and nitrate buildup in the substrate with respect to the fish. Seems like it would be hard to know when the greater number of plants was successfully taking care of some of the nitrate etc. that cleanings take out.

Another reason this question is important is that the TFF planted hobbyists have written a lot about how gravel cleaning disturbances that stir up extra ammonia from the substrate serve as triggers for algae, especially in tanks that have unstable CO2 levels, as most non-heavily planted tanks without CO2 injection do. Its just one of those uncomfortable things, wondering if your gravel cleans are doing something bad like triggering algae, when you know they're important for keeping your tank regularly maintained!

~~waterdrop~~