How Often Should I Clean Out My Tank?

[lotsoffishies]

I have a jewel 125, that has been set up for a month. I did the first water change today. (made a big mess- water EVEYWHERE!!!!) but was just wondering what was the best interval I should claen it out in?

I was thinking once a month but is that too little?

 

[kewskills]

i like to do a water partial water change and gravel/window clean weekly on my tanks. i think once a month is a bit too long imho.

 

[*Fishkies*]

If you do gravel vacs every other week or maybe once a week, so like three times maybe four times a month. It depends on how much you feed and how much waste your fish produce. Also water changes once a week, I would say.

 

[Underwurlde]

The amount of nitrifying bacteria in the gravel (and hence that potentially removed by vac'ing) will only be a tiny proportion of that living in the filters. Vac'ing the gravel with this in mind shouldn't therefore worry you... If however you have plants then removing any lovely mulm from the substrate by deep vac'ing may cause a problem (for the plants, long term).

Andy

 

[Teelie]

Beneficial bacteria inhabit the filter media and not the gravel so much. Gravel vac often to get as much of that crude out. I do water changes every week to two weeks, around 20-30% and I try to do 3 month intervals on filter cleanings. Never use tap water to do filter cleanings though. Use a bucket of aquarium water or some kind of distilled or treated water or you might harm the bacteria. Decorations you should leave alone unless you move them often. I find it's a bigger mess to move them around if you don't move them every month or so when you do changes.

 

[MojoDex]

i do 25% weekly as if my life depended on it never missed one yet all fish r in perfect health never had a single health problem yet while ive been at my current house

 

[dwarfgourami]

Me too, weekly gravel vacs cum water changes. It helps to have a towel handy and a plastic sheet to spread over the floor. And don't forget to make sure the electrics are covered with something splash proof. But water changes get a lot easier with practice.

 

[vinylman]

If you do a gravel vac, don't go too near your plants; they'll appreciate any dead leaves and cack breaking down into the roots.

 

[Bozza]

If you have corys or other catfish with barbels they would appreciated the gravel vac each week because if the substrate is not clean they can lose their barbels and could possibly die. Just my 2cents