No need

[Jimmy74]

I use to siphon gravel when I had tanks when I was a kid but I haven’t in 3yrs after I picked the hobby back up and my tanks have been fine. Wish I knew haha

 

[PheonixKingZ]

So... you’re saying you don’t siphon your gravel?

 

[Jimmy74]

So... you’re saying you don’t siphon your gravel?

Yep

 

[Fishmanic]

Jimmy does things HIS way..whether right or wrong

 

[AbbeysDad]

It can depend...A LOT. If the gravel is coarse, uneaten food and fish/plant waste can get down under where it decomposes to pollute the water and can become a 'nitrate factory'. This is one of the short comings of the undergravel filter when water flows are too great and detritis gets pulled deeply into the gravel. Without routine gravel vacuuming, water quality may suffer.
The above condition coupled with over feeding and perhaps infrequent periodic water changes can result in very high nitrates that may go unchecked.
On the other hand, if you don't over feed, the gravel size is modest, AND you do routine partial water changes of sufficient volume/frequency, gravel vacuuming becomes less important.
AND there are different schools of thought. My friend Greg Sage of Select Aquatics of Erie Co. is convinced that mulm should be removed as it results in a decrease in water quality that inhibits fry growth. While Charles Clapsaddle of Goliad Farms feels that mulm is beneficial and there are several inches in most of his otherwise bare bottom vats of fish...but he has massive plant filtration.
One other factor. Once organic material decomposes the resulting 'sludge' is relatively inert so one could make the case that with sufficient plant filtration and/or sufficient frequency/volume of fresh water partial water changes, mulm or mulm in the substrate is insignificant...which can make grave vacuuming quite optional.

 

[Sgooosh]

It can depend...A LOT. If the gravel is coarse, uneaten food and fish/plant waste can get down under where it decomposes to pollute the water and can become a 'nitrate factory'. This is one of the short comings of the undergravel filter when water flows are too great and detritis gets pulled deeply into the gravel. Without routine gravel vacuuming, water quality may suffer.
The above condition coupled with over feeding and perhaps infrequent periodic water changes can result in very high nitrates that may go unchecked.
On the other hand, if you don't over feed, the gravel size is modest, AND you do routine partial water changes of sufficient volume/frequency, gravel vacuuming becomes less important.
AND there are different schools of thought. My friend Greg Sage of Select Aquatics of Erie Co. is convinced that mulm should be removed as it results in a decrease in water quality that inhibits fry growth. While Charles Clapsaddle of Goliad Farms feels that mulm is beneficial and there are several inches in most of his otherwise bare bottom vats of fish...but he has massive plant filtration.
One other factor. Once organic material decomposes the resulting 'sludge' is relatively inert so one could make the case that with sufficient plant filtration and/or sufficient frequency/volume of fresh water partial water changes, mulm or mulm in the substrate is insignificant...which can make grave vacuuming quite optional.

do you have tips on vaccum sand? alwats had to stir the sand up, makes a lot of commotion, the catfish dont like it

 

[Slaphppy7]

do you have tips on vaccum sand? alwats had to stir the sand up, makes a lot of commotion, the catfish dont like it

Swirl the siphon end ABOVE the sand, the detritus will be picked up...

 

[Sgooosh]

Swirl the siphon end ABOVE the sand, the detritus will be picked up...

alright, will do

 

[PheonixKingZ]

If you swirl, you poop will just go up and into the air.

I suggest you hover over the deposit of poop and see what distance (from the siphon tip to the sand) works the best. If you get to close, it will suck up sand. To far away, and you won’t suck up any poop.

I also suggest just using the small tube part of the siphon, for cleaning sand. That big end that comes with it is designed for gravel.

 

[Sgooosh]

If you swirl, you poop will just go up and into the air.

I suggest you hover over the deposit of poop and see what distance (from the siphon tip to the sand) works the best. If you get to close, it will suck up sand. To far away, and you won’t suck up any poop.

I also suggest just using the small tube part of the siphon, for cleaning sand. That big end that comes with it is designed for gravel.

ok! thanks! i'll try both. my sand is blac kdiamond blasting sand "fine" so it might be yoinked out of the tank

 

[Sgooosh]

Jimmy does things HIS way..whether right or wrong

yea, like those aggorant kids on titktok thinking they can keep a betta or goldfish in a tank *saw it on like reddit

 

[Slaphppy7]

If you swirl, you poop will just go up and into the air.

I suggest you hover over the deposit of poop and see what distance (from the siphon tip to the sand) works the best. If you get to close, it will suck up sand. To far away, and you won’t suck up any poop.

I also suggest just using the small tube part of the siphon, for cleaning sand. That big end that comes with it is designed for gravel.

Not in my experience, done correctly....

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Not in my experience, done correctly....

Personal preference.

 

[Guyb93]

Iv heard of people not vacuum sand or gravel to help fertilise plants .... I don’t vac every week maybe once a month

 

[Sgooosh]

Iv heard of people not vacuum sand or gravel to help fertilise plants .... I don’t vac every week maybe once a month

its very hard to vaccum sand.... so i do it once every 2 or 3 weeks honestly it does not help for me, root tabs do