Planted Tanks Question: Cleaning

[Wyld-Fyre]

For those with an established plant community, ie matured rooting system, what would be the best course of action in cleaning the substrate? That's if you do. Would you clean....

a) just the top layer of the sybstrate?
B) just half of the substrate?
c) all of the substrate, including the up-rooting of your plants?

Or d) leave it as it is?

Just out of curiosity.

 

[clutterydrawer]

i stick the vac in maybe 1cm deep, a bit more when im not near any plants...my substrate is about 5cm.

I like to get some of the muck out (you'd be surprised what i find...) but I figure the plants might "eat" some of it

 

[babyfish]

I never clean around the roots of my plants, I clear out all dead leaves from within the plants and then stir the rest of the sand before hoovering it

 

[luxum]

If the tank is lightly or moderately planted, vacuum any uncolonized substrate as normal, avoiding areas where there are lots of plant roots. For a heavily planted tank where the substrate is completely or almost completely covered with plants, you don't need to vacuum it at all, the plants will use the mulm. You can wave the wand over the substrate to pick up any loose debris.

 

[Wyld-Fyre]

......and lastly, thank you for your replies.