Plants And Gravel

[phantomlink]

I know you can put plants into gravel and they will root fine, but is there a method to how to gravel vac near the roots? My next tank will be a 75g or so and as much as I like sand, I want an easy to clean gravel tank but I need some nice live plants good for fry to hide in

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Depending on how well planted it is you wont need to gravel vac as the plants will use up what's in it.

 

[phantomlink]

I know with the sand, its easy to see leftover food/waste but in gravel it tends to find its way through it into the lower layers. I assumed the waste would dissolve and get cleaned in the filter eventually? I dont know what determines a heavily planted tank or not. I will only be using t8s, and no co2 system and what I can only assume atm will be 0.66 watts/gallon for lighting

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Got a pic of the tank?

 

[phantomlink]

Not yet I dont have it, was waiting to find a cheap used one but not findind any in the size I want so it'll prob be a week at least before I pick it up and start cycling

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I have 3 tanks with gravel and plants. Tank 1) small tank for my shrimp, I have hygrophila polysperma planted in a tiny mound of sand covered in gravel... cleaning is easy there. Tank 2) 60 liter with gravel and plants only, I never have to vacuum directly around the plants, the plants take care of it (I have bacopa, java moss, java fern, moss balls and anubias nana). Tank 3) I have everything the same as tank 2 but more plants... I also have a lot more fish... the waste builds up more and I do have to vacuum the roots of a few of the plants but the rest take care of themselves.