Removing Stones?

[bulldog40]

I have a gravel cleaner the kind with a syphon attached. When I have tried hoovering the gravel I can't get round all of it because there isn't enough space between the rocks and the glass. Should I take out the big rocks to do a good clean? If I do should I sit them in a bucket of tank water and how often should I be doing the hoovering? Should I be doing weekly water changes of about 4 gallons? I have a 20 gallon tank with 4 mickey mouse platys.

 

[bobbicus]

just an idea.......can the siphon tube be taken off the "hoover" bit and then would that be able to fit between rocks and glass

me thinks you should keep the stones in sum tank water as letting things dry out the bacteria dies - like when u take filter media out - u have to keep that wet too in old tank water!

i may be talking nonsense but is an idea!!!

 

[bulldog40]

thats an idea taking the end of but i thought it might be too strong then and suck my fish up as well!!

 

[bobbicus]

yea very true

if ur bucket is near you and you just use the siphon tube - as you are "pointing" with the end that is doing the vacuuming - place your finger over the end (in your bucket) so the suction is not that strong?

 

[dwarfgourami]

I take out my bogwood cave nearly every week and hoover under it. The bacteria aren't going to die in the 5 minutes it takes you to do a bit of hoovering, but if you're worried you can always plonk the stones into the bucket. Anyway, your main bacteria live on the filter sponge. If you think about it, it is quite possible to change ornaments- some people don't even have them in the first place- without causing an ammonia spike.