Vacuuming Planted Tanks

[FishBazzar]

So how do with people with a bunch of plants in the soil vacuum without moving the plants?

 

[The_Budmaster]

i just vacum around them , prob about half the surface area is covered in plants but i try to clean up the best i can

 

[colin5861]

What are your water readings like - I imagine the plants will make up for the incomplete cleaning, Is this right ?

Colin

 

[Alien Anna]

Plants don't like gravel to be too clean - its the fertiliser they need for growth. Thankfully, their root systems help aerate the substrate and keep it healthy.

 

[colin5861]

I'm still interested in the readings - my hobby is fish not underwater gardening.

 

[joshua]

was just wondering what a gravel vacuum was. is it a little hand operated pump connected to a tube?

 

[guppymonkey]

was just wondering what a gravel vacuum was. is it a little hand operated pump connected to a tube?

Its basically a syphon with a big end on it that sucks up the water and lifts and separates the gravel so you can get all the nasty fish poop and rotting fish food out of the tank. Most people use gravel vacuums with their normal regular water changes.

 

[The_Budmaster]

What are your water readings like - I imagine the plants will make up for the incomplete cleaning, Is this right ?

Colin

0ppm Ammonina
0-5ppm Nitrate
i dont have a nitrite test kit

everything seems to be going well so far

 

[skiltrip]

depending on how many plants you have, you can put them in clay flowerpots so they can be moved around during vacuuming but never bother the roots.

 

[Lithril]

Its basically a syphon with a big end on it that sucks up the water and lifts and separates the gravel

I've got a little black and decker pump that I attach to a drill on the end of my gravel vacuum (got fed up trying to get it to syphon as the fish tank is on the floor in the fire place... or where the fire used to be ) , gotta make sure I don't actually suck up the gravel... or the fishes