With A Good Plant "carpet"

[smmetz]

I have been considering a planted tank, if I can the money for decent lights.

One thing that concerns me is cleaning the fish poo from the bottom of a tank. If the floor covering plant is even a little tall, how do you clean it out?

Perhaps a planted tank is typcally stocked lightly, with smaller fish, so that the poo is not as much of an issue?

 

[jordan.m]

I was wondering this as well, if we could get an answer that would be awesome!!

 

[nry]

With enough plants, and a suitable fish stocking level, you won't need to vacuum the plants forming the carpet. Waste will break down quickly and become plant food.

 

[Aeropars]

Intense carpets will break it down very quickly. I have a pretty high stock level and poo used to be a problem but i hardly ever have to worry now. Its broke down and no visable in a day or two.

 

[jordan.m]

What if I don't have a carpet, but a lot of "bushy" plants, like Amazon Sword or something...

 

[saganco]

Would snails help? I agree with the question regarding "bushy plants" vs. carpet... does the fish poo "pile up" and look ugly? Is it unhealthy for the fish? I know it's good for the plants, but is it good for the fishies?

 

[wei0204]

I would say snails do not help in clearing the poo.

I have a planted tank too, but I hardly can see poo accept those just 'let go'.

 

[crazie.eddie]

Shrimp & snails or just shrimp. Then all you really need to do is just water changes. Many people who keep planted tanks with shrimp, including myself, just perform WC's, since shrimps and snails eat mulm.