How to vaccum my gravel without disturbing my plants????

[Fish_lover]

Hi all. I just have one little problem...When I do my weekly cleaning of me tank....I use my gravel vaccuum cleaner..but the problem is...how do i clean my gravel without disturbing my plants?? And on top of that, The plants are close together...but not too close..

I mean, when I use the vaccuum, I have to dig the cleaner INTO the gravel right??? I cannot just scrape the vaccuum over the surface of the gravel bed, am I right????

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Fish_lover

[tawauboy]

I usually clean the surface of the gravel only. For the 'clean' look, good excuse for being lazy[]
The pooh and other debris is fertilizer to plants, so no need to clean.
That's what I do

[David Loh]

I don't really clean the gravel on my planted tank cause it will disturb the roots. Just use a small tubing to siphon off the waste. That's about it.

[David]

Hi fish_lover

if you have a very densly planted tank, using a vacum may not be practical.....especially with heavy or dense foreground growth.....what I do is to fan the gravel with my hands gently and siphon out as much dirt as possible.......

[Fish_lover]

thanks for all the replies guys...really appreciate it

anyway, with all those pooh fertilizers....does that mean i don't have to buy anymore fertilizers??

[sherchoo]

For me I syphon away the fish waste and gravel that is infected with brush algae while I'm draining the water during water change.

[clothahump]

In my planted tank I place a clean internal filter in once a month and fan all the mulm/dirt into the water column, leave the filter running all day and then remove full of dirt.

[David]

hi fish_lover

no the poop alone is not really enough....you still will need to suppliment with liquid fert weekly and with base fert inserts from time to time.

[Fish_lover]

I currently only use liquid fertilizers...but I'm thinking of using base fertilizers that go into the gravel..won't all that fertilizers be too much for the plants???

[Fish_lover]

Oh yeah i forgot to ask this....won't I have to lift up the rocks and wood to clean out the gravel underneath????

[David]

Hi fish_lover

you mentioned thinking of using base fert......is this a new setup or an existing planted tank? If it is a new tank, that well be fine..if it is an existing tank...well unless you are prepared to tear the tank down, you may not be able to add the base fert into you substrate.....you only option here will be the fert balls to be plunged near plants.

the base fert is to set the long term foundation of any planted tank. there are two kinds of them, the pure and the soilbased. Usually, pure based fert are meant to be mixed with the 1in or 1layer of gravel and soil based fert is already a mix. To answer your question, no it is not too much fertiliser for the plants


lifting up the rock and log?...not needed...but at the end its up to personal preference.....

[sherchoo]

I think you juz vacumm watever you can see. No really a big issue to vacumm until squeky clean. Most of planted tank don't even vacumm at all and it's still ok. Actually I've seen my cories clearing 'stuff' on the gravel surface (whenever I did any uprooting). So maybe that's an option although some might think otherwise..... guys don't flame me, only stating my observation.

[Fish_lover]

David- my tank is alrady existing...but I am on holidays at the moment....and my tank is over in Melbourne!! Anyway, I guess the plants are dying by now... So when I get back...I am going to start replenishing my tank...and that will be when I insert my fert INTO the gravel..

I bought the ones that u have to put in the gravel..not just lying around..

[vinz]

Fish_Lover,

Which school in Melb are you in? I was from RMIT.