Vacuum ADA soil

[Kane]

We are advice to frequently vacuum the gravel to clean it. how about ADA soil then? do we need to vacuum too?

got a tank with ADA soil, plants are only java ferns and moss. so do i need to vacuum the soil from this tank? will it get clouded from the vacuum?

[benetay]

I don't think it's advisable. I'm not sure what the outcome might be. Maybe someone who have done it before can share with us but all along we're taught not to vacuum ADA gravel.

Cheers!

[blue33]

For planting try not to disturb the gravel as you will also disturb the bacteria at the same time and if you have based fertilizer it will leach out at the same time... more problem later on, cloudy and so on... fauna death also...

[benetay]

He doesn't have any plants rooted to the base fert. I think it's best to leave it alone just in case it clouds your tank so much that you need to tear it down & re-do. Alternatively you might want to try(at your own risk) & let us know the outcome.

[blue33]

I'm sure it will cloud the tank!

[Kane]

ok, then i better don't vacuum. but just thinking... won't the soil get very dirty after a long time? any solutions to it? btw i don't have plants root to the soil, only java ferns and moss

[benetay]

ADA gravel can be use for various purposes. I use ADA gravel to breed apisto. So are you telling all apisto breeders to stop using ADA gravel?

[Shadow]

use small hose (CO2 hose) on hover on top of the ADA soil, maybe about 1 cm. Use it to suck all the dirt during weekly maintenance. I've been doing that, though it may not be the most efficent way of doing.

[|squee|]

Aquasoil was not meant to be vaccummed...

I do however wave my hand at the soil to stir up debris then suck them up.

[AA24]

HI Kane and ALL..

I have cleaned the ada soil before.. in fact I try to do it every 6mths.. I use a cut off pet bottle and a hose..

I do this because I tend to get worms in the tank from time to time and I believe that is because of the waste left by my CRS.. My other reason for doing this chore is because I dislike the look of the broken down ADA soil.

I dont use the vaccums sold by the shops b'cos the width / girth of the vaccumm is too narrow, hence I use a cut-off plastic bottle.. with this.. the suction per unit area is less so the soil rarely gets sucked up BUT enough to greatly agitate the substrate so as to free the dirt.. which subsequently gets siphoned out..

other obsevations from this .. YES the water will be a little cloudy.. BUT.. it all settles in just a few hours..

None of my shrimp have died from this action..

I hope some of this is helpful..

[StanChung]

You can can vacuum it as recommended by waving and stirring the water a little. Do turn off the filter 1st or you'll get mulm/detritus everywhere.

If you have a pail/tub, you can net any soil accidentally siphoned out and return it to the tank or use it for your emersed planted projects. HTH.