Do you clean the gravel?

[jasperapi]

Hi! I'm new to keeping fish as hobby. My 2ft tank have 2cm gravel, 2 plants, 6 neon black tetra, 2 cory & 10 crystal red shrimps. I change 1/5 water weekly. I have top filter system.

My question is:
Do i have to stir the gravel to suck out those waste/shit beneath the gravel from time to time? Or simply let it be?

[ervinelin]

Mine is a soil based substrate, but with a layer of gravel over it. I've not cleaned it in >8years.

But of course my tank is heavily planted.. I think if you have fish ONLY then yes you might need to clean your gravel.

[dnomyaj]

since you have shrimps in your tank, i think it's better not to stir the gravel, may just alter the parameters to your water and may be fatal for your shrimps..just my thoughts

[shanexu]

plant it with lots of plants, and don't touch the gravel and get a good filter. thats what i do. =)

[jasperapi]

thanks guys! since i have some plants & shrimps, so i guess i'll just let it be. I just added DIY co2, hope the plant will grow faster & better.

[jt1]

I do clean my gravel whenever possible or should I see mulm on the surface of the gravel. No harm doing small little cleaning once in a while even with a shrimp tank.

[shanexu]

if you want to clean the gravel though, remember to wrap a little netting over the vacuum so you don't accidentally suck out the shrimps

[herns]

vacuum the gravel areas without plants. leave those areas of gravels with plants.

[tsunamisurfer]

I use the gravel vaccum for each water change, kill 2 birds with one stone, change the water as well as vaccum the gravel, hence getting rid of the dirtest water in the tank.