Vac or not?

[courtnee]

My 55gl is on the up swing. No deaths since last Friday. With that said between the crash and the meds my bioload is all out of whack.

My ammonia was around .5 I did a PWC. Everyone is doing well even my last sick Serpae cleared up over night YAY!!!!

My pleco AKA poop machine always has some mess in the tank that can be cleaned out.

Feeding is low right now, every other day and only a little bit to keep everyone plugging away as we make it through this last risky spot.


My question is this...

There is not rotting food as an issue but the usual pleco poop etc. SHould I gravel vac it out, will it help the ammonia? or should I leave it and just do the PWC?

I dont want to disrupt my bacteria growing on the gravel either

If I did vac it would just be the surface where the poop is and not much digging etc, just run over the top.

 

[theotheragentm]

You're not going to harm the bacteria with a gravel vac and removing the poop will reduce your bioload.

 

[neilanh]

agreed. No harm in vacuuming. I vacuum my community tank heavily every week.

 

[courtnee]

Okay thanks! I rather ask then just do it because I have had enough loss I have no room for messing up!

 

[gu2high]

It is better to vac every week when doing PWC.

For me, I don't do vac at all since the substrates are covered with plants. I don't have fish died for months.

 

[SCFatz]

I would not go into the gravel with the vac.Just lightly graze the top to pull whatever solids out you can.
How did everthing else test?