cleaning with plants

[AgilityIG]

This is probably a stupid question with an obvious answer...

I just put a couple plants in my 50 gal yesterday and plan on getting several more this week. I did a pwc and was thinking... how do you all clean amongst the plants (especially the gorgeous heavily planted tanks I see) without disturbing everything? I have a Python and I would just be concerned that I would either uproot my plants and kill them or not get all the poop/debris cleaned up if I am not thorough enough...

 

[Zagz]

You wave your gravel cleaner over and between them and get as much detrimis up as you can. Once the plants are well rooted they don't uproot. Unless the fish do it for you, LOL.

 

[mgamer20o0]

You wave your gravel cleaner over and between them and get as much detrimis up as you can. Once the plants are well rooted they don't uproot. Unless the fish do it for you, LOL.

100% correct.... you can still gravel vac around the areas that dont have plants but remember plants like swords and crypts have a very large root system. with plants you just do what zagz said.... i go around in a circle motion kicking up the dirt and sucking it out. the plants will feed off the mulp but you dont want too much in there.

 

[AgilityIG]

Thanks - I am hopefully getting more plants this week and was not sure how I was going to clean around them if they got thick.

 

[BigJim]

I've found that a regular gravel vac works better than a python for cleaning, especially in planted tanks. I get a lot stronger suction with the short gravel vac than I do with my 50ft python. I'll generally clean the tank with the gravel vac, then finish the water change with the python.

 

[AgilityIG]

I've found that a regular gravel vac works better than a python for cleaning, especially in planted tanks. I get a lot stronger suction with the short gravel vac than I do with my 50ft python. I'll generally clean the tank with the gravel vac, then finish the water change with the python.

Good idea - I'll try that next time. I love my Python - it just saves me TONS of time.

 

[BigJim]

I've said that my python is the greatest tool I thought I'd never need. I got it as a door prize. I don't know what I'd do without it now. It just doesn't clean the tank as well as the small vacuum. I only have to use the gravel vac once every month or two.

 

[datkidkevin]

how would i get gas that sand produces if i had plants in my tank?

 

[Lowryder]

MTS works wonders.

 

[datkidkevin]

MTS??

 

[krap101]

malaysian trumpet snails. a livebearing burrowing snail that aerates your sand

 

[datkidkevin]

do they reproduce like crazy? or if i get 1 will i forever have one

 

[krap101]

If you overfeed, then kind of. Not as much as pond snails, but if there's food sitting around on the bottom of your tank, and nothing is eating it, they'll keep reproducing till your tank comes to an equilibrium. On the positive, you probably won't see them very often (maybe at night) because they'll be under the sand.

 

[Lowryder]

Malaysian Trumpet Snails.

They burrow in your substrate relieving gas pockets and aerate your rooted plants.

Be warned: The are a great help to sand planted tank but they are livebearers. 5 can turn into 500 before you know it.

 

[Lowryder]

On the positive, you probably won't see them very often (maybe at night) because they'll be under the sand.

Very true. I never see mine, except the babies who love my java moss.

 

[datkidkevin]

ok...i was going to say i have a dojo loach..i thought it was a bad idea but i guess he would keep them under control...how many should i get to start? will 1 be ok

 

[BigJim]

Malaysian trumpet snails. They stir up the sand and prevent it from going anaerobic.

 

[datkidkevin]

is there another way to go about doing this..besides using snails?

 

[BigJim]

Stir it around with a coat hanger when you do your PWCs.

 

[datkidkevin]

but what about where the plant is????