OK guys when you use your gravel vac. - Aquarium Advice

darburks · 05-15-2006, 07:30 PM

do you push the gravel around to get the brown gunk or do you need to leave it alone?

sir_dudeguy · 05-15-2006, 07:40 PM

well, it depends...if there is lots of junk in there, and its coming up out of the gravel, and not just on top, yeah, but if its just on top, i dont, because theres bacteria in the gravel/sand i believe. Also, if you get sand, then you dont really have to worry about stuff getting under it like you do w/gravel or pebbles or whatever you wanna call them

**QTOFFER** · 05-15-2006, 09:53 PM

All that brown gunk is decaying food, plant matter, and fish poop. After a while, it breaks down into very fine particles called mulm - basically fish manure - plants send out roots in search of it.

I try to remove as much as I can without disturbing the roots of my live plants. Once a month, I lift the driftwood and stonework and vac out the gunk that collects beneath.

TomK2 · 05-16-2006, 12:44 PM

I deeply dig the vac into the gravel to get as deep as possible, but I do not swirl the gravel. I try to get as deep as I can, without stirring it up too much.

05-15-2006, 07:30 PM	#1
darburks Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 22	OK guys when you use your gravel vac. do you push the gravel around to get the brown gunk or do you need to leave it alone?

05-16-2006, 12:44 PM	#4
TomK2 Aquarium Advice Addict Community Mentor Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Glen Ellyn, IL Posts: 1,953 Images: 2	I deeply dig the vac into the gravel to get as deep as possible, but I do not swirl the gravel. I try to get as deep as I can, without stirring it up too much. __________________ Tom's Tank - The web's best (only?) Motorcycling, trap shootin', aquarium site - IS BACK! With a new url. Oceanic 55+,two Fluval 404's,In-line 300W heater,Moderately planted with Polyvinylus Chloridus sp.=the only plants that last in my tank

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05-15-2006, 07:40 PM	#2
sir_dudeguy Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: arizona Posts: 515 Images: 1	well, it depends...if there is lots of junk in there, and its coming up out of the gravel, and not just on top, yeah, but if its just on top, i dont, because theres bacteria in the gravel/sand i believe. Also, if you get sand, then you dont really have to worry about stuff getting under it like you do w/gravel or pebbles or whatever you wanna call them

05-15-2006, 09:53 PM	#3
QTOFFER Aquarium Advice Addict Community Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Kew Gardens, NY Posts: 3,697 Images: 30	All that brown gunk is decaying food, plant matter, and fish poop. After a while, it breaks down into very fine particles called mulm - basically fish manure - plants send out roots in search of it. I try to remove as much as I can without disturbing the roots of my live plants. Once a month, I lift the driftwood and stonework and vac out the gunk that collects beneath.