how do you guys keep a planted tank clean?

[calfishguy]

I have a planted 29 gallon tank that I just cannot keep clean there is always gunk on plant leaves and sand and it makes my tank look horrible. Its well filtered with a ac 30 and c3 and also has a pH with a 240 flow rate. I do a 50 % PWC a week but can't clean the sand because there are plants all over and I can't clean it without replacing and moving plants which takes forever. How do you guys keep your tanks clean. I have no issues like this is my other tank and just really dont know what to do next.

 

[calfishguy]

Anyone. What type of maintenance or vacuuming do you guys do on your tanks?

 

[MyanRan]

Anyone. What type of maintenance or vacuuming do you guys do on your tanks?

I like to swish around the water to stir up the gravel in my tank. Then I just siphon water out. No substrate cleaning necessary. Also turn up my filter to max flow while I'm doing it to help clean.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

What substrate are you using? The Floramax I use is lighter than gravel but heavy enough for me to run the siphon over it a bit to remove some mulm from the non planted areas.. otherwise I just do PWC weekly and having a team of otos and nerite snails help. Also having a good balance of lighting, plants appropriate for that lighting, and ferts dosing. Before when my lighting was too much and I didn't have fast growers to utilize the light and nutrients, things started looking ugly.. but once I got things balanced and fast metabolism plants, they help suck all the excess nutrients that would otherwise turn to unsightly algae and result in dying plants. A turkey baster works well on sandy areas and to also blow any substrate dust or sand off leaves.

 

[wildroseofky]

I have sand with plants and lots of baby shrimp I do not want to loose. I started taking the intake pipe off at half way, removing two sections with the strainer, then I take a turkey baster and blow water at the substrate to stir up the gunk. The filter sucks a lot of the stuff up. I have an aquaclear 50 that I keep a fine felt pad under the sponge. I then suction off water while still blasting the substrate with the turkey baster. Gets most of the nasty stuff out. I then change the prefilter pad in the aquaclear and replace with another one. After I refill the tank, I leave the intake tube short to help clear the water even more. I leave it like that for about 30 minutes and then put the strainer part of the tube back on. Not as clean as vacuuming but acceptable while I am growing shrimp. I haven't lost anybody yet.

 

[calfishguy]

Thanks guys I'll have to pick up turkey baster next time I'm at the store. And try to really stir it up a few times a week maybe. Any other suggestions.

 

[Smcoyle87]

I just do regular water changes and holding th vacuum near the substrate, kinda whirl around in small circles. I dont actually put the vac down in the substrate but the gentle swishing around usually dislodges most of the mulm and the vac sucks it out.

 

[Abe86]

I've a small power head in my tank. That creates a lot of movement in the tank and helps the filter do a better job. So my water is always clean. You can try that too.

 

[Mebbid]

I had the exact same problem you are having with the shrimp and gross gravel. I eventually gave up and switched over to sand when I upgraded my tank. It makes life a lot easier now to clean up. But in the meantime I took a filter media bad and stuck it over the intake of my siphon which seemed to work.

 

[calfishguy]

Okay I tried the turkey vaster and that does not work it jut blows the plants around and sucks up sand not the crud. I now even have brown crud nearly everywhere on the sand and on the plant leaves. How do I get rid of this?

 

[reefdiver]

Try using the hose part of you python maybe with a smaller opening it will have better suction.

 

[calfishguy]

Try using the hose part of you python maybe with a smaller opening it will have better suction.

That's exactly what I am doing and we are gaining.



Does that look like algae to you. What kind.

 

[reefdiver]

I think it is.How long have you had you tank running.

 

[calfishguy]

I think it is.How long have you had you tank running.

Over 8 months it shouldn't be diatoms they came and left already.