How Often Should One Gravel Vac

[Labenator65000]

I do 50%-ish PWCs about every 4-6 days. Should I gravel vac every time? How often should I gravel vac?

 

[emmamc91]

if you're keeping messy Cichlids like Malawi's i would say gravel vac everytime you do a water change.. Malawi's like the water to be changed, ideally close to 40% everyday as in their natural habitat, but realistically its just not possible in an aquarium setup, i try to change 20% every 2 days, which is similar to yourself, I gravel vac every second time, so every 4 days, so for your ritual i would say everytime you do a PWC, i also add the required amount of reef buffer salt, to keep the water im putting into the tank, at the same alkaline ph as the water already in there.. however without knowing what your tank size is, what filter you have, the ph of your tap water, and what fish you're keeping, i couldnt say whether you should add salt, or whether your ritual is suitable, but certainly changing 50% every 4-6 days should be fine unless incredibly overstocked to reduce aggression..

 

[Andrew McFadden]

I do 50%-ish PWCs about every 4-6 days. Should I gravel vac every time? How often should I gravel vac?

I only do half then do the other half next time

 

[meegosh]

If you are doing a PWC you might as well keep your substrate clean. It is a lot easier to keep clean than to wait and clean up a nightmare. It can't hurt anything either.

 

[bcurlacher54]

i change water and vac every saturday morning.

 

[emmamc91]

i change water and vac every saturday morning.

Once a week really wouldn't be enough for me, with keeping Malawi's and the fact the nitrification process produces Nitrates, which naturally, lower ph, in order to keep my nitrates down, and my ph a stable 8.2, I try to change water regularly, ie every 2 days, which keeps the water as close to in nature as I can physically accomplish...

 

[Labenator65000]

Luckily my well water parametrrs are perfect for Malawi Cichlids right out of the tap, so I don't need to condition my water at all. I guess ill keep my regular 4-6 day 50%PWC w/gravel vac routine. Thanks for the input.