What do you think?

[eduguy]

Some people think vacuuming your gravel lots isn't good because apparently it sucks up bacteria too.
But some people say that bacteria is stuck to the gravel.
What do you think about gravel vacuuming often?

 

[bud29]

I think that the BB is kind of stuck on there and if you suck up any bacteria at all it is a very small amount. Nothing bad really comes from cleaning up fish poop IMHO.

 

[Wroberson]

Not vacuuming the substrate often over 20 months is probably the reason for my nitrate problem. I vacuumed 3 weeks ago when I only had a few plants. Moving rocks to clean under them is easier than uprooting plants.

That's the answer I'm willing to provide.

 

[Jesselav1233]

I've never had a bacteria bloom after a cleaning or anything an sometimes I go overboard and vacuum all the substrate so I'm going to say no it doesn't hurt your BB count dramatically. Getting the waste out is more important I think.

 

[tamtam]

I'm of the camp that if there is anything bad that comes from vacuuming that it's the lesser evil when compared to waste build up in that gravel.

Though really my understanding is that it attaches itself to stuff. If it can be removed in large amount simply by tossing up some gravel I'd have to think that more BB would be in the water column and swishing filter media during water changes would have a pretty drastic effect on your cycle.

I do my gravel when ever I do a water change. Usually twice a week or every 5 days. I find with my platy if I slack on the gravel vac water changes can become a messy pain with how much stuff gets turned up into the water.

 

[eduguy]

Ok. Wow quick answers. Anyone else have a opinion

 

[BigDaddy]

I clean my gravel. The thought of all that poop in my rocks is just nasty. I usually do 1/3 of the tank every 2 weeks so a full vacuum every month and a half then repeat.

Had a 100 gallon cichlids tank for about 5 years and they all did great. Been doing that with my 30g community tank and my water's been perfect.

But having ghost shrimp in my tank now makes it interesting to say the least.

 

[xwesx1978]

I have a heavily planted tank and cleaning the gravel is a pain in the @ss so I dont do it , eco complete doesnt really vacuum well in the first place , anyway my parameters are always spot on and my water is crystal clear

 

[jondamon]

I dont vacuum my gravel.

However I do have quite a heavily planted tank which makes it very difficult to vacuum the gravel without uprooting any plants.

I have had my tank cycled since March of this year and haven't ever vacuumed the gravel.

I try to suck up any detritus and debris when I do water changes, which is approx 20% change every 10 days or so. My nitrates barely get above 10ppm in my 50g lightly stocked community tank.


Jon

 

[BigDaddy]

Yeah I should have qualified that my tank is not heavily planted, nor obviously was my cichlid tank. I'd like to get there though.

 

[Jesselav1233]

Do you guys think heavily planted tanks don't require as much vacuuming as a non planted tank because the plants consume some of the wastes?

 

[xwesx1978]

fish poo would make good fertilizer id think