question about water changes

[andreahp]

While researching tank maintenance before I set up my new tank, I thought I understood that everytime you do a water change, you're supposed to vacuum some of the gravel as well. However, if there's a problem with the water, is it appropriate to just change a small amount of water daily or every other day and not touch the gravel or is it the cleaning of the gravel which leads to improved water paramers?

 

[fishguy1]

Yes, you can change the water without vacuuming the gravel.

 

[HN1]

Agreed, but regular gravel vacs are just as important to keeping a tank healthy.

 

[SeverumGuy]

When cycling, if you have to change a small portion a day to lower levels back down, I would vacuum the gravel every other day depending on how many fish you have in there. If you're doing a fishless cycle I wouldn't vacuum the gravel at all. Gravel does help out with building beneficial bacteria and if you vacuum it everyday it could actually delay your cycle. I vacuum my gravel once a week when I do my weekly waterchange. Granted my tank is cycled, I have a whole lot of fish.

 

[tallchik77]

bacteria live in the filter media and the substrate, so if you are trying to get your ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates and such down, just sucking the water out every day will be fine. cleaning the gravel too much will rid your tank of all the good bacteria you want to keep

 

[The_Desacrator]

When I do water changes I clean all the gravel because there are dead worms/fish flakes and that cleans all the entire tank.

 

[spoonman]

+1 with The Desacrator, you need to gravel vac at least once a month to get all of the old food, poop and other various waste out of the substrate or you will have too much ammonia from the rotting waste. I am speaking about a cycled tank. While cycling there is no need to gravel vac.