Removing decorations to vacuum?

[spm2600]

Is it ok to remove all the decorations from a tank when vacuuming? The past couple water changes I've just placed them in one of my empty buckets dedicated to water changes so it's not like they are coming in contact with anything bad. By doing this I'm able to get all waste out of gravel. What are your thoughts?

 

[absolutangel04]

Yeah, It is fine.

 

[fishliker]

Yeah, It is fine.

Do it all the time...easier to clean that way.


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[BBradbury]

Vacuuming

Is it ok to remove all the decorations from a tank when vacuuming? The past couple water changes I've just placed them in one of my empty buckets dedicated to water changes so it's not like they are coming in contact with anything bad. By doing this I'm able to get all waste out of gravel. What are your thoughts?

Hello spm...

Everything in the tank dissolves in the water. So, by removing the water you remove what has dissolved in it. So, don't worry about the organic material that collects on the bottom of the tank. Just start a more aggressive water change routine. Gradually work up to the point you're removing and replacing half the tank water and you'll never need to vacuum.

b

 

[treemanone2003]

Hello spm...



Everything in the tank dissolves in the water. So, by removing the water you remove what has dissolved in it. So, don't worry about the organic material that collects on the bottom of the tank. Just start a more aggressive water change routine. Gradually work up to the point you're removing and replacing half the tank water and you'll never need to vacuum.



b

Op please don't listen to this. Everything that's in the tank DOES NOT dissolve in water. If it did, you would not be able to see it. You are fine doing things the way you are.

BBradbury, as I've pointed out in two other threads, you're supplying contradictory info and have not yet responded to my questions. Please enlighten me as to why you tell one person NOT to vacuum and another TO vacuum.


Sent from my iPhone that doesn't like me. Or you !!

 

[gilpi]

Another vote for vacuuming here, get that gunk out of there.

 

[Musicfreak]

No harm at all removing your decorations and replacing them once done cleaning. I try to do it about every other water change.

 

[gimmethatfish]

I usually pick up decorations and vacuum under them as I go. It can get pretty funky under them, even though I have sand in all tanks. Stuff still seems to slip underneath.

 

[ImACoolguy]

Agreed. I vacuum each of my tanks once a month. But I also feed my fish once a day and make sure they eat every bit of it. What is not eaten is netted out.


Caleb

~10g 7 ghost shrimp, Betta,2 ADF
~45g Rescaped! 5 White skirt tetras, 5 green Corys, 3 pandas, 1 peacock Gudgeon.
~75g NEW! dojo loach, 5 black Skirt Tetras, 5 cherry barbs, live plants

 

[BBradbury]

Vacuuming Substrate

Op please don't listen to this. Everything that's in the tank DOES NOT dissolve in water. If it did, you would not be able to see it. You are fine doing things the way you are.

BBradbury, as I've pointed out in two other threads, you're supplying contradictory info and have not yet responded to my questions. Please enlighten me as to why you tell one person NOT to vacuum and another TO vacuum.


Sent from my iPhone that doesn't like me. Or you !!

Hello tree..

Okay. Will be glad to respond. Here's the skinny on vacuuming: It's not necessary because the organic material that collects on the bottom does and will dissolve in the tank water. A seasoned water keeper like you remembers the old tank keeping term "Water is the Great Dissolver". Right? Buy removing half the tank water every week, no slacking, you remove the nutrients that have dissolved in it. This way no dissolved wastes stay in the tank long enough to foul the tank chemistry. The nutrients left over after the water change are diluted in all the new, treated tank water.

If you need further information. Please feel free to ask.

B

 

[ImACoolguy]

*grabs popcorn* do continue..


Caleb

~10g 7 ghost shrimp, Betta,2 ADF
~45g Rescaped! 5 White skirt tetras, 5 green Corys, 3 pandas, 1 peacock Gudgeon.
~75g NEW! dojo loach, 5 black Skirt Tetras, 5 cherry barbs, live plants

 

[treemanone2003]

Hello tree..

Okay. Will be glad to respond. Here's the skinny on vacuuming: It's not necessary because the organic material that collects on the bottom does and will dissolve in the tank water. A seasoned water keeper like you remembers the old tank keeping term "Water is the Great Dissolver". Right? Buy removing half the tank water every week, no slacking, you remove the nutrients that have dissolved in it. This way no dissolved wastes stay in the tank long enough to foul the tank chemistry. The nutrients left over after the water change are diluted in all the new, treated tank water.

If you need further information. Please feel free to ask.

B

While this is great (or not so) info on how water is the great dissolver, you have quite exuberantly eluded the question by supplying items irrelevant to a direct question. So I will simply ask again, why do you tell 50% of the people it IS necessary to vacuum the tank and the other 50% NOT to vacuum ? This information that you supplied is in threads "Confusion about ich" where you state "Do a good job about vacuuming the bottom material if possible" and "Water changes" where you state "There's no need to vacuum the bottom". Two highly contradictory statements.

Now to go one step further, just because it's dissolved means absolutely nothing since the undissolved material will greatly contribute to producing an more unstable environment in a much shorter time. So in laymen's terms, if there's no fuel to add to the fire, the fire goes out. If there is fuel, the fire will continue to burn. Right ?




Sent from my iPhone that doesn't like me. Or you !!

 

[ImACoolguy]

While this is great (or not so) info on how water is the great dissolver, you have quite exuberantly eluded the question by supplying items irrelevant to a direct question. So I will simply ask again, why do you tell 50% of the people it IS necessary to vacuum the tank and the other 50% NOT to vacuum ? This information that you supplied is in threads "Confusion about ich" where you state "Do a good job about vacuuming the bottom material if possible" and "Water changes" where you state "There's no need to vacuum the bottom". Two highly contradictory statements.

Now to go one step further, just because it's dissolved means absolutely nothing since the undissolved material will greatly contribute to producing an more unstable environment in a much shorter time. So in laymen's terms, if there's no fuel to add to the fire, the fire goes out. If there is fuel, the fire will continue to burn. Right ?




Sent from my iPhone that doesn't like me. Or you !!

I agree with you BUT it is much more important to vacuum while getting rid of ick to get rid of the free floaters than on a normal basis. I still side with you just wanted to point that out.


Caleb

~10g 7 ghost shrimp, Betta,2 ADF
~45g Rescaped! 5 White skirt tetras, 5 green Corys, 3 pandas, 1 peacock Gudgeon.
~75g NEW! dojo loach, 5 black Skirt Tetras, 5 cherry barbs, live plants

 

[spm2600]

It takes me about 20 minutes to do a full water change and thurough vacuuming. Not sure why I'd leave a bunch of waste in there to save a few minutes; that being said it sounds like it's ok to remove decorations so thank you for those who answered my question.

 

[Paul1792]

Hello tree..

Okay. Will be glad to respond. Here's the skinny on vacuuming: It's not necessary because the organic material that collects on the bottom does and will dissolve in the tank water. A seasoned water keeper like you remembers the old tank keeping term "Water is the Great Dissolver". Right? Buy removing half the tank water every week, no slacking, you remove the nutrients that have dissolved in it. This way no dissolved wastes stay in the tank long enough to foul the tank chemistry. The nutrients left over after the water change are diluted in all the new, treated tank water.

If you need further information. Please feel free to ask.

B

********
Regular vacuums are excellent for tanks that are not heavily planted. Period.

I am re-posting what I said the last time you made this assertion over here at post #18:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/how-often-do-you-vacuum-can-there-be-too-much-320525-2.html

Hello Nov...

The organic material that falls to the bottom of the tank is constantly dissolving in the tank water. So, just change the tank water regularly and you won't need to worry about vacuuming.

B

Disagree totally in a non-planted tank. When fish waste dissolves it creates nitrates. The idea behind vacuuming the gravel is to remove the waste before the bb turns it into nitrates. I have fake plants and do weekly vacuums of the gravel along with weekly 20% water changes.

{I can't use 100% cheap tap and a Python like most of you due to poor tap water quality so hauling water is a pain and the cost of bottled water costs $$$.]

If I didn't vacuum the gravel my nitrates would go out the roof.

*********
In my case, since I cannot use a python that means carrying buckets of siphoned water outside and hauling gallon jugs of R/O & spring water from Walmart. 50% water changes are not an option. Even if I could, I think 50% at a time is a bit much. My water is crystal clear and polished, has no odor, and all parameters are in check with the help of Seachem Purigen & Micron polishing pads. I do weekly gravel vacuums along with my 20% water changes.

 

[absolutangel04]

I prefer to thoroughly vacuum my gravel. Though, my gravel is white currently and looks nasty if it is not vacuumed regularly. Honestly, I have kept tanks that I never vacuumed the gravel in because I didn't have a siphon small enough for some of them in the past. Granted, I did keep live plants in those tanks as well. However, I never ran into it being a problem when I was changing the water consistently. I had a 5g, 2.5g, and a 10g that I used a pitcher and cup to change water on for a few years and never had troubles with water chemistry or unhealthy fish. I think sometimes different things can work in different scenerios. That said, I do generally recommend vacuuming the gravel in most tanks when it is possible. As I said before, moving décor is no big deal. I move some of mine every time I do a pwc. On bigger tanks, I tend to focus on deep cleaning one half at a time.