Help please

[jwh0818]

I agree with caliban do water changes but never clean the deco or clean the gravel

Please stop telling people to not do gravel vacuums. They are 100% necessary. Nitrates are in your substrate. That's where fish poo settles and uneaten food. Doo a gravel vacuum with every water change please for the sake of your fish

 

[jwh0818]

Star daddy. You really really need to buy your own API master test kit. Do not trust pets at home. Do you remove the bodies of the dead fish? If not that's probably why your tank is smelling. You also need to clean the tank way more than you are.

If you have taken all your decorations out and scrubbed them in tap water then you will have lost your beneficial bacteria that was on them. Do you clean the filter sponges? If so then how? If you clean them in Tap water you will keep destroying your bacteria that you need.

We can't get to the bottom of this without you buying your own test kit and posting the results on here. We will help you to test the water. You need to buy that liquid test kit mate.
I'm in Manchester and I know that most chain stores like pets at home are rubbish. You can order the test kit off amazon for half the price at pets at home.

There isn't enough bb on the gravel and deco for it to matter. Remember the filter media? That's where its all at. Doing gravel vacs and periodically cleaning deco won't do any harm

 

[ivan2020]

I clean the gravel and the deco one a month and it has work for me

 

[jwh0818]

I agree with caliban do water changes but never clean the deco or clean the gravel

I clean the gravel and the deco one a month and it has work for me

See now your just contradicting yourself.

 

[ivan2020]

I do clean it but I dnt get all of it just and I never wash any deco

 

[jwh0818]

I agree with caliban do water changes but never clean the deco or clean the gravel

I clean the gravel and the deco one a month and it has work for me

I do clean it but I dnt get all of it just and I never wash any deco

You see where I'm getting at right?

 

[ivan2020]

Clean it but dnt go crazy with

 

[Caliban07]

There isn't enough bb on the gravel and deco for it to matter. Remember the filter media? That's where its all at. Doing gravel vacs and periodically cleaning deco won't do any harm

What happens when the space in the filter media runs out?

Of course there is bacteria on the gravel. Each tiny piece of gravel could support millions of bacteria and in tanks that use gravel as a substrate there are lots. I'm not saying there is more on either. But it also depends on the type of media/filter size/space/tank size etc.

Some people actually gravel vac half there aquarium one week and do the other the next.

 

[jwh0818]

What happens when the space in the filter media runs out?

Of course there is bacteria on the gravel. Each tiny piece of gravel could support millions of bacteria and in tanks that use gravel as a substrate there are lots. I'm not saying there is more on either. But it also depends on the type of media/filter size/space/tank size etc.

Some people actually gravel vac half there aquarium one week and do the other the next.

Like I said, there isn't enough for it to matter. Gravel vac your tank or you will be posting a thread on why your nitrates are too high. The ammount off bacteria in the gravel doesn't even come close to that of the filter.

 

[Caliban07]

Like I said, there isn't enough for it to matter. Gravel vac your tank or you will be posting a thread on why your nitrates are too high. The ammount off bacteria in the gravel doesn't even come close to that of the filter.

Oh sorry ok. Can you post us a link of where you found that information please. I'd love to see it.

Ps I never said not to gravel the bacteria.

 

[Caliban07]

Oh sorry ok. Can you post us a link of where you found that information please. I'd love to see it.

Ps I never said not to gravel the bacteria.

Vac the gravel even

 

[jwh0818]

Oh sorry ok. Can you post us a link of where you found that information please. I'd love to see it.

Ps I never said not to gravel the bacteria.

There is no need to post any link. This is common sense. If you don't vacuum your gravel then fish waste and food waste will sink down and build up. Thus causing ammonia spikes when disturbed if left to sit too long and also high nitrates

 

[Caliban07]

There is no need to post any link. This is common sense. If you don't vacuum your gravel then fish waste and food waste will sink down and build up. Thus causing ammonia spikes when disturbed if left to sit too long and also high nitrates

>.< never mind

 

[Fishperson]

I vacuum all my gravel once a week. Never had a problem.

Anyway:
OP: You are very overstocked. You nee to remove the koi, and most of the mollys. They shouldn't really be in a 20 gallon tank, unless maybe if it is a 20 gallon long (30x12x12 inches). Then you can cycle your tank. Read up on cycling from these stickies: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...ou-get-started-with-your-aquarium-154837.html

 

[jwh0818]

I vacuum all my gravel once a week. Never had a problem.

Anyway:
OP: You are very overstocked. You nee to remove the koi, and most of the mollys. They shouldn't really be in a 20 gallon tank, unless maybe if it is a 20 gallon long (30x12x12 inches). Then you can cycle your tank. Read up on cycling from these stickies: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/articles-to-help-you-get-started-with-your-aquarium-154837.html

Thank you so much Fishperson!

 

[Fishperson]

Thank you so much Fishperson!

No problem

 

[Caliban07]

I vacuum all my gravel once a week. Never had a problem.

Anyway:
OP: You are very overstocked. You nee to remove the koi, and most of the mollys. They shouldn't really be in a 20 gallon tank, unless maybe if it is a 20 gallon long (30x12x12 inches). Then you can cycle your tank. Read up on cycling from these stickies: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...ou-get-started-with-your-aquarium-154837.html

Again, I never said not to vacuum gravel. Just that there are still lots of bacteria on there. Yes there may be more in the filter depending on media types etc but in an established tank there will be lots of bacteria in the gravel and on ornaments etc.

Some saltwater set ups use just live rock as a filter.

 

[jwh0818]

Again, I never said not to vacuum gravel. Just that there are still lots of bacteria on there. Yes there may be more in the filter depending on media types etc but in an established tank there will be lots of bacteria in the gravel and on ornaments etc.

Some saltwater set ups use just live rock as a filter.

Saltwater is a whole nother ball park. Fw is the media. Sw is the LR.

 

[Caliban07]

I know that's what I just said

 

[Delapool]

I swing between doing large gravel vacs and light gravel vacs (depending on plant stocking). I believe a deep gravel vac makes a difference but have noted no change in nitrates. That could be as the colours look the same for me so would be interested if anyone else has tested this.