vacuuming your substrate

[rob28]

how important is it, REALLY, to vacuum the your substrate?

the reason i ask is due to my frequent pwc's. ive tried actually cleaning the gravel and it just seems like im tearin up my tank and freakin out my fish.
I do have lots of plants and ornamental decorations in my tank so, could it just be a case of havin to much stuff in there or what?

i do have a few fish that pretty much scavenge stuff from the substrate but i know that there is plenty of waste that works its way in there.

So....is it important? How often should i do it, if so?

thanks

 

[mgamer20o0]

its just good way to help keep the tank healthy. any time you can take waste out of hte tank its a good thing. are those real plants?

 

[black hills tj]

If it is a planted tank, you are working too hard. Just barely skim the surface of the substrate. The plants use the rest of the debris(referred to as "mulm") to grow. They pull the nutrients from it.

 

[Purrbox]

If you're dealing with live plants, you'll want to follow Black Hills' suggestion. If they're fake then I'd recommend gravel vaccing the open areas with every water change, and doing a deep cleaning (under ornaments, etc) maybe every 1-2 months. The deep cleaning can be split up between a couple of water changes if needed. Just do one half of the aquarium the first week, and the other half the second.

You fish won't mind you being in the tank working after awhile as they get used to it and learn that it's normal and non threatening.

 

[rob28]

are those real plants?

no, all my plants are fake, i just have alot of them.

and thanx purrbox, i didnt even think of splittin the tank cleanings up like that. i just worry bout my sharks, they freak out and smash into things at an all out sprint. its nuts