Maintenance question

[Fellin1975]

Is it ok to stir the gravel substrate when doing pwc's?

 

[bigbanker]

Indeed.

You can clean half the gravel in one pwc and the other half the next time

 

[BBradbury]

Maintenance Question

Is it ok to stir the gravel substrate when doing pwc's?

Hello Fel...

You can certainly stir the gravel when vacuuming. The important thing is to remove a lot of tank water and do it weekly. Everything the fish and plants do in the water eventually dissolves, so if you remove a large volume of water weekly, you remove the toxins and you'll guarantee safe water conditions for your fish.

B

 

[librarygirl]

As others have said, yes, it's pretty much a must in order to clean the waste and other things that can get under the gravel and cause poor water conditions. If you have a siphon for water changes, just stick it in the gravel and let it suck up the gunk, then move on to another portion and repeat (YouTube has some videos of you search it for "aquarium gravel clean").

 

[Fellin1975]

Thanks!

 

[phin]

If you have a planted tank, then don't disturb your gravel. That should go unsaid, but you never know.

 

[odiemarie1]

Any info on cleaning, I have both real & artificial plants?

 

[Coursair]

Any info on cleaning, I have both real & artificial plants?

All my tanks are planted . I do PWCs and do vacuum my gravel on occasion but not extensively as I would in a non planted tank. My sand tanks I vacuum by gently swirling the intake above the sand to remove large loose detritus without sucking up my sand or plants.

The plants use the nutrients in my substrate.