Vacuming a tank with ground cover

[Alshain]

I'm getting closer and closer to setting up the tank Ive been planning for months and months now. One question that came to me is, if you have a ground cover plant like glosso or HC or just a really heavily planted tank, how do you gravel vac... or do you?

 

[Purrbox]

You only gravel vac in areas that aren't planted. Where there are plants just hover above to get the excess gunk and the rest will work it's way into to the substrate providing extra nutrients for your plants.

 

[Alshain]

Well I plan on getting some HC (hopefully if I can find someone who will give me some). If I grow that right, it should cover the entire substrate so I guess that means no thorough vaccuming at all. I will get some MTS though.

I may use a microsword cover though. Sort of give it the "front lawn" effect. I don't know, I haven't decided.

 

[voo]

I asked a question like this last week. To be honest i thought it would have been in one of the pinned topics as there must be quite a few people who are new to planted tanks wondering the same thing

 

[fish_4_all]

If my HC grew fast enough I would have it to give but it really doesn't grow that fast not in my 10 gallon tanks with DIY CO2, 50+ppm and 30+w/g. I have seen really nice carpets of it but only in really high light and pressurized CO2. I think that clover would be a better idea as it will grow faster and be easier to handle. But if you really want to try it go for it. I really love the look of HC and will not quit on it but it isn't something I will use for a carpet plant. I have it in plastic canvas on rockwool so it can grow "cubes" of it and have a cool effect with it. Microsword would be really cool if the tank is a larger one. I would do it in my 10 gallon but it would be too tall.

As for MTS, I would recommend getting them now. They can do what you can't in a well planted tank.

 

[Glenc]

I have pretty good carpets of HC in two tanks, I don't gravel vac it at all. Once HC starts to thicken up, it almost starts to grow on top of itself. The bottom layer stays anchored to the substrate, but if you gravel vac it, the top layers starts to lift. Sorry to high jack the thread guys, fish_4_all, what are you using for substrate? Every thing else you are doing sounds ideal, Your HC should be taking off like a rocket!

 

[fish_4_all]

Standard LFS epoxy gravel mixed with standard river bed gravel about 1/2 the size of the LFS epoxy gravel. Up until I got the anacharis again, nothing would stay rooted in it,and I mean nothing! I think larger gravel needs to age a long time before it will support rooted plants. Either that or lots of root tabs. I am sl,owly going to eithger change out or add pool filter sand so I have a finer substrate and maybe then the HC will grow for me as well as all the other plants.

Is a really good point though, if you really want a good carpet plant to work in your tank, the first thing you need to think about is a fine substrate.

 

[Glenc]

If you get a finer substrate in there I think you will see a big difference in your HC, everything else is ideal.

 

[Alshain]

I too read that HC needed a fine substrate. Is Eco-Complete fine enough for HC?

EDIT: NM, answered my own question by reading LWB's post.

 

[Glenc]

Eco complete is what mine is growing in. It works great.