vacuum tricks?

[DLB]

Hi - new aquarium owner here. I have 20 gal tall (24") half moon shaped tank. Have 5 cherry barbs right now for starters. Tried to vacuum first time yesterday with a tube about 2" in diameter. I was not able to get it between some of the ornaments to clean all the gravel. Do I have to pick them all up and replace when I vacuum and if so, is there a good tool to help with that?
Thanks for any help you can give me.

 

[eduguy]

You might be able to push the ornaments away while you vacuum that area and then when you are done you can push it back to its spot with the vacuum.

 

[BBradbury]

Tank Maintenance

Hi - new aquarium owner here. I have 20 gal tall (24") half moon shaped tank. Have 5 cherry barbs right now for starters. Tried to vacuum first time yesterday with a tube about 2" in diameter. I was not able to get it between some of the ornaments to clean all the gravel. Do I have to pick them all up and replace when I vacuum and if so, is there a good tool to help with that?
Thanks for any help you can give me.

Hello D...

Vacuuming the bottom of tank isn't a requirement for a healthy tank. All you need to do is perform large, weekly water changes. Everything in the tank eventaully dissolves in the water, so by removing a large percentage of it weekly, you remove the toxins and anything else that will harm your fish and plants. This way, you don't disturb anything on the bottom and cloud the water.

Just a suggestion, though.

B

 

[meegosh]

While I agree with large water changes, I do not agree with simply skipping gravel vacs. Uneaten food and waste need to be removed. Letting them sit and rot until they dissolve is not the best tactic, IMO.

 

[bud29]

Hi there, and to the forum!

You probably do have to temporarily pick up ornaments while vacuuming the substrate, lots of fish waste and uneaten food can gather in the un-vacuumed spots, leading to ammonia spikes.

 

[BBradbury]

Tank Maintenance

While I agree with large water changes, I do not agree with simply skipping gravel vacs. Uneaten food and waste need to be removed. Letting them sit and rot until they dissolve is not the best tactic, IMO.

Hello mee...

Just an opinion from someone with a heavily planted and decorated tank bottom. Fish waste, dead plant material, and everything else in the tank will dissolve in the water in time. Water is referred to a "The Great Dissolver", for the simple reason that it reduces everything put into it into a liquid.

By removing the liquid on a regular basis, you remove anything that has dissolved , including any toxins that can harm the fish.

I may "go out on a limb" here and say if a tank keeper was to change enough tank water often enough, they'd never have to test the water chemistry. It would always be pure. Come to think of it, I've changed half the water in my tanks every week for several years and haven't tested the water in all that time.

By removing and replacing a lot of tank water weekly, there's no time for toxins to build up before the next change.

Pretty simple. But again, just an opinion.

B

 

[meegosh]

While I agree with the science behind it, I still feel regular gravel vacs are a must. Why leave a potential problem in the tank? What if you go on vacation for a couple weeks? Playing devils advocate here..

 

[BBradbury]

Tank Maintenance

While I agree with the science behind it, I still feel regular gravel vacs are a must. Why leave a potential problem in the tank? What if you go on vacation for a couple weeks? Playing devils advocate here..

Hello again mee...

I like that point. I've been away from my tanks for a bit more than two weeks a few times and feed more for a couple of weeks prior to leaving. Then two days prior, I stop all feeding and do an extra large water change. With no food going in, waste production slows accordingly. I come home to very clean tanks.

The fish can easily go a couple of weeks without any food and will live off the little fat they gained when I fed them more than usual.

Not saying vacuuming isn't helpful, but I wouldn't put it on my "required" list of tank maintenance items.

Good talking with you.

B