gravel vacuuming

[smith100]

I've seen some african tanks in which the rock work almost completely covers the bottom of the tank.how often do you vacuum the gravel bed or do you just siphon off a portion of the water and replace it?

[tom]

Hi and welcome, Smith100

Ideally, the gravel should be vacuumed with every water change. Simply removing the water defeats much of the purpose of the water change since it doesn't relieve the tank of nitrate-producing and alkalinity-affecting detritus.

So my answer would (have to) be "as often as I do water changes".....and I'll answer no further questions on the subject :D

[SGypsyMermaid]

i don't mean to promote bad fish-keeping habits, but my tanks are filled end to end with rocks that are piled half the height of the tank. there is no way that i'm taking out all those rocks every week. there's about an inch of substrate and a lot of trumpet snails to pick up small bits of food, 50-100% water changes each week(never 100% at once), and most of the rock is calcareous to counterract any acidifying by the mulm. okay, i know i'm about to be crucified for this.(beginner's should not do this.)

[tom]

Maybe...But you do get the honest fishkeeper award. :D

[hybrid]

theres an award?

I have seen people with rock-tropoloises use power heads to promote a current running through the rocks that lifts the detrius off the surface and into the filters.

Off course, they still do a lot of water changes.

Personally, I vacuum gravel AND sand at every water change. Its tough, I move all the rocks out and clean clean clean. yowsah

[SGypsyMermaid]

"rock-tropolis"--- a new word for our glossary...i like it!:D

i'm gonna start a new thread.

[AlvinV]

I had one of these "rock-tropolis'es" a couple years back. Hard to keep and I had to give up. I've since moved them from one side to the other when I do my water changes - 50% every other week or so. I also have one third of the rocks I used to have. My filter is taking a hit, but hey, my fish are doing well and I'm not complaining either :D

[tbrodale]

You shouldnt change more than 25% of the water every other day.

Also I was wondering-how to you clean sand-doesnt it get sucked up in the syphon or vacuum?

[cathyhill]

Once a week I start at one end and wave my hand vertical to the sand and slowly move to the other end of the tank, working around the rocks. It moves all the debris to one end of the tank and then I siphon it all up with the water change. Very easy and gets the job done without having to move the rocks.

Cathy

[Watcher]

i vacuum around the rocks in my tank and get the gravel pretty good.

[SGypsyMermaid]

Originally posted by cathyhill
Once a week I start at one end and wave my hand vertical to the sand and slowly move to the other end of the tank, working around the rocks. It moves all the debris to one end of the tank and then I siphon it all up with the water change. Very easy and gets the job done without having to move the rocks.

Cathy

cathy are you waving your hand or your wand ?:lol:

[SGypsyMermaid]

Originally posted by tbrodale
You shouldnt change more than 25% of the water every other day.



why not?

[AlvinV]

SGypsyMermaid:

I think TBrodale recommended that because it may have something to do with the bacteria count, nitrate level in the water, as well as the pH. (I know TBrodale will certainly correct me if I'm wrong on this!)

Personally, I think a complete water change in that short amount of time makes the water way too clean when you compare it to what you would find in a local stream, so the fish can't live in it - it just doesn't match a fish's natural environment.

[SGypsyMermaid]

Originally posted by AlvinV
SGypsyMermaid:

I think TBrodale recommended that because it may have something to do with the bacteria count, nitrate level in the water, as well as the pH. (I know TBrodale will certainly correct me if I'm wrong on this!)

Personally, I think a complete water change in that short amount of time makes the water way too clean when you compare it to what you would find in a local stream, so the fish can't live in it - it just doesn't match a fish's natural environment.

fish in the wild live in extremely clean water...that is, the level of dissolved organics, nitrogen compounds is very low. imho, the only way to approximate these conditions is by frequent large water changes.

[hybrid]

really? I have been reading about the dangerous nitrogen levels found in Victoria, of course Vic is royally screwed now :(

I have also read that some areas of Malawi are in trouble too due to human waste being dumped.

Of course, I understand what you are saying about large frequent water changes. There is no substitute for large frequent water changes.

[SGypsyMermaid]

Originally posted by hybrid
really? I have been reading about the dangerous nitrogen levels found in Victoria, of course Vic is royally screwed now :(

I have also read that some areas of Malawi are in trouble too due to human waste being dumped.

Of course, I understand what you are saying about large frequent water changes. There is no substitute for large frequent water changes.

SA!!!:mad:

[hybrid]

south america?

[SGypsyMermaid]

Originally posted by hybrid
south america?

no...smart a**!

[matt1066]

I vacuum the gravel once a week, every second/third week i remove everything in the tank, and vacuum everything. That is what I do to my 125g with gravel.

My 55g with sand is much easier to keep, I will be moving in @ 8months and will change over the 125 to sand...after that its sand for me, forever!

Regards,

Matt