Planted tank cleaning

A

ArkyLady

Addict In Training

Nov 27, 2002

564

1

0

58

Arkansas

• Dec 8, 2002

• #1

I've seen some heavily planted tanks that you could barely even see the substrate in most places. What do you do about cleaning in these tanks? Seems a normal gravel cleaner would uproot or damage the plants if you started poking it around there much.

I don't use live plants yet, but will be using them in my next aquarium and I'm just curious

 

R

Richer

AC Members

Aug 7, 2002

888

2

0

42

Edmonton, AB

• Dec 8, 2002

• #2

I just do a surface skim of any exposed gravel mostly for looks. Other than that, I leave the substrate alone.

HTH
-Richer

 

Slappy*McFish

Global Moderator

Staff member

Feb 18, 2002

7,836

49

75

Raleigh, NC

• Dec 8, 2002

• #3

I never disturb the substrate in my planted tanks either..all I do is clean the glass if needed, do my water changes, and clean the filter...oh yeah, and prune and trim the plants too.

 

gcvt

Functional Aquaholic

Mar 15, 2001

795

0

0

57

SF, CA

www.motorworld.com

• Dec 8, 2002

• #4

Same here. My gravel vacuum hasn't actually touched the sustrate in well over a year. I have strong current and a sand substrate, so nothing really has a chance to settle - everything just gets picked up by the filters.

 

T

Tom.E

AC Members

Jan 6, 2000

136

0

16

New York, USA

• Dec 8, 2002

• #5

I have a 1 inch thick ‘ring around the tank’ of debris under the substrates of my older plant tanks. Even if you don’t start off with an organic substrate, it soon becomes one.


Tom