Gravel Vacuum

hurricanejedi

hurricanejedi

AC Members
Apr 4, 2005
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Raleigh, NC
www.flowerspride.com
I haven't had a tank since I was young and didn't have the money to buy these wonderful devices that make keeping a tank a little easier. So I'm new into the hobby again but my idea is to get a 36 gallon tank. I've been looking at these hoses/gravel vacuums that say they make water changes so easy because you can just hook them up to your faucet. This might be a silly question but when you add water to your tank shouldn't you dechlorinate it first and how would that work with this kind of device? Also wouldn't a gravel vacuum disrupt plants (I'm planning on having live plants this time)? What are recommendation on products? I would rather have something that costs a little more and last longer and works well than something cheaper.

Thanks in advance!
 
You add dechlorinator as you fill the tank up...it works, many do it this way. In planted tanks, you just wouldn't push the vaccum into the gravel near the plants, rather sweep it just over or lightly touching the gravel so as not to disturb the roots. They certainly are worth the money IMO.
 
beviking said:
You add dechlorinator as you fill the tank up...it works, many do it this way. In planted tanks, you just wouldn't push the vaccum into the gravel near the plants, rather sweep it just over or lightly touching the gravel so as not to disturb the roots. They certainly are worth the money IMO.
Click to expand...

Yes,what he said.....................
 
I used a python with the non-planted tank I had before, and am re-learning how to use it on my planted tank with sand and fluorite substrate. I really liked it int he gravel, I could shove the tube to the bottom of the tank thru the gravel and suck all the gunk out. I am finding that if I shove it in the substrate I have now, it will suck the sand up some, but it does fall back down, and I have been vaccuming around the plants. I've only done it a couple of times, but I think I'll get the hang of it and do a better job. I even used it to rearrange some sand..sucked it up and moved it over. It will go up in the tube to some extent but doesn't get sucked away in the hose.

I even vaccumed my java moss with it, and the hornwort, altho that was trickier. I was grossed out to find all the fishfood that had accumulated there!I'd been looking at the java moss wondering what to do with it becasue it seems to trap all the stuff that floats around and I was pleased at the results I had from vaccuming it. Didn't hurt it any that I could tell.
 
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