Vacum gravel during initial Cycle?

D

Dan the Fish

AC Members
Sep 22, 2005
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hi all I am still in the process of the initial fish cycle and i am having a spike in ammonia content and need to do another water change. iI have heard that the substrate is where the biological stuff is and not sure if i should take the water from the gravel area. I was wondering if I should vacum the gravel or just take water from the middle of the tank?
:help:
 
is that not where the benificial bacteria live? and would i not be delaying the process by sucking that up?
 
I didnt gravel vac at all during my initial cycle, and I cycled fully in about 3 weeks using a bunch of seeded gravel. I know it was asked before and someone recommended to just hover the vac over the gravel to get the top lying waste, otherwise dont disturb it too much.
 
Everytime I do a water change I vaccum my gravel... because there's waste that is stuck in between the rocks that you'll need to get out... and it wouldn't suck anything up other then the waste...

That's just my understanding...

And I thought that the other post was for someone who was using sand?... They just put the vaccum over the sand so that it wouldn't get stuck inside the vaccum??
 
staceyanna said:
I didnt gravel vac at all during my initial cycle, and I cycled fully in about 3 weeks using a bunch of seeded gravel. I know it was asked before and someone recommended to just hover the vac over the gravel to get the top lying waste, otherwise dont disturb it too much.
Click to expand...



Did You Have a fishless cycle or a fish cycle? Also did you read or research your method or did you just assume the same way i did, that perhaps maybe you shouldnt?
thanks
 
misscrosson said:
Everytime I do a water change I vaccum my gravel... because there's waste that is stuck in between the rocks that you'll need to get out... and it wouldn't suck anything up other then the waste...

That's just my understanding...

And I thought that the other post was for someone who was using sand?... They just put the vaccum over the sand so that it wouldn't get stuck inside the vaccum??
Click to expand...

Did you vacum gravel during you beginning fish cycle?
 
If its a fishless cycle, there shouldn't be anything in the substrate to vacuum up.

If its a cycle with fish, I'd vacuum the gravel as I normally would .... once a month or so. (or more, if ammonia/ nitrite really spikes dangerously high!) After all, you are trying to simulate your typical bio-load. If you don't plan on vacuuming the gravel often, then don't do it during the initial cycle.

It would be helpful to know what is your power filter and whether or not you are using an undergravel filter.
 
Galaxie said:
It would be helpful to know what is your power filter and whether or not you are using an undergravel filter.
Click to expand...


i have a 115v whisper external power filter.
and im cycling with a long fined danio, it has also been almost 4 weeks since i put fish in to start the cycle.

levels are:
.5 ammonia (but i need to water change cause it has spiked)
7.6ph
0 nitrites (no sign of them yet)
0 Nitrates (obviously :clap: )

Should I vacum if i intend on getting a corydoras?
 
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