Few questions about cleaning.

[shaunakadub]

Just a few quick questions about cleaning my tank:

1.) Is it ok to remove decor to clean it with a algae scrub? Or should I leave it in there and scrub it in the tank? Its only one thing I want to take out to clean, so it's not like im changing the entire enviorment of the fish so they wont get confused, and when I finish cleaning it, its going right back in the same place.

2.) I just finished my cycle, so is it ok to do a very deep gravel vac? I don't want to vacuum out all of the bacteria, but im sure there is a lot in the filter.

3.) It is my 10 gallon I am cleaning, so when I do gravel vac's, the water level lowers quite rapidly. Would it be ok to do a gravel vac on 1/2 of the tank, re-fill, and then vac the other 1/2 of the tank?

Thanks for your time guys and gals, so far you guys have kept every single one of my fish happy and healthy =p I really can't imagine how things would have went without this website :huh:

 

[YuccaPatrol]

1) Go ahead and remove your decorations and clean them outside the tank, especially if you find it easier. Your fish won't mind and will settle right in once you return the decorations.

2) Go ahead and vacuum your gravel. The bacteria you want to keep is attached to the gravel, so vacuuming it won't remove it.

3) Just vacuum one side of the tank with the volume of water you would normally remove. Next time you do a water change, vacuum the other side.

Hope that helps! :dance2:

 

[Watcher74]

Agree with above.

 

[shaunakadub]

Hope that helps! :dance2:

Absolutly did! Thanks much Yucca!

 

[rrkss]

Sometimes I take my plastic decorations of of the tank and soak them in a bowl with some bleachwater. Leave them in the bleachwater for 20 minutes or so and take them out and rinse them very well. Then soak them for 5 minutes in a bowl with some dechlorinator and add them back to the tank. Takes any algae off of them and they look good as new.