How do you clean a planted aquarium?

[Nickatron86]

WOW... that tank is beautiful

I know right? Too bad it's not mine... YET!

 

[excuzzzeme]

I have a tank that is heavily planted and lightly stocked. The bio balance is such that I can go months without changing the filter. I change the media 3-4 times a year but do weekly water changes. There are times when I go longer between w/c's without harm but know the plants and fish need the replenishment of trace elements.

 

[smartdog126]

thats for teh info i needed that okay soo... about that tank pic wanna sell that tank to me for a dollar that take is like priceless to own..

 

[Wycco]

I typically vacuum over the sand areas that I haven't planted yet.

I vacuum over the planted areas too- but just lightly- I don't do the thorough stir and clean that I do in the unplanted areas.

 

[KarlTh]

I suck the crud out which collects around the dwarf sag, but other than that, no.

 

[coach_z]

i gravel vac the areas that have gravel to be vac'd. i will also plant vac in order to get the random poop off the plants

 

[jm1212]

you should still stir up the patches of sand/gravel that are bare.

 

[Nickatron86]

I have another question that kinda pertains to this. If you have a heavily planted aquarium (like the one I posted in this thread) would fish like plecos and corys have a hard time feeding from the bottom?

 

[june2000]

I have another question that kinda pertains to this. If you have a heavily planted aquarium (like the one I posted in this thread) would fish like plecos and corys have a hard time feeding from the bottom?

We made open space in the front middle part of tank and put algae wafer / shrimp pellet there and vacuum that open space only. Vacuum for this tank usually takes a minute. But we still do weekly water change of 40-50%.

 

[abcdefghi]

This thread makes me feel a little better about my water changes now!! I am finding it harder to gravel vac the tank, so just end up swirling the gravel vac around to pick up as much as possible.