maintenance question on a heavily planted tank

[dereks]

I'm working on covering the bottom of my aquarium with plants. I've seen guys like Takashi Amano that have the substrate in their aquariums completely covered in plants. Do tanks like these not need a gravel vac? Or are they just very lightly stocked?

 

[tanker]

You do not really need to do a major gravel vac if you have lots of plants. The roots "Shift" the gravel very well.

I have a heavily planted tank, but not have the bottom covered. I just vac around my plants. OK for years.

 

[dereks]

thanks, tanker

 

[Slappy*McFish]

Agreed, planted tank substrates typically do not need to be vacuumed and it's not uncommon to enrich such substrates with fertilizer tablets and/or soil, laterite, etc. I avoid disturbing the deep layers of substrate immediately around rooted plants, but sometimes use my hand to wave/aerate/stir up the top layer a bit and periodically will pick up rocks and driftwood to remove accumulations of mulm/detritus that build up under them over time. I wouldn't bother doing this if the driftwood is anchored as the focal point, however. Doing so would destroy the aquascape.

 

[ROYWS3]

agreed x2

Waving your hand to cause a current is a favorite technique of mine to get surface detritus up and out of tight growers like Bylxa, micro swords, etc, so you can either siphon or let the filter remove

 

[coach_z]

i usually just swirl my gravel vac an inch above the area i want to concentrate on. all the junk floats up about an inche and then i suck it up.
or....i don't really do anything about it.

 

[dereks]

Oh cool, that's cool because I'm also using micro swords to cover the bottom. Turns out it shouldn't take too long either, they're growing shoots faster than I expected.

 

[kreesdqban]

Good info. I just got some EcoComplete and it seems like the fish waste just sits on top of the gravel and I feel like its not sanitary for my cory and khuli loach who always swim in it. I'll have to try that stirring up technique.

Don't mean to thread jack, but on the topic of stirring up the top of the gravel... Is it also necessary to shift the lower layers of gravel to release toxic gases that can build up? I heard this somewhere, but not exactly sure if it necessary.

 

[tanker]

Is it also necessary to shift the lower layers of gravel to release toxic gases that can build up? I heard this somewhere, but not exactly sure if it necessary.

I do not think this is true of planted tanks.