Tank Cleaning Question

Banger

Banger

AC Members
Oct 2, 2004
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o.k. folks lastnights studying was centered on tank cleaning. I'm almost comfortable in my knowledge of it except for a few points. I know we're not supposed to remove the substrate when tank cleaning (good bacteria) does this also go for 1. artificial logs/caves ? 2. shells etc...

Members, I just wanna make sure I'm doing it right. I knwo I'm a bit worrisome about it. Hell I spent the better part of the last 3 weeks studying up on diseases and everynight examining my fish for everything under the sun! lol

I was afraid my kids would get to attached to the fish but loe and behold it was me.
God Bless !
 
Yes, you don't want to remove anything besides water and mulm from between the gravel. When you rise filter material, you only do it in water that was taken from the tank the material belongs to.

Are you cycling? If so, vaccum 1/3 of the bottom and change 50% of the water.
 
As this is in "Cichlids" and not the planted tank section, I would assume the substrate is plain, and gravel. If that is the case, routine cleaning for me involves full-depth vacuuming of the substrate while partialing the tank. Decor resting on the subtrate is moved and vacuumed under (refuges, driftwood, etc). I don't use shells in FW myself (rift lake perhaps?), but any decor that is becoming algae-infested (unless mbuna or other grazers are housed in the tank) or whatever is removed, brushed well under running water, and returned to the tank.

Rinsing filter media from an established tank under tap water of similar temp and hardness/pH etc is not detrimental. For a cycling tank I would stick to removed tank water for the rinse. Never allow mature biomedia to soak in chlorined/chloramined water, but brief rinsing will not harm it.
 
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