OK, after the driftwood, decorations, and plants are in how do you vacuum the gravel without moving things or taking everything out? How often should I be vacuuming? 46 gallon with tetras (medium sized), plecos, platies and dojos
Vacuuming with plants?
- Thread starter tpl*co
- Start date
Well my solution to the same problem was to buy a different vaccum. The best are the ones that the syphon tube is cut on an angle, or even better yet ones that have a gravel attatchment that widen the intake. The smaller syphons are also good beacuse they are smaller so they have more pressure, so they suck up more garbage, but less water. You can syphon way more before having to empty your bucket. that's my suggestion.
If the tank is heavily planted then vacuuming the gravel is rarely done at all. The fish waste will eventually filter through the gravel and be used by the plants.
In my tank I only vacuum the small patches of gravel that are open. I never move driftwood, etc.
In my tank I only vacuum the small patches of gravel that are open. I never move driftwood, etc.
Wow is that good news, but what if...
I have my plants in pots? the java moss doesn't have much of a root system, I do have some of my anubias in the gravel and the water wisteria has sent roots out of the pot into the gravel, but the rest are in pots or attached to wood.
I have my plants in pots? the java moss doesn't have much of a root system, I do have some of my anubias in the gravel and the water wisteria has sent roots out of the pot into the gravel, but the rest are in pots or attached to wood.
If your plants are in pots, I doubt that the tank is heavily planted so you can just gravel vac as you would an unplanted fish tank. The plants aren't using the nutrients anyway since they're not in the substrate.
I hope you aren't using any of the pots that the plants came in - they have that fibrous rooting material? If so, you want to remove that growing medium before you put the plants in your tank. Its loaded full of nutrients and can cause a huge mess.
Why are the plants still in the pots, anyway?
Also, make sure that you don't bury the rhizome of the anubias - only the long roots can be placed in the gravel. If the rhizome is covered the plant will probably rot away....
I hope you aren't using any of the pots that the plants came in - they have that fibrous rooting material? If so, you want to remove that growing medium before you put the plants in your tank. Its loaded full of nutrients and can cause a huge mess.
Why are the plants still in the pots, anyway?
Also, make sure that you don't bury the rhizome of the anubias - only the long roots can be placed in the gravel. If the rhizome is covered the plant will probably rot away....
No, not the pots they came in *a-heim*
Though some I just removed. They are in large low orchid type clay pots and one is in a plastic orchid pot. I put them in there to that my boisterous dojos don't knock them around and I end up with floating plants before they root
. I can also control what type of substrate I put in the pot instead of putting it all in my gravel (I used to have a plastic planted tank until I switched to the real thing!). Also, it gives me the oportunity to move plants in case they don't like a spot I put them in. The wisteria has since planted itself in the regular gravel. Now in hind sight I wonder if I should use bottomless pots? The anubias are on the wood and java moss or rubberbanded to larger rocks (hey, I do my research! 
Of course the predominant plant is the moss, but my other plants are around 6 -10", not babies (except for some small crypts I got that need to grow some more).
Does that wool stuff ever leach enough nutriants to be reused in a tank? I find it helps weigh down my smaller plants long enough for them to outgrow being knocked around so much.
Though some I just removed. They are in large low orchid type clay pots and one is in a plastic orchid pot. I put them in there to that my boisterous dojos don't knock them around and I end up with floating plants before they root
. I can also control what type of substrate I put in the pot instead of putting it all in my gravel (I used to have a plastic planted tank until I switched to the real thing!). Also, it gives me the oportunity to move plants in case they don't like a spot I put them in. The wisteria has since planted itself in the regular gravel. Now in hind sight I wonder if I should use bottomless pots? The anubias are on the wood and java moss or rubberbanded to larger rocks (hey, I do my research! Of course the predominant plant is the moss, but my other plants are around 6 -10", not babies (except for some small crypts I got that need to grow some more).Does that wool stuff ever leach enough nutriants to be reused in a tank? I find it helps weigh down my smaller plants long enough for them to outgrow being knocked around so much.