FishProfiles.com Message Forums

The cycle is complete! Ammonia 0, NitrItes 0, NitrAtes 8, PH 7.1 The first group of new fish were added a week ago and the same parameters today as just before I added the new guys. How soon do I start with the gravel vac routine? I am getting ready to do my first weekly 25% water change-do I start the gravel vac now and should I do the whole tank or a part of it? Thanks!

whats kind of tank s.w. or f.w.

>>>----> <----<<<

pnh

Oh-sorry! Freshwater...

I gravel vac mine with every water change. Even the first and so fourth. As for how much, that is more a preference thing, as I personally always do the entire substrate.

_____________________________________________________________

There is always a bigger fish...

and one last question how long have the fish been in the tank


>>>----> <----<<<

pnh

Fishkid--I cycled with the danios who were in about 6 weeks and then I added 6 very small harlequin rasbora espei a week ago.

yeah go ahead and vacume with your water change because your fish have had time to settle.

>>>----> <----<<<

pnh

I Gravel Vac. my tank everytime i do a water change &amp; that's every 3 weeks.


http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/s8xi5heh/my_photos
http://www.geocities.com/s8xi5heh/classic_blue.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buzaqq/
http://www.deathbydyeing.org/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

Hi,
Everyone seems to be assuming that your tank houses
fish only and very few, if any, plants. If that is
the case then the advice given is correct. If you
plan on having a well planted tank, and have several
or a lot of plants, then the advice is a bit premature
and you should only vacuum the open areas, and then
only once in a while. Planted tanks need the accumulation
of fish waste to provide the nutrients for plant growth.
Thus, you would only vacuum the open, swimming areas, and
you would do that by dividing those areas into sections
and only vacuuming one section at a time at some interval
such as once a month or every other week.

You don't say anything about the capacity of the tank
so the readers don't know if you have sparsely populated
a 125G, or overloaded a 20G tank. That also makes a
difference. Tanks that are loaded or overloaded need
more attention than one that is sparsely populated.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Frank-it's a 20 gal tall with 5 danios and 6 harlequin rasbora espei. No "real" plants only 5 silk ones. So, the advice given to vacuum the whole tank seems to be good?

Hi,
Yes, absolutely!
They are correct.
Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--