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With a plant such as java moss that might cover the entire bottom of a tank, how do you vaccume the gravel. Also is java moss or something similar good to have when you have corys?

Hi,
Good question. When you have a plant that actually
carpets the entire substrate then you just "swish"
the syphon over the surface of the plants rubbing
them with the plastic. This will remove the "loose"
stuff and reach some of the detritus. When I do it
I occassionally restrict the vacuum and set the
mouth of my python down into the plants and "cookie
cutter" the tank a third at a time.

With no bare gravel for the cories, I'm not sure
of that answer. I would tend to keep cories in
tanks that have bare substrate for them to root
through. Tanks that have stem plants and plants
like swords would meet that criteria. Tanks that
are covered with foreground plants that cover the
substrate, I would think would not be ideal for them.

Frank


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

I have a lot of Java moss, and the Cories love it. They'll swim in and out of it, sometimes appearing stuck, but eventually will get out. The moss can have an unkempt appearance, and when I thin it, I'll swish the remainder about to shake out some of the debris or fish food that gets stuck in it. Also, don't worry about water changes; it's OK if you cut or tear the moss when doing a vacuum.