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what is the best way to vac the gravel in a planted tank. besides rotating the area. do you just not vac the gravel and remove the lower water and let the plants hopefully consume the muck.

DjRichie
"Don't Panic"

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

If your tank is fully planted, gravel vac'ing just doesn't happen. Every now and again I will vac when I pull the plants up for various reasons. Could be every few months though. The plants will use the detritus to their advantage though, so it's considered ok to skip it most of the time. Just get what you can.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Hi,
In the open spaces, you rotate as you mentioned vacuuming
each time down to the glass bottom of the tank. For the
planted areas, most of us swirl our partially cupped hand
rigorously in circular motions so we are forcing water
upward and drawing the loose detritus out of the plants and
into the water column where we siphon it off.

Frank


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

I'm from the old school and still use UGF. So is this an advantage now with heavy planted tanks. I try and get all open areas but reverse flow every three months. The reason I ask is because sometimes it seems I get a Ph lock. After WC the CO2 comes on and holds it at 7.0 but after 3 days it drop to 6.5 and never rises again. I use the co2 to lower the ph because the water comes in at 8.9 city water and a KH of 2. Coral water table here in Miami I'm guessing on Kh. Anyway it will just sit a 6.5 and other time it raises and lowers with the CO2 PH controller. When it locks as I call it, I do a WC of 15gals on 55us gal planted tank and everything goes back to normal operation. My thinking is plant and fish waste. Only thing there is all other tests are perfect just the ph sits at 6.5. I don't see any stress on the fish and this is show community tank. I'm just wondering why, I've never seen this before.

Thank You
DjRichie
"Don't Panic"

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams