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I was wondering, when I want to do my water changes and use a gravel vacuum I will but I don't know if I should because I keep live plants, Any suggestions? Ideas?

Any advicec/help/suggestions is GREATLY APPERCIATED!!

THANKS IN ADAVANCE!!

10G- 6 Zebra Danios, 1 Upside Down Catfish
20G- 1 Goldfish
72G(maybe95)- Need Stock suggestions

A good idea is to split your tank into imaginary quadrants and take out the plants on one quarter for the water change and vaccum that part and then to to put the plants back and do another section the next time you do a water change. Another thing is that with a heavily planted tank you may not need a gravel vac as often since the roots help with it.

-Vincent

Hi,
The sections that are planted, leave alone.
Mentally divide the non-planted area of the tank into
four sections. With your weekly water change, vacuum
a different section. That way with each month, you will
have cleaned the entire, non planted tank.
In the planted sections use your hands to swirl the water
around rustling up the leaves. That motion will loosen
any debris between the plants up into the water column
where you will be able to siphon it off along with the
water.
I DO NOT recommend tearing the plants out of the gravel
unless you want to rearrange the tank. Every time you
do something like that you damage the root system.
Then, when you replant them, they have to regrow the
finer roots, and re-acclimate to the newly disturbed
gravel. Tearing your plants out a section at a time
and replanting them is completely unnecessary. Your
tank does not need to be that "clean."

Frank


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

sorry, about that I realize that it is bad but I meant with "it needs less gravel vacing" that it only needs it every 2 months or so. It helps my tank, if I am not supposed to be doing that then this it is a good learning experience for me.

-Vincent

It's quite fine Vincent ^^ I did that a while back. I decided to borrow a friend's syphon and I took everything out of the tank...Not a good sight lol :-P

Thank you Frank. Thank you too Vincent. I apperciate it ^_^

10G- 6 Zebra Danios, 1 Upside Down Catfish
20G- 1 Goldfish
72G(maybe95)- Need Stock suggestions