Cleaning A Fully Planted Tank

[Tropicthunder]

I have seen many pictures of beautiful tanks with lots of live Plants covering the ground how would one clean a tank without destroying the plants with a gravel cleaner?

 

[RobRocksFishTank]

A well planted tank can actually require much less of that type of cleaning. Debris can actually enrich that type of environment to the point that the substrate maintains itself. Water changes are just that. No vacuuming required.

 

[Tropicthunder]

Ok good to know thank you, I was wondering what people did in those situations

 

[Gruntle]

I very rarely siphon the gravel in my tanks now that they are planted fairly heavily.
 
I've noticed a bit of a build up of waste on the surface lately but I just swirl the siphon above the stuff and it sucks away nicely. The substrate itself hasn't been touched in almost a year. Plants are thriving!

 

[betta fish]

Same here, can't get a siphon anywhere near the bottom of my tanks due to the plants I just change the water once a week the fish stir up the detritus at the bottom and it either gets sucked up into the filter or dissolves down to feed the plants.