Cleaning A Planted Tank

[manwithnofish]

I have a new 70 gal fw planted tank. Just finished it's second week of cycling (with about 18 small fish). Incidentally, the NH3, NO2, & NO3 are all zero. I'm also new to the hobby (first aquarium). I'm leaning toward the teachings of Diana Walstad's book "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium: A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist". I'm not using soil from the back yard, however I am using an equal mix of Flourite and Eco-Complete. I have read other threads from people using Eco-Complete that they do not clean with vacuum deep into the substrate. They move the vacuum lightly over the top without disturbing the substrate. According to Diana, she never vacuums and does water changes very infrequently when everything is in balance (when she's not working on a problem or setting up a new tank). Not wanting to start a thread to debate Diana's methods!!!

If my goal is to not intervene any more that necessary (i.e. vacuum bottom of tank as little as possible or never), what would be the signs that I need to clean it better or more often? What's going to go wrong that should tell me "Oh, I need to vacuum the tank"! Bear in mind, I have and intend to maintain a heavily planted tank (but without fert regimes and CO2). If I fail, I fail, but I'm not going to go down that road until I find out that the low maintenance methods won't work. Actually, Diana has already demonstrated that it will work, I just may not be able to learn how to do it without pull my last hair out.

 

[DevUK]

I think if you are going the Diana aproach you shouldn't really vac the substrate, as the idea is that this is your plant ferts. Correct me if I'm wrong

 

[manwithnofish]

I think if you are going the Diana aproach you shouldn't really vac the substrate, as the idea is that this is your plant ferts. Correct me if I'm wrong

But what are the signs in a "non-Diana" tank when one's house is need of cleaning? Does is generally manifest in an spike in Nitrates or something? Why does anyone vacuum and how do they know how often it's needed? In my house, I can see when I need to vacuum the floor (we don't vacuum every day or week or anything...just when it needs it).

 

[fozziebear]

i vacuum every waterchange, and i just aim for all the bits of dead leafs and stuff, i just brush it over my foreground plants.

 

[manwithnofish]

i vacuum every waterchange, and i just aim for all the bits of dead leafs and stuff, i just brush it over my foreground plants.

but you are keeping yours clean. I guess what I'm asking is, what would happen if you stopped. What would be the signs or what parameters would get out of kilter? Are you cleaning just because you like to clean or because something "Bad" will happen if you don't? I know a lady who vacations at the beach and the first thing she does when she gets there is clean the windows (removes the salt spray so she can see the ocean). Cleaning the windows is the last thing I want to do when I go on vacation. See what I mean?

 

[fozziebear]

basically i do it because its part of my routine and i think the bits of leaves look unsightly, if i didnt do it they would rot and turn into nutrients for the plants, it wouldnt do any harm as long as my filter is cleaned regularly and is working, but i dose nutrients regularly and have an eco-complete substrate, so i dont need to leave my substrate alone for nutrients,

 

[manwithnofish]

if i didnt do it they would rot and turn into nutrients for the plants

What's wrong with this. Isn't it good that plants have nutrients. I'm wondering if you would have to add nutrients if you left it there. Or is the rotting going to cause dangerous levels of toxic chemical (even in a heavily planted tank)?

but i dose nutrients regularly

In case I ever figure all this out and understand why you do what you do, what is the dosing regime (product, quantities, frequency) that you use?

and have an eco-complete substrate, so i dont need to leave my substrate alone for nutrients

I also use Eco-Complete (mixed w/Flourite). I don't think I understand the last part of this statement, where you don't need to leave my substrate alone for nutrients. Can you clarify that?

 

[fozziebear]

well eco complete and flourite are nutrient rich substrates and so don't need added nutrients, they are standalone and will last for years before the resources are exhausted, you can if you want to, but i choose not to because the detritis looks unsightly, i like my planted tank to look good.

i choose to vacuum because i don't like it looking messy with brown leaves all over my foreground carpet, but i don't vacuum too much as to remove all the fish poo and wash the gravel, i just hoover over the top sucking up dead leaves.


i dose the EI (estimative index) routine, there is a thread stickied in this forum which details the dosing for different sized tank and the method behind it. i dose dry fertilizers, KNO3 KH2PO4 and trace elements (a powder mix from www.aquaessentials.co.uk

 

[manwithnofish]

Thank you very much. I'm learning to find people who have similar setups as I have and also have similar objectives. If it's working for you, it should work for me. Sometimes not having 15 different people with as many opinions, is much more useful. And too often people stop by a thread and throw in their single comment and never return to follow it through. I appreciate the fact that you stayed with my little thread and reponded with very simple answers. Yahoo!

 

[fozziebear]

well i wouldnt say it was working for me, i have problems with lighting, i need to upgrade and have different bulbs, its causing some staghorn and Green spot algae, but other than that everything is good, i have pressurized co2 and fert dosing.

 

[manwithnofish]

I'm trying to avoid the pressurized CO2 and fert dosing. Again, I'm leaning toward the teachings of Diana Walstad's book "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium: A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist". This is my first aquarium so, I'm sure finding it more complicated than one would think.

 

[fozziebear]

low tech is a good way to go, much cheaper for the beginner, you dont need co2 or ferts, just low lighting, im not much of a low tech person myself, but i would contact lldjma, shes a moderator on here, she has a few low tech aquariums and would have some great advice on setting one up, the journals to them are in the journal area of this forum.

 

[manwithnofish]

Define low lighting. I have a 70 gal tank but with odd measurements (it's tall). The dimensions are 36' (left to right), 18" (front to back), and 25" tall (top to bottom). I have a Tek-Light system with 4 lamps (T-5 HOs). I can burn 2 lamps independent of the other two lamps (separate switch), so with all 4 turned on I get 156 watts otherwise just half that.

Where do I find the Journals?

 

[fozziebear]

sounds like you have a lot of light, but you have a very tall tank which makes your actual WPG lower, there is a stickied thread in this section of the forum on lighting too, it explains it all, low light, high light, everything, the journals are at the top of the page of this section, says Planted aquarium journals.