Cleaning Tank With Plants

[andyboy!!]

How do you clean your gravel where the plants are? I have a self start vac type thingy, which is quite wide. Obviously sticking it in where the plants are would damage them. Do you remove them? I was just concerned that the waste would build up in these areas if you just left it.

Also, do you remove rocks and other decorative items whilst vacuming?

Cheers!
Andy.

 

[yvez9]

I usually don't remove anything while cleaning the tanks. Maybe once a year I'll remove things and clean underneath the decorations.

be careful around the roots and it should go well

 

[mappy24]

This is something i've often wondered about too.

I normally remove and replant the plants, it allows me to change things around a bit after vacuuming I think I might try just leaving the plants in and not be so thorough around the roots.

 

[Matty P]

It probably is safer just to leave the plants were they are and vacum very carefully around them.

Matt

 

[TwoTankAmin]

As somebody with 15 planted tanks I knew early on that tradition gravity powered syphons had two real drawbacks. First, they sucked too hard, often removing the plants. Second, to be afle to get the whole tank vacuumed using one was impossible as one will remove all the water in the tank before being able to complete the cleaning. Plants often attract gunk and they need to be vacuumed as much as the substrate.

My solution was to dedicate a H.O.T. Magnum canister as my vacuum using their vacuum attachment. The suction was perfect for using on the plants without pulling them out of the gravel. I can now spend 30 minytes doing a careful, slow and thorough vacuuming and not temove a drop of water from the tank.

 

[Watersprite]

As somebody with 15 planted tanks I knew early on that tradition gravity powered syphons had two real drawbacks. First, they sucked too hard, often removing the plants. Second, to be afle to get the whole tank vacuumed using one was impossible as one will remove all the water in the tank before being able to complete the cleaning. Plants often attract gunk and they need to be vacuumed as much as the substrate.

My solution was to dedicate a H.O.T. Magnum canister as my vacuum using their vacuum attachment. The suction was perfect for using on the plants without pulling them out of the gravel. I can now spend 30 minytes doing a careful, slow and thorough vacuuming and not temove a drop of water from the tank.

Hi, I'm totally new to fishkeeping and I've just used my vacuum gravity powered syphon for the first time and I also found that I syphoned out way too much water before I had cleaned the tank. What is a H.O.T. Magnum canister? Not got any fish yet, just finished fishless cycle, think that I would have scared any fish just trying to get the syphon going. Any Tips??

 

[cheesy feet]

As somebody with 15 planted tanks I knew early on that tradition gravity powered syphons had two real drawbacks. First, they sucked too hard, often removing the plants. Second, to be afle to get the whole tank vacuumed using one was impossible as one will remove all the water in the tank before being able to complete the cleaning. Plants often attract gunk and they need to be vacuumed as much as the substrate.

My solution was to dedicate a H.O.T. Magnum canister as my vacuum using their vacuum attachment. The suction was perfect for using on the plants without pulling them out of the gravel. I can now spend 30 minytes doing a careful, slow and thorough vacuuming and not temove a drop of water from the tank.

With my planted tanks a just swoosh the waste up with my hand so it's floating around, then i vac most of it out with the water and any remainding bits the filters clean up.Pretty easy.

Hi, I'm totally new to fishkeeping and I've just used my vacuum gravity powered syphon for the first time and I also found that I syphoned out way too much water before I had cleaned the tank. What is a H.O.T. Magnum canister? Not got any fish yet, just finished fishless cycle, think that I would have scared any fish just trying to get the syphon going. Any Tips??

If it's siphoning the water to fast buy a thinner/smaller tube.

 

[BHornsey]

Hi,
I got the Eheim gravel vac; amazing piece of kit. Only reservation, it's for deeper tanks. It's fine on my 115 Gall & my Trigon 190, but it's too tall for my Rekord 70
>> Eheim Gravel Vacuum <<

 

[smooth_bourbon]

I usually don't remove anything while cleaning the tanks. Maybe once a year I'll remove things and clean underneath the decorations.

be careful around the roots and it should go well

Ditto


Just make sure you have the right size vac for the tank I use a python in my 80 and 29 but I have a tiny little one for my 5 gallon.

 

[Watersprite]

Hi,
I got the Eheim gravel vac; amazing piece of kit. Only reservation, it's for deeper tanks. It's fine on my 115 Gall & my Trigon 190, but it's too tall for my Rekord 70
>> Eheim Gravel Vacuum <<

Just looked at link for the Eheim gravel vac, looks brilliant, mines a 125litre tank (did you mean 115 Gall or litres?). May consider it if can't get hang of my gravity vac. Thanks for info.

 

[Watersprite]

Oops forget about last comment asking verification of size of tank, just looked in your photo link showing your tank. Wow that's a real big one! Looks fantastic

 

[JackoUK]

I have a different vac for all of my tanks. Not only because of the size and speed of siphoning but I try to keep a set of equipment unique to each tank so as not contaminate a healthy tank with anything from one of my others.

I tend to leave my plants in and only remove my wood and rocks about once every 6 weeks when i'm feeling in a thorough mood.