cleaning the tank

[fishface33]

this maybe a silly question but when i do a water change sould i put the vacuum hose through the gravel or just take water out of the tank?

 

[bigjohn]

Oh, now that's a question.

I tend to just use a largish syphon and sort of use it to "vacuum" the top of the gravel, afteall, you wouldn't want to clean the gravel too deeply as that may cause problem's with aggregate based bacteria (well according to one of the "fish book's" I got). Though even that can be a little bit difficult if your tank had sandy type substrate.

I also picked up a sort of tank vacuum device, powered by an air pump causing a venturii effect, that causes water/fish pooh to come up the tube and filter through a cloth bag back into the tank - though I'm not sure if it causes the fish any stress, and while the process is pretty slow (I'd have thought a similar device, but suction pumped might be quicker/more efficient), it seems to work.

Sorry it that's no help, but my "fish knowledge" is that extensive, it could be written on the back of a very small postage stamp - just stuff from book's and the local fish shop!

regards

John

 

[Teelie]

I have sand in all my tanks though one has rock and rock gravel so in that one I stick the siphon into the gravel and rock to get the decaying matter that won't be eaten. It won't harm your bacteria and it is a good idea to clean that stuff out if you can.