General Tank Cleaning/Vacuming

[FanOFish]

OK....you were all correct and I finally broke down and purchased a Python for cleaning my tank. Although it worked great and make breaking down a tank much easier I still have questions for some of you.

1. For those of you with heavily planted live plants in your tank, how do you really vacume the substrate? My plants are all silk so I took them out as well as a large rock formation and several river stones. All that was left in my tank was a big piece of driftwood and fish.

2. How often do you recommend this type of cleaning? When I put my tank back together I of course added new landscaping per suggestions from a couple weeks ago. I think it looks much better with contrasting plant color etc. However, it is going to be much harder to clean because the bottom is mostly covered now with plants and large stones.

3. Last question, I can see it may be near impossible to retrieve a dead fish because I may never notice it missing....small fish like neons. What is the effect of a fish decomposing in a tank?

Thanks

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I wonder about the last question myself as I have had a carinal tetra go missing recently and I cannot find it.

As for gravel claening around plants...I never got that deep and I just drop the stones back round the pots that they are in, I don't clean round the tiger lilly for fear of damaging it!

I do a light gravel clean weekly, but I don't dig deep. Just a surface clean.

 

[guppygirly]

I usually vaccume around the plants as best as I can once a week. Not too deep, except in the open areas and the corners.

I think decomposing fish just add ammonia, like rotting food. A small one probably won't throw your cycle off. I've missed dead juvenile guppies before and haven't had any problems.

 

[FanOFish]

Thanks, any other suggestions about how to clean around plants, or do you remove everything prior to cleaning?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi FanOFish

One point you will want to remember when you clean your tank is that the beneficial bacteria that keep your tank cycled are clinging to all the surfaces including the plants and decorations. When you take them out of the water the bacteria dies. Therefore, if you have to move them to clean, it's better to just push them aside or let them float while you vacuum the bottom.

Cleanliness is important to all fish and even more important if you have bottom feeders like your corys, so if you keep a heavily decorated tank, you must realize that it will involve more work to maintain it.

I saw your tank in the pictures section and it is beautiful, but it will take a bit more effort to keep it a healthy environment for your fish. It will be worth it, though!

 

[FanOFish]

Thanks Inch....one last question, I have an Emperor bio-wheel filter. In addition to the wheel there are to charcol type filters in there as well. I'm sure that there is quite a build up of bacteria on the wheel as well as the filters. Is that not enough to sustain the tank through a good cleaning? I was planning to clean maybe a third of the tank each time going forward now that it's had a very good cleaning.....

I guess it's a learn as you go?