Gravel Shmoo... keep it, or remove it?

[Nells250]

Another newbie question: GRAVEL SHMOO. Keep it there, or somehow remove it?

In Feb 2024, I added a layer of standard Seachem flourite under a layer of gravel to Plant Test Tank #1. I haven't touched the substrate since.

NOW the substrate looks NASTY underneath.

But I get confused reading that tanks SHOULD be cleaned, but also that tanks should be left alone.

Plants have been doing well, and I have lots of baby shrimp now, but that shmoo looks bad, and I don't know if it is beneficial shmoo, that belongs there, or yucky shmoo that should be removed.

Yesterday I checked all 4 tanks, and all had no ammonia. That made me relax a bit. But I'd like to know what the correct thing to do is. Still trying to understand "beneficial bacteria". I assume it is all shrimp poo, and bio-waste from those seed shrimp thingies.

AND if I should remove it, HOW??? I tried using my simple gravel vac the other day on one small section, and it did remove a lot of the stuff, but it stirred stuff up into the water. How do people vac a tank with established plants in it?? Doesnt' it disturb roots and make a general mess?

This is one reason I have been putting plants in pots.

HELP!

 

[MattW]

I have this in my 90L the only difference being it's smothered by cyanobacteria .
My cryptocorne roots have slowly started to come to the front of the tank, and I have seen that where roots are, there is less cyanobacteria and "shmoo".
If I remember I'll grab a picture tomoz to show the difference.

Since I got into planted aquariums I have never gravel vacc'd unless the area I vacuum has no rooted plants present. I found the majority of the "shmoo" in my tanks is made up of decaying plant waste, fish/shrimp poop, and decaying wood mulm. I leave it alone as I believe it acts as a food source for the plants especially If I have heavy root feeders present such as crypts. I've not had any serious problems occur in that tank as of now (7 months old).

If it were me and I didn't like the look of it I'd just use black window film and cover the bottom inch or so to hide it

 

[jaylach]

Looks like you have three layers of different sized substrate. When there are different sizes involved in a substrate things are always going to settle into layers as the finer stuff sifts through the courser.

As to cleaning or not cleaning... Always clean. Sure, you can stay away from the roots of planted plants but general cleaning is needed to remove excess food residue and such that can rot and cause toxins.

 

[MuddyWaters]

I clean the gravel every now and then in my big tank. I clean it every week in my shrimp tank, because I'm afraid of piling up too much stuff that could cause ammonia. Both tanks do well.

I did skip vacuuming for a few months with the big tank and paid for it- I have a carpeting of pearl weed and it just got chock full of junk and caused imbalance- then I had to vacuum the heck out of it and almost killed it off LOL.

Every now and then is good and if you're like me and overfeed, do it more.

 

[Nells250]

Looks like you have three layers of different sized substrate.

As stated in my post TWO LAYERS. The one you think is a third is the shmoo! ;-)