Questions for those with heavily decorated/planted tanks

[biofish]

1. How do y’all vacuum the substrate to get all the poo? My tanks are mainly have one big decoration and a few smaller ones and some plants but it’s still an absolute drag to take them all out to properly get to the substrate (which is also stressful bc even though I take my time I have accidentally squished a fish and I have to gently wiggle the decorations in the water to make sure my plecos are out of them which makes me more stressed for accidentally hurting a fish and I really worry about accidentally burying my snails in the substrate as I vacuum through it.)
2. How do y’all find dead fish? Sometimes I only find them when I remove the decorations.
3. Does such densely packed tanks make fish keeping harder to easier? Because that seems like a lot of plants you need to prune through when leaves start dying and potentially make the water toxic
4. How is catching fish with a net for whatever reason? Fish are slippery little jerks.
5. If I think of anymore I’ll post them or if y’all have any questions feel free to post…

 

[Byron]

Substrate cleaning. Never remove "permanent" decor objects such as rocks or large chunks of wood. The substrate under these objects is possibly anaerobic, but that is not a problem--in fact, it is part of a healthy substrate. The depth of the substrate, as well as the substrate material, also factor in here, but once you have put these largish objects in the tank, leave them. Undisturbed there is no issue for fish; but once significantly disturbed, you can kill the fish. And, as you say, fish like plecos, loaches, etc that have made a home in a chunk of wood (or artificial substitute) will be much more severely stressed by being moved and/or scared out of their safety area.

As for vacuuming the substrate, that depends upon the substrate, fish load, feeding, "clean-up" critters (snails, shrimp). I never touch the sand in my main cory tank. I do run the water changer over the sand just above it to remove loose detritus in one or two other tanks, but unless you overload or overfeed the fish this is often not necessary, at least with sand. Gravel, and with large messy fish, can be a different story.

If a fish dies, and it is floating, or visible, I remove it. But I have over the years had fish die and never found them. This is not a problem in planted tanks, and it should not be a problem in non-planted tanks either unless the tank is overstocked and/or the fish are being overfed, so much that the biological system cannot handle something as minor as a fish death. Snails help because they will break down the fish making it easier for the bacteria to then finish off.

Live plants, and here fast-growers like stem plants and especially floating plants, definitely improve water quality. And the shade/cover they provide to fish can be considerable, helping the fish further.

Never catching fish is preferable, as this is the highest stress comparable to avoiding a predator, and it can have serious consequences. But if it is necessary for some reason, a large black net held in one hand along the front glass, while you use your other hand to coerce the fish around the side and into the net, can work. But do not make a habit of it.

 

[biofish]

Substrate cleaning. Never remove "permanent" decor objects such as rocks or large chunks of wood. The substrate under these objects is possibly anaerobic, but that is not a problem--in fact, it is part of a healthy substrate. The depth of the substrate, as well as the substrate material, also factor in here, but once you have put these largish objects in the tank, leave them. Undisturbed there is no issue for fish; but once significantly disturbed, you can kill the fish. And, as you say, fish like plecos, loaches, etc that have made a home in a chunk of wood (or artificial substitute) will be much more severely stressed by being moved and/or scared out of their safety area.

But how do you reach the poop around them if you don’t move them? The way my tanks are set up I can’t reach the majority of the substrate (half sand half gravel) that well which is why I remove everything typically… and well. The water always comes out black/dark brown so I know there’s a lot of poop there and I k ow it’s not healthy to let it collect. I’ll post a picture of my main tanks when the particles settle down after my water change today, where I did end up removing everything.

 

[Byron]

But how do you reach the poop around them if you don’t move them? The way my tanks are set up I can’t reach the majority of the substrate (half sand half gravel) that well which is why I remove everything typically… and well. The water always comes out black/dark brown so I know there’s a lot of poop there and I k ow it’s not healthy to let it collect. I’ll post a picture of my main tanks when the particles settle down after my water change today, where I did end up removing everything.

You should not have to remove fish excrement that thoroughly, it breaks down rapidly in the substrate and provides nutrients especially CO2 for your plants. If it is a "problem" then there may be something wrong with the system--too many fish, fish being overfed, large fish in smallish tank.

 

[biofish]

You should not have to remove fish excrement that thoroughly, it breaks down rapidly in the substrate and provides nutrients especially CO2 for your plants. If it is a "problem" then there may be something wrong with the system--too many fish, fish being overfed, large fish in smallish tank.

Ohhhhh. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh okay. I didn’t mean to come off as rude if I did, I just have only heard that tanks need regular graveling and didn’t hear that main fixtures shouldn’t be removed to do so… though it makes sense. And I also didn’t know that the poop broke down so fast. And I will admit, I have too many fish (guppies smh) but the vast majority are still too young to sell. When I decided to start saving the fry from being eaten I didn’t realize they took so long to mature nor did I realize how absolute nightmare that female guppies sperm pouch is

 

[mbsqw1d]

1. I don't. But like Byron I have 20 odd corydoras and a gazillion trumpet snails, that constantly filter feed through the sand, breaking up and turning over the mulm. Mulm is typically colonized by communities of microorganisms which act to decompose or remineralize the material thus revitalising the substrate, adding nutrients etc for the plants to absorb. Admittedly, the sand no longer looks pristine, however that isn't my aim. I also have a fair amount of leaf litter too and so access to the substrate is minimal.

2. I'm still able to perform a head count of the fish, and if I notice a fish that is clearly on death's door (rarely!) then I'll make an effort to catch it and euthanise it. However, as Byron says, a dead fish will likely decompose/be eaten by snails before its even noticeable.

3. It depends on what look you're going for. Some people who go for certain styles such as Dutch, then they'll probably spend a few hours a week trimming the plants back to an orderly fashion. Personally I go for a bit of an overgrown look and occasionally pull out/trim back any plants that have gone rogue (vallis has a tendency go nuts and pop up new shoots wherever it pleases!) Dead leaves etc, all add to the mulm.

4. With enormous difficulty!! If it must be done, then theres a good chance a lot of the plants will need removing to do so. But it also depends on the fish. I find kribs impossible to catch.

 

[itiwhetu]

I never vacuum the substrate; in fact, I never touch it unless I'm put a plant in. The best thing is to leave it alone. The fish poop breaks down fast and the plants need it.