To Much Gravel

[Sarah.Punter]

Hi

I started my fish tank up about a month and a half ago and everything's going ok except my water does go cloudy very quicky so i do at least a 25% water change every week.

Becasue in a week im going to Mexico (yeah) on my holiday i completly cleaned my fish tank out so my parents don't have to worry about it whilst i'm away.

I've got a tank that holds 14litres of water so i would say a medium size.

When clenaing it i realised that my gravels been holding a lot of muck.

I have probaly a good 10cm of gravel (depth) at the bottem of my fish tank, my boyfriend said it looked better with more gravel....

Would it be wise to when i next clean it to maybe half this amount? would it help stop my water getting so dirty and would investing in a gravel hoover help?

Sarah x

 

[heresmike]

The depth of gravel has nothing to do with how much muck accumulates at the bottom, but 10cm sounds like way more than you need for a 14 litre tank.

You should definitely invest in a hoover and use it when you do your weekly water changes.

It sounds like your tank may not be cycled if your water keeps going cloudy. Also, you say you completely cleaned the tank... you should never do this because it upsets the cycle. There's lots of good info in the pinned FAQ thread on cycling and regular maintenance.

 

[OohFeeshy]

In a tank that small I wouldn't want more than 1cm of gravel, although I personally would use sand (easier to clean up mess, sits on sand instead of rotting away in gravel).

Going cloudy is usually either high ammoina or a bacterial bloom. Which filter are you using and what fish, if any?

 

[Sarah.Punter]

The depth of gravel has nothing to do with how much muck accumulates at the bottom, but 10cm sounds like way more than you need for a 14 litre tank.

You should definitely invest in a hoover and use it when you do your weekly water changes.

It sounds like your tank may not be cycled if your water keeps going cloudy. Also, you say you completely cleaned the tank... you should never do this because it upsets the cycle. There's lots of good info in the pinned FAQ thread on cycling and regular maintenance.

Thanks for that, i'm glad it's not the depth of my gravel because it really looks good, i will invest in a hoover however looking at post on here sound difficult to use. As for the cleaning of the tank i honestly thought that would be ok, my fish seemed fine with it. i defiently won't do it again.

Ta Sarah x

In a tank that small I wouldn't want more than 1cm of gravel, although I personally would use sand (easier to clean up mess, sits on sand instead of rotting away in gravel).

Going cloudy is usually either high ammoina or a bacterial bloom. Which filter are you using and what fish, if any?

Thanks, it might be wise for me to take some of my gravel out..... and maybe invest in a hoover. I don't like the sound of sand.

As for my filter it came with the fish tank its and Elite Mini A130??? and i have 3 goldfish, just plain goldfish (i think)

Sarah x

 

[sparky_555]

Surely if its just a 14 litre tank, you should be doing at least a 100% water change once a week? also goldifish need about 10 gallon of water each so i would invest in a bigger tank if i was you.

 

[voo]

Gravel is easy to clean with a hoover, just stick it in. It's sand that people ask about how to clean.

 

[00mitomk]

thats alot of gravel i jst measures mine and i have around 4/5 cm of it but i have raised and lowed mine all over so it isnt flat if u get me

MiLe S

 

[fishdawg]

just to let you know 14 liters is not medium sized mine is over 150liters and its medium sized. and you need about 2 cm of (small) graval or 4 cm of (large) gravel. personaly i would use back sand or onix sand. and with 14 liters you only should have (1-2) 3" goldies in it at max.

sorry for spelling

 

[OohFeeshy]

In fact, you shouldn't have any goldfish. Common goldfish grow to over 12", requiring either a pond or a tank 6x2x2 or larger.

 

[catxx]

14ltrs is only 3 US gallons.
a TINY tank, definately not medium sized.
a goldie rule is 20 us gallons for the first goldie, 10 us gallons per goldie thereafter.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Ah yes, but that certainly doesn't apply to commons. A ft long fish in a 20g? Two foot lnog golfish in a 30g? I think not