How to vacuum a planted tank? –The best way to gravel vacuum planted tanks is to lightly siphon the top layer of substrate for loose debris. This will get rid of dirt without pulling up any plants. Will make it look clean, but it will still let decaying organic matter reach the roots of the plants, which is good.
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How to vacuum a planted tank in 3 steps?
Step one – Trimming all the plants in the planted tank
There are two ways you can trim stem plants.
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In the first choice, you leave the rest of the stem plant alone and just cut off the top.
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The second option takes more work but looks better: cut off the top, take the bottom out of your tank, and replant the top trimming in its place.
When using method two you won’t see where you cut the plant.
Other plants, like vallisneria and small varieties of echinodorus, can take over your tank if you let them. Check to see if any of the plants in your planted tank are growing in places you don’t want them to. If this is the case, you can either replant the runner or throw it away.
By the way, I’ve composed an extensive list of some of the best available carpet plants that we can grow. If you’re interested, check it out here, I’m sure you’ll love it.
Step two – Find a gravel vacuum
A gravel vacuum is a rigid tube made of plastic that is usually about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter and has a hose attached to it. The tube fits inside your aquarium and lets you clean the gravel and drain water from the tank once a week when you change the water.
Even though it looks simple, a gravel vacuum is a very useful piece of gear.
With the help of gravity, a gravel vacuum will keep removing water from your tank until you take it out.
Step three – Start cleaning with a gravel vacuum
Other things to do besides cleaning the glass
Why do some aquariums require less gravel vacuuming?
There are numerous anecdotal instances of fishkeepers who have successfully maintained fish for years without performing any sort of gravel vacuuming. To reduce nitrate buildup, the majority of these fishkeepers have planted tanks with some type of mechanical filtration and frequently encourage the growth of anaerobic denitrifying bacteria.
The most well-known and vocal proponent of this approach to fishkeeping is Father Fish. However, both professionals like Diana Walstad and novice amateurs support related strategies.
Some tanks need less gravel sweeping since the aquarium contains biological systems that make use of trash that would otherwise be discarded.
Live aquarium plants, for instance, will absorb nutrients from decomposing plant matter to support their own growth. Additionally, some anaerobic bacteria can break down nitrate into nitrogen gas and hydrogen sulfide when they are living in deep substrate settings.
In other words, it becomes less necessary to vacuum gravel since plants and microorganisms help to prevent waste from accumulating.
There isn’t enough scientific evidence to say that you should stop cleaning gravel altogether. In planted tanks, there is a low risk of at least reducing your gravel vacuuming frequency to just one or twice per month, according to our own experience.
How often should you clean a planted tank?
It’s crucial that you avoid cleaning a planted aquarium too frequently now that you are fully knowledgeable on how to accomplish it. Yes, a well-maintained planted aquarium requires less upkeep than most tanks.
You don’t actually need to do water changes to lessen the nitrate concentration because plants help clean the water in your aquarium. Instead, there is another justification for routine maintenance. Check to see if every plant is healthy because dead plant materials might still result in an ammonia rise that endangers your fish.
The obvious second reason is to trim your plants. You may need to trim your plants more frequently or less frequently depending on the type of plant and its appropriate growth pace. Fast-growing plants must be kept in check because an overgrown tank can endanger the safety of the fish. You should read one of my older posts about how aquarium plants can harm fish if you’re not careful.
What occurs if a planted tank isn’t vacuumed?
The major danger of not gravel vacuuming is excess nutrients. The most immediate danger will be high nitrate levels, which might make fish breathe harder, make them less hungry, or even kill them.
Detritus buildup will increase if gravel isn’t vacuumed as often.
Reduced gravel cleaning frequency will result in more debris in the tank, which can feed microorganisms and give good nutrients for plants.
Increased bacterial respiration has been linked in studies to decreased oxygen levels and higher levels of debris.
How to reduce the frequency of vacuuming aquariums?
Feeding your fish less will lessen the demand for gravel vacuuming. The major reason fish keepers desire to vacuum their gravel is unsightly fish waste. Therefore, cutting back on fish food will result in less waste that needs to be cleaned up overall.
Naturally, you want to give your fish a healthy diet. However, the majority of us significantly overfeed our fish. Contrary to popular belief, fish actually need much less nutrition than you may think.
The majority of freshwater fish need to be fed once every day. And just enough to fill them up for approximately 30 seconds. Aquariums with plants offer extra food sources for fish to eat.
Wrap up
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