Aqaurium Sand/Gravel Vacs (Quick question)

[duanes]

You will not kill beneficials with too much water changing, as long as your tank is fully cycled, and filtered, there are always plenty of excess nutrients in any closed system to go around.
I normally change 40% every other day,....... even when I had a thousand gallons of tanks.
My goal, was to keep nitrate at 5ppm or less, and even with that amount of water changing the goal was not always reached.
Most pro aquarists I know have daily, automated, water changers and do more than water volume than I do, some breeders up to 90% per day to get maximum growth.

 

[Cardeater]

My thoughts were already covered by Duanes. The loss of water while cleaning visible detritus is a great thing for improving water conditioning.

I normally just change water every 3-5 days but this long pleco poop that I'm seeing right now is bothering me. I'm going to do a quick syphon and 25% water change even though I just did a large 89% two days ago.

I normally rinse all the pre filter sponges but I'll just syphon with python

 

[Oughtsix]

I bought a gravel vac for my daughter to clean her bare bottom axolotl tank. Even on a bare bottom it is worthless. She just uses a net instead.

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...MIxqjUpZ_15wIVFiCtBh0r-wSmEAQYASABEgKWq_D_BwE

 

[Wharf]

I was having a problem with too many suspended particles in the column because my overflows are on each end of the tank. I got a pretty powerful air pump that supplies a 5 inch air stone on each side under the overflow which creates good lift for detritus and debris. The only draw back is I am doing more frequent maintenance on my mechanical sponges in the filter. I have not found an efficient way to vacuum waste without displacing a large amount of water; however, the air stones have done some good work getting waste to the filter. So I just do some frequent OCD water changes

 

[Finksburg]

I bought a gravel vac for my daughter to clean her bare bottom axolotl tank. Even on a bare bottom it is worthless. She just uses a net instead.

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...MIxqjUpZ_15wIVFiCtBh0r-wSmEAQYASABEgKWq_D_BwE

That's exactly the one I was looking to get. Thanks for that info.

I appreciate the info here guys.

 

[nascar291]

My tank circulates most of the fish waste to one side of the tank that I leave as a open area. I use a eheim electric vac. Works great between water changes. I think the quality is hit or miss. I have had to replaced a few times.

 

[DN328]

For me, if Im taking the time to pull out the python, set up my area to keep the floors water free, Im doing a full out fin-to-fin WC. Vacuum substrate, connect python to CLC T and pump out the rest.

If you are serious about removing waste without water? Buy a cheap water pump connect tubing to inlet and outlet. Stirring up the water will suck in the poop/detritus. The outlet end flows through a filter sock. Waste on sock and water back in tank. I've not done this, but my bro in law use to do it for his reef tank. I prefer just doing a water change but since you asked ;-)

 

[Rass]

Look into making an internal filter out of a power head, some pvc fittings and filter floss for collecting waste and polishing your water. You can run it in the tank temporarily, stir the water up, and let it do its thing for a while. Having said that though, there is really no such thing as too many water changes in a well established tank. The more you dilute the fish waste, the better. I would just use stronger circulation overall or simply do the water changes, if it were me.