Do you vacuum the substrate?! Do I need to?!

[philipraposo1982]

Hi,

I have always kept planted tanks in the past with community fish and because of being fully planted I never needed to vacuum the substrate.

I now keep a young green terror is his own 75g with a sand/gravel mixed substrate. No plants other than what grows out the top of the tank and one anubias that is attached to the substrate.

1. Do i need to vacuum the substrate? if so how often?
2. Instead of using the standard python or gravel vacuum thing can I simply used my hand to run through the substrate and kick up all the crud during water changes? Like stir it up, filter off of course.

Thoughts?

 

[tlindsey]

Hi,

I have always kept planted tanks in the past with community fish and because of being fully planted I never needed to vacuum the substrate.

I now keep a young green terror is his own 75g with a sand/gravel mixed substrate. No plants other than what grows out the top of the tank and one anubias that is attached to the substrate.

1. Do i need to vacuum the substrate? if so how often?
2. Instead of using the standard python or gravel vacuum thing can I simply used my hand to run through the substrate and kick up all the crud during water changes? Like stir it up, filter off of course.

Thoughts?

Depending on the depth of the substrate especially if using sand I personally would treat it like all gravel and vac every water change.

 

[philipraposo1982]

the sand is so fine that it just get sucked up.

Would weekly stiring during water change be enough?

Depth is probably 1-1.5"

 

[Kittiee Katt]

I use a hose to gently syphon solid waste off of sand (this takes some practice not to suck it all up), and a homemade gravel vac to clean my gravel, I do this every water change even if it doesn't "look" like it needs it.

I don't know how you'd do a sand/gravel tank though, I've been trying to figure it out for when I find sand to mix in my 170ltr but thus far have failed epically.

 

[Alexxxxsv14]

I have Sand and gravel mixed and I see all the poop sitting on top of the sand so I was thinking on my next water change that I would just hover over the sand where most poop is and hope that is good enough lol

 

[ehh]

2. Instead of using the standard python or gravel vacuum thing can I simply used my hand to run through the substrate and kick up all the crud during water changes? Like stir it up, filter off of course.

This is what I do in my tanks with sand.

 

[tlindsey]

When you see the sand rising just kink the hose the sand will drop, believe me I have play sand in one of my setups.

 

[tlindsey]

the sand is so fine that it just get sucked up.

Would weekly stiring during water change be enough?

Depth is probably 1-1.5"

Yes just stirring it up with your hand will work with that depth.

 

[tlindsey]

I have Sand and gravel mixed and I see all the poop sitting on top of the sand so I was thinking on my next water change that I would just hover over the sand where most poop is and hope that is good enough lol

Yes just hoover over with gravel vac.

 

[tlindsey]

With a deep all sand setup I don't want sulphur pockets to develop so in one of my setups just stirring the sand isn't an option.