Another thing you could do is get a powerhead have it aimed towards the substrate your filters should pick up majority of the waste but you will still need to vac but not as much
Yeah my return is aimed at the gravel but it doesn't do much good :S it would be nice if it could kick it up into my overflow but i've tried it and it doesn't work lol i could always get another one but i think it might stress my O out too much.
Probably about 4-5 inches maybe even 6, i just know that he likes to stay as far away from the current as he can... thats just what gives me the idea he doesn't like the current
Not sure how much gravel that you have, but my philosophy is that, especially with messy fish, less gravel is much easier to clean than more...
As others have recommended, once per week should be adequate. You might keep a bucket / vac handy to quickly clean up any uneaten food or poop that you see.
Also, make sure you're cleaning your filters. You can vac your tank 10 times per week but if you're passing the water through a really poopy piece of fluff, you're still going to have nitrates...
