SereneReyn

ok, so we've all seen those gorgeous heavily planted tanks... where you almost can't even see the substrate, right? you know where little mosses or grasses cover everything almost right up to the front of the tank? well, that's what i want, with fish too, ofcourse. but... i'm just not understanding how you vacuum the gravel in a tank like that... i've heard about toxic air-pockets and all that, and i've always vacuumed the gravel pretty thoroughly... but i just can't see how that's possible in one of those type of tanks... it would just... ruin it. do you just gently brush the tops of the plants to suck up any food bits/poo or do you seriously have to basically replant everything every time you do a water change? also... i've never used sand. is it really heavy enough to vacuum?

explain?

King_Snuggles

i have wondered the same thing. the only thing i can guess is the plants use the food in the soil and prevent the air pockets from forming. i would have a very good clean up crew if i have a massively planted tank.

outlaw

http://aquamaniacs.net/forum/viewtop...83096d206e1724

and

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/su...e-heavily.html

hope those help.

SereneReyn

that helps alot,

outlaw

Posted another one as an edit. (2nd link)

susitna-flower

We have some real plant experts here on the forum, and I am NOT one of those, but....here goes.

From what I understand, you don't vacuum the substrate of heavily planted tanks quite like a regular tank. Just as you say, you move the vacuum over the top, and pick up what you can.

You also don't go to the limits on fish population, this helps to keep the excess waste down.

MTS snails are used to move through the substrate and this eliminates gas pockets, or you have to use some tool every few days to slightly disturb the substrate to keep pockets from forming, being very careful to move it under rocks or other decorations. The low fish population / careful feeding keep MTS snails from taking over, or you add a few yoyo loaches!

NextstepAquatics

You don't vacuum the substrate at all we use gravels/substrates that contain fine particles like latorite,using a vac removes these. more what i do is simple use a water pump to make the particles move off the bottom then i use a 1 1/4" flex tube that empties half the tanks water in less then a minute. fish waste and deteriorating matter is beneficial to the plants just have to be careful not to have an abundace.

MrWaxhead

Yes all great advice for a heavily planted tank, I like to keep a good clean up crew of shrimp, ottos, saes, corries, and yes snails. And I let them do there thing and let the rest basically build up and become ferts, the plants will use them up quite readily. The only time I do a vac in my tanks, is when I do a large uprooting or change in my tanks. Then its crucial to do a good vac as you end up stirring everything up and breaking the tanks natural cycle of for lack of a better word recycling. If you don't do a good vacuum after a uprooting, your tank get thrown out of balance and algae will be the first thing to benefit from this glitch in the natural balance of your tank.

MrWaxhead

PS NSA I really liked that tank you did a while back with the large portion of growth out of the water up the back corner of the tank. Was a very nice piece of work.