wakingupnow

I've seen here and there about not taking the fish out when cleaning it, but I feel that it would be so much easier to get everywhere and clean the gravel properly without the fish in the tank. I filled a plastic toy chest up with stress coat and at the right temp before hand, but I haven't moved the fish yet.

What do you guys think about it? Should they stay or should they go?

pinkfloydpuffer

IMO, if there's going to be alot of gunk floating around (such as when removing and adding new substrate), then they'd probably be better off moved. But otherwise it's probably less stressful for them to stay.

Alessa

if it is during a regular tank cleaning, you really shouldn't clean the gravel like that since a good part of your beneficial bacteria lives there. You should only change 25% of the water and use a vacuum to take the gunk out of the gravel. Taking the fish out and in again will only stress them and take the beneficial bacteria out of the gravel as well.

Same reason why the filter pad shouldn't be changed either.


Edit: I just saw that you have a 1ppm ammonia in your tank... at this point you should increase the water changes to 50% not weakly but daily, since your tank is not cycled.

AlyeskaGirl

yeah, I think it's also better for them to just remain in the tank, catching them will stress them out. Eather way you go they still get stressed. When I do a gravel vac and move the decor so I can get under it I do it gently and slowly so not to scare them too much. They just huddle in a corner.

Minnow

Especially since you are still cycling, being taken out every day would get very stressful for them. My fish never get in the way when I vacuum, and as long as you keep an eye on them, it shouldn't be too much of a problem to leave them in. In fact, I think it's more of a hassle to net them every time.

wakingupnow

Okay, thanks everyone for the input.

I will just leave them in there while I vac. I definitely don't want to stress them out for sure.

Thanks again!