Saxobone

Ok so I keep my gravel pretty clean. It's so satasfying seeing all the get sucked up through the vacuum. I dont feel I replace the water too often, as my tap water is very ok and and change around 25% per week.

So my question is this. When I nudged a smale fake shrub type plant that has been in place for many weeks (there are about 6 of them surrounding a driftwood shelter) a whole load of debris came floating out.

Now, my ammonia levels in this tank (the 55 gal) are fine.
But I wonder if I was to say move each of them and all that becomes loose, would the ammonia level rise? Or is that stuff already accounted for in the test results because it has been in the water all along.

I am asking this question in order to learn about this topic. I allready took them all out and rised them and vaccumed the gravel around them.

Just trying to fill gaps in my knowledge.


Thanks guys!

saqib

debris builds up around decorations and specially around plants since you generally cannot reach the gravel underneath with the vaccum...nonetheless to your question this builup is not really a problem as long as it is confined...

it would not cause any ammonia spikes since it must already have been decomposing and taken care of by the bacteria.

ATKINSON

Perhaps over stocking contributed to the problem...

aquarist48

Hello. I agree with saqib. If you were going to have an ammonia spike you would have already had it. Stirring it up shouldn't make any difference.

Saxobone

I know I have a lot of fish but do I have too many fish?

The Uke

Three clown loach would fill up your 55 gallon by themselves and you have another 30 fish in there. In your 16 gallon you have 19 fish including a red tail shark, so, yes, you have WAY too many fish

rileyrk190

i just did a hardcore cleaning of my 55gallon tank today and was embarrassed to see how much was in the tank, but my readings were fine. Its just an unfortunate annoyance of fish keeping.