finmama

How long does it take for anaerobic bacteria to form? How often do you all vacuum your gravel under and around decorations?
Right now I am vacuuming my gravel every 2 days because I am fighting ick, but regularily...Is once a month cleaning under decorations ok? less, more? I normally do weekly 20% water changes and vacuuming open areas. Should I clean my gravel less? Is it good for a bit of debris to be in it?
Sorry so many questions

sunstrip

It usually take 4 to 6 weeks(sometimes 8 weeks) for your cycle to complete and bacteria to be fully formed and functioning...your weekly water changes and vacuuming should be fine...as for the ick...raise your temp to 80 to 82 degrees for a couple of weeks...having some debris is OK...but you don't want to have it build up too much...that will only increase your nitrites and make vacuuming that much harder.

finmama

ok thanks. I do have my temp up, for about a week now. No more ick is visible but im gonna leave it up for another week to be safe.

Gunnie

What you can do to keep the bad bacteria from forming, and to keep your tank from having a mini cycle everytime you clean it is to only vacuum half or a fourth of your gravel each time you vacuum so the good bacteria isn't too disturbed. I would recommend vacuuming each area of your tank including under decorations at least once a month.