Moving rocks for water changes

Need opinions can I get away with moving my rocks to vacuum under them in stages. For example move vaccume under right side on wed move vaccume left side on Sunday ? Can I go longer or should I do more. I am currently doing 40/50% water changes twice a week because my nitrates seem to climb to 40ppm every couple days due to my current temporary overstocking situation. Here's a photo of the tank for reference





Or maybe do half on Sunday water changes and the other half the next Sunday etc. I don't know lol just trying to fall into a healthy routine




It's a 75 gallon by the way

 

To combat nitrates you need to keep your tank as clean as possible, which means moving hardscape and other places debris congregate. You can also use nitrate reducing media, which seems to work better for some people than others and/or add more nitrate consuming plants like hornwort, or terrestrial plants like pothos. (Roots in the tank, tops outside of it.)

 

So I found a possible reason for spiked nitrates one of my yellow tails was dead in a stone:/. Uhhhg hopefully that was the reason I removed everything today per your advice to sweep the entire sand bed when I found him. Poor little guy

 

Hi, great looking setup
How long have your nitrates been rising like they do?
IMHO, a dead fish is unlikely to be the cause.
Over feeding and/or lack of filter maintenance are more likely, as is the possibility of ammonia in your water supply, which will convert to no3.

But yes, moving the rocks should present no problems.

On the over stocking, it's quite common in cichlid tanks, it helps reduce aggression.

And, 40ppm NO3 is not dire

 

Maybe over feeding but I doubt it deg not filter maintence ., started around my last group of fish 12 yellow tails maybe the extra bio load through me off. 2 weeks maybe three

 

Ok. I would think it's bio-load related then. Given it started around the time you introduced the new stock.

 

Yea I'm thinking so too when I vent them out I should be good