heavily planted tanks and cleaning

[kalebjarrod]

i am looking for tips on cleaning a heavily planted tank

what does everyone else use to clean the gravel etc in those tight place without destroying your plants with your vac?

or gravel imbetween the glass and driftwood? etc etc etc

thanks all

[Tryhard]

Try introducing some cory cats - will very quickly clean everything on the bottem of your tank.

[luvfishies]

I use a VERY skinny gravel vac, and also just hover it over the dense areas to get the loose poopies etc up. You don't want to be digging deep in a heavily planted tank, anyways.

[kalebjarrod]

thanks for the tips

i think i will try the corys and a thinner vac

[jwight]

Take the graveol vacuum off after you have started the syphon. This is much greater power and will get anything from the gravel without damaging plants however it can suck up gravel and sand so you have to keep it a small distance above the gravel. And away from the discus!!

[DiscusMad]

use sand so the bigger parts of waste will not get traped in the gravel

[Proteus]

ditto to the sand suggestion...

every one of my tanks has pool filter sand... easy to maintain, and looks great

[DiscusMad]

I'm thinking on trying sand blasting sand its very white or what i found at good old bunnings the other day is called Sydney sand and its about $4.95 a 5kg bag

[Proteus]

go to a pool shop, and get some filter sand.

it is inert, and doesnt need much cleaning.

sand from sand blasting may contain OTHER materials, and is very small, so it compacts very tight. Sydney sand, if it is river sand is quite dark when wet (I have 50kg's of it in the garage)

[axelfaz]

most shops sell aqutic sand I picked up 15kg for 21.95 its called silver white.looks very nice.