Hello, I'm new to the forum. My friend reconmended it to me and said it was an awesome site, so I'm taking her word for it. I have a question about the matience of my tank. I have a two gallon aquarium with a couple plants in it. I was told that when you have live plants, you shouldn't clean the gravel, at all. Because it will remove the nutrients from the rocks that the plants need. But my gravel is discusting and is making the water cloudy. I do 40% water changes every week and 50% every 3 weeks. Would I kill my plants if I vacuumed the gravel? Thanks for any help!
Cleaning Question
- Thread starter angel fish
- Start date
R
Absolutly not! The rocks themselves do not have any "nutrients" in them unless you have added a substrate like flourite or laterite. Cleaning the gravel is actually recommended with fish as the junk will add to the nitrogen cycle and likely causing ammonia spikes and so on. Go ahead and clean the gravel. You will be much happier with the looks of your tank without the garbage on the gravel. *thumbsupsmiley*
Angel,
It also depends on what plants are in the aquarium.
If you have mostly bunch plants, then they won't even use their roots but to hold/anchor themselves down.
Plants like swords will use the gunk in the gravel around them as nutrients.
So, if you have areas without plants, or have bunch plants, I would clean the gravel.
It also depends on what plants are in the aquarium.
If you have mostly bunch plants, then they won't even use their roots but to hold/anchor themselves down.
Plants like swords will use the gunk in the gravel around them as nutrients.
So, if you have areas without plants, or have bunch plants, I would clean the gravel.
J
Hope she doesnt have a sword in a 2.5 gallon 
Yes, Ditto on what Matt said.
If you have root feeders I would actually just clean the "top" of the gravel instead of sticking your vacume all the way down in the gravel. That way you will have some goodies for your root feeders to feed on.
What do you have for plants and lighting on that sucker?
Yes, Ditto on what Matt said.
If you have root feeders I would actually just clean the "top" of the gravel instead of sticking your vacume all the way down in the gravel. That way you will have some goodies for your root feeders to feed on.
What do you have for plants and lighting on that sucker?