Gravel Vacuuming

[wilsonriverfish]

Just wondering How often Everyone gravel vacs?

 

[MissFishy]

I start my siphon, then plunge it down over a section of gravel, lift the tube up and watch the gravel fall back to the bottom of the tank as the debris is lifted out through the siphon tube. It always amazes me how much stuff gets in there...

 

[James From Cali]

Well me personally I do it every week during a cycle and every 2 weeks when the cycle is done!

 

[homebunnyj]

Weekly in all my tanks.

 

[wilsonriverfish]

ive been doing about 1 a month does anyone else stir up the media to agitate it and get it moving around?

 

[James From Cali]

Well from what I heard that could either kill or remove the beneficial bacteria.

 

[wilsonriverfish]

I hope not Or im in Trouble are you sure?

 

[James From Cali]

Pretty Sure, beneficial bacteria lives in the gravel and in moving the gravel around you arte pretty much destroying all of the bacteria and sucking it up.

 

[wilsonriverfish]

What about the filter

 

[James From Cali]

Well there is a lot more gravel then your filter and the media.

 

[homebunnyj]

You can gravel vac without any worries of upsetting your cycle. As a matter of fact, it can only helpyour water quality... less rotting stuff in the bottom, cleaner water.
If you took out the gravel, scrubbed it in chlorinated water, then put it back, you'd kill it, but not by vacuuming. Otherwise, my tank would always be cycling, lol.

 

[James From Cali]

Well I was told on Aquariacentral that it upsets your cycle if you wirl it around.

 

[Rush07]

Personally I clean half of the tank every week in both my 55 and 110. I don't think it would be possible to remove enough of the bacterial to do any damage.

 

[Avalon]

In planted tanks, about twice per year, but never in soil-based substrates (such as ADA Aquasoil or Florabase). In my CA cichlid tank, never. The fish do a great job at keeping the gravel stirred up.