Gravel cleaning

[Davy gravy]

Hi all, I'm new to all of this planted tank business, previously when I had only plastic plants in the tank, I was cleaning the gravel pretty thoroughly using a syphon tube during weekly water changes, my question is... Do I keep up the same routine now that I've put some proper living plants in with root tabs? Fire extinguisher CO2 to hopefully be added next weekend, if I can buy one locally before then, Peterborough/Spalding area

 

[Monk d'Wally de Honk]

I find wafting a gravel cleaner on a syphon gently over the surface of the sand/gravel does enough to lift waste and leave the sand/gravel undisturbed.

With most aquascaped planted tanks you shouldn't have too much waste anyway as stocking is usually small fish and shrimp. Just try not to overfeed.

 

[Michael W]

I don't gravel vac anymore, I'll hover the siphon above my sand substrates but in my other tanks with cat litter and dirt I don't vac at all, free ferts .

 

[richard powell]

Just wave the syphon above the gravel which normally will be enough to lift the mess up and out ur syphon