Gravel Siphon Recommendations?

[Donald Roeber]

I started a tank a few months ago, and although I've been doing my best
to keep it clean, the black and white gravel is starting to turn
brownish-orange with debris. I've got a gravel siphon thing, but it
just doesn't seem to pick up the dirt. Anyone have any product
recommendations? I've got a 30 gallon freshwater community tank.

[Ook]

Donald Roeber wrote:
> I started a tank a few months ago, and although I've been doing my best
> to keep it clean, the black and white gravel is starting to turn
> brownish-orange with debris. I've got a gravel siphon thing, but it
> just doesn't seem to pick up the dirt. Anyone have any product
> recommendations? I've got a 30 gallon freshwater community tank.

I highly recommend the Python

[Steve]

Ook wrote:
> Donald Roeber wrote:
>
>> I started a tank a few months ago, and although I've been doing my
>> best to keep it clean, the black and white gravel is starting to turn
>> brownish-orange with debris. I've got a gravel siphon thing, but it
>> just doesn't seem to pick up the dirt. Anyone have any product
>> recommendations? I've got a 30 gallon freshwater community tank.
>
>
> I highly recommend the Python
Gravel siphons come with different diameters of hose. I have two, and
the large diameter hose syphon provides much more suction and better
cleaning action than the small diameter siphon. Because I occasionally
siphon up a small fish (white cloud, zebra danio...) I've avoided the
Python-type equipment.
Steve

[Tom Randy]

On Thu, 21 Apr 2005 14:13:00 -0400, Donald Roeber wrote:

> I started a tank a few months ago, and although I've been doing my best to
> keep it clean, the black and white gravel is starting to turn
> brownish-orange with debris. I've got a gravel siphon thing, but it just
> doesn't seem to pick up the dirt.


How often do you gravel vac? It should work just fine. How deep is your
gravel?

[winddancir]

Take all the rocks out and scrub them with a toothbrush? Get rid of the rocks? Or just deal with the fact that they will change colors.
maybe just scoop out a handful at a time and give them a good rinse in fresh water?

[Jim Anderson]

In article >,
says...
> I started a tank a few months ago, and although I've been doing my best
> to keep it clean, the black and white gravel is starting to turn
> brownish-orange with debris. I've got a gravel siphon thing, but it
> just doesn't seem to pick up the dirt. Anyone have any product
> recommendations? I've got a 30 gallon freshwater community tank.
>

I never got the hang of the siphon to the bucket thing, I use a power
filter to do the siphoning. I use the HOT Magnum with micron filter.
When finished vaccuming I put the normal inlet pipe on and polish the
water for an hour or so.

--
Jim Anderson
( 8(|) To email me just pull my_finger

[[email protected]]

I'd recommend a 10 inch or maybe 16 inch lee's (or python or both if
you want to be able to easily fill the tank and gravel vac without
losing fish/plants and throw in a clean new bucket or 2 for
approximately 4 dollars each at the local hardware store, Use the
buckets to glean babies or other fish from the waste water so they are
not endangered) gravel cleaner with nozzle. The gravel cleaner I
mentioned is the most powerful gravity operated gravel vac I have ever
used. Sometimes the siphon clean (marineland brand) supposedly does a
good job if it is big enough or otherwise is as big as possible for the
particular tank without it being too big which can happen. I highly
recommend the lee's/python products. If you want to save water use the
gravel cleaner and bucket(s) for cleaning/draining and use the python
for filling. The "ultimate gravel vac" is a lee's product apparently
exactly the same as the python no spill clean and fill. Good luck,
later!

[[email protected]]

Hi,

I'd like to expand on this topic.

What about heavily planted tanks? Is it still necessary to vacuuming
the gravel?
I am afraid it would damage the plants roots and dislocate the newly
planted plants.

What is the consensus here? Vacuum or not vacuum? and with what size?

[Nikki Casali]

wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I'd like to expand on this topic.
>
> What about heavily planted tanks? Is it still necessary to vacuuming
> the gravel?
> I am afraid it would damage the plants roots and dislocate the newly
> planted plants.
>
> What is the consensus here? Vacuum or not vacuum? and with what size?
>

In a heavily planted tank, you cannot see the gravel for the plants. So
vacuuming is not feasible. The detritus matter ends up a fertiliser, no
need to remove unless you've got nitrate issues. If you have new plants
and need to vacuum then leave the area around the plants untouched until
it gives out roots. This has been mentioned in a recent post.

Sometimes detritus matter collects against the front glass as I have
masses of Echinodorus Tenellus growing there. So purely for aesthetic
reasons I attempt to stir up the water around there and vacuum it away.

Nikki

[Elaine T]

Nikki Casali wrote:
> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I'd like to expand on this topic.
>>
>> What about heavily planted tanks? Is it still necessary to vacuuming
>> the gravel?
>> I am afraid it would damage the plants roots and dislocate the newly
>> planted plants.
>>
>> What is the consensus here? Vacuum or not vacuum? and with what size?
>>
>
> In a heavily planted tank, you cannot see the gravel for the plants. So
> vacuuming is not feasible. The detritus matter ends up a fertiliser, no
> need to remove unless you've got nitrate issues. If you have new plants
> and need to vacuum then leave the area around the plants untouched until
> it gives out roots. This has been mentioned in a recent post.
>
> Sometimes detritus matter collects against the front glass as I have
> masses of Echinodorus Tenellus growing there. So purely for aesthetic
> reasons I attempt to stir up the water around there and vacuum it away.
>
> Nikki
>
I depart from the mainstream and gravel-vac my planted tanks. I use the
smallest vac I can find and run it along the surface of the substrate
around the swords, crypts, and other bunch plants. I don't dig it in,
but rather siphon the loose layer just over the roots. I always get a
fair amount of detritus and find that I grow less algae this way. It's
harder to lower phosphate from mulm in the gravel than to add nitrate to
an overly clean tank.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[NetMax]

"Elaine T" > wrote in message
m...
> Nikki Casali wrote:
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I'd like to expand on this topic.
>>>
>>> What about heavily planted tanks? Is it still necessary to vacuuming
>>> the gravel?
>>> I am afraid it would damage the plants roots and dislocate the newly
>>> planted plants.
>>>
>>> What is the consensus here? Vacuum or not vacuum? and with what
>>> size?
>>>
>>
>> In a heavily planted tank, you cannot see the gravel for the plants.
>> So vacuuming is not feasible. The detritus matter ends up a
>> fertiliser, no need to remove unless you've got nitrate issues. If you
>> have new plants and need to vacuum then leave the area around the
>> plants untouched until it gives out roots. This has been mentioned in
>> a recent post.
>>
>> Sometimes detritus matter collects against the front glass as I have
>> masses of Echinodorus Tenellus growing there. So purely for aesthetic
>> reasons I attempt to stir up the water around there and vacuum it
>> away.
>>
>> Nikki
>>
> I depart from the mainstream and gravel-vac my planted tanks. I use
> the smallest vac I can find and run it along the surface of the
> substrate around the swords, crypts, and other bunch plants. I don't
> dig it in, but rather siphon the loose layer just over the roots. I
> always get a fair amount of detritus and find that I grow less algae
> this way. It's harder to lower phosphate from mulm in the gravel than
> to add nitrate to an overly clean tank.
>
> --
> Elaine T __
> http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><


I think I fall between these two methods. In your average aquarium, the
fish/plant ratio is higher than normal, so gravel vacuuming is still
beneficial. I just go very lightly over where I think the roots are.
Where it's planted too thickly, I leave it alone (and try to compensate
by being more thorough where there isn't any plants). For the substrate
at the front of the tank, I can never get it looking good enough, so I
usually incorporate a wooden trim piece to cover this view. I still
gravel-vac there, but I don't have to see what it looks like ;~).
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Dick]

On Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:36:15 -0400, "NetMax"
> wrote:

>"Elaine T" > wrote in message
m...
>> Nikki Casali wrote:
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> I'd like to expand on this topic.
>>>>
>>>> What about heavily planted tanks? Is it still necessary to vacuuming
>>>> the gravel?
>>>> I am afraid it would damage the plants roots and dislocate the newly
>>>> planted plants.
>>>>
>>>> What is the consensus here? Vacuum or not vacuum? and with what
>>>> size?
>>>>
>>>
>>> In a heavily planted tank, you cannot see the gravel for the plants.
>>> So vacuuming is not feasible. The detritus matter ends up a
>>> fertiliser, no need to remove unless you've got nitrate issues. If you
>>> have new plants and need to vacuum then leave the area around the
>>> plants untouched until it gives out roots. This has been mentioned in
>>> a recent post.
>>>
>>> Sometimes detritus matter collects against the front glass as I have
>>> masses of Echinodorus Tenellus growing there. So purely for aesthetic
>>> reasons I attempt to stir up the water around there and vacuum it
>>> away.
>>>
>>> Nikki
>>>
>> I depart from the mainstream and gravel-vac my planted tanks. I use
>> the smallest vac I can find and run it along the surface of the
>> substrate around the swords, crypts, and other bunch plants. I don't
>> dig it in, but rather siphon the loose layer just over the roots. I
>> always get a fair amount of detritus and find that I grow less algae
>> this way. It's harder to lower phosphate from mulm in the gravel than
>> to add nitrate to an overly clean tank.
>>
>> --
>> Elaine T __
>> http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
>
>
>I think I fall between these two methods. In your average aquarium, the
>fish/plant ratio is higher than normal, so gravel vacuuming is still
>beneficial. I just go very lightly over where I think the roots are.
>Where it's planted too thickly, I leave it alone (and try to compensate
>by being more thorough where there isn't any plants). For the substrate
>at the front of the tank, I can never get it looking good enough, so I
>usually incorporate a wooden trim piece to cover this view. I still
>gravel-vac there, but I don't have to see what it looks like ;~).

My 10 gallon hospital tank has no gravel. It is the one tank in which
I have a slight milkiness. The tank does have plants that I keep
upright with led weights. This allows me to move the plants,
temporarely, to another tank if the needed treatment might be toxic to
plants. I keep 3 adult live bearers in the tank, 2 that were treated
in the past and cured and a 3rd that is mostly blind and has a twisted
back. She struggles to find food every day and I tend to overfeed so
she has a better chance.

This is the only tank that I can reach the bottom to vacuum. My other
tanks have the bottom pretty full of plants and I don't even try to
clean the gravel. I never see any waste laying around. I don't see
the need or benefit to cleaning the bottom. Partial water changes and
clean filter media seem most important.

dick

[Dick]

On Sun, 24 Apr 2005 04:46:41 -0500, Dick >
wrote:

>On Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:36:15 -0400, "NetMax"
> wrote:
>
>>"Elaine T" > wrote in message
m...
>>> Nikki Casali wrote:
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>
>>>>> I'd like to expand on this topic.
>>>>>
>>>>> What about heavily planted tanks? Is it still necessary to vacuuming
>>>>> the gravel?
>>>>> I am afraid it would damage the plants roots and dislocate the newly
>>>>> planted plants.
>>>>>
>>>>> What is the consensus here? Vacuum or not vacuum? and with what
>>>>> size?
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> In a heavily planted tank, you cannot see the gravel for the plants.
>>>> So vacuuming is not feasible. The detritus matter ends up a
>>>> fertiliser, no need to remove unless you've got nitrate issues. If you
>>>> have new plants and need to vacuum then leave the area around the
>>>> plants untouched until it gives out roots. This has been mentioned in
>>>> a recent post.
>>>>
>>>> Sometimes detritus matter collects against the front glass as I have
>>>> masses of Echinodorus Tenellus growing there. So purely for aesthetic
>>>> reasons I attempt to stir up the water around there and vacuum it
>>>> away.
>>>>
>>>> Nikki
>>>>
>>> I depart from the mainstream and gravel-vac my planted tanks. I use
>>> the smallest vac I can find and run it along the surface of the
>>> substrate around the swords, crypts, and other bunch plants. I don't
>>> dig it in, but rather siphon the loose layer just over the roots. I
>>> always get a fair amount of detritus and find that I grow less algae
>>> this way. It's harder to lower phosphate from mulm in the gravel than
>>> to add nitrate to an overly clean tank.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Elaine T __
>>> http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
>>
>>
>>I think I fall between these two methods. In your average aquarium, the
>>fish/plant ratio is higher than normal, so gravel vacuuming is still
>>beneficial. I just go very lightly over where I think the roots are.
>>Where it's planted too thickly, I leave it alone (and try to compensate
>>by being more thorough where there isn't any plants). For the substrate
>>at the front of the tank, I can never get it looking good enough, so I
>>usually incorporate a wooden trim piece to cover this view. I still
>>gravel-vac there, but I don't have to see what it looks like ;~).
>
>My 10 gallon hospital tank has no gravel. It is the one tank in which
>I have a slight milkiness. The tank does have plants that I keep
>upright with led weights. This allows me to move the plants,
>temporarely, to another tank if the needed treatment might be toxic to
>plants. I keep 3 adult live bearers in the tank, 2 that were treated
>in the past and cured and a 3rd that is mostly blind and has a twisted
>back. She struggles to find food every day and I tend to overfeed so
>she has a better chance.
>
>This is the only tank that I can reach the bottom to vacuum. My other
>tanks have the bottom pretty full of plants and I don't even try to
>clean the gravel. I never see any waste laying around. I don't see
>the need or benefit to cleaning the bottom. Partial water changes and
>clean filter media seem most important.
>
>dick

Yesterday, I swapped filter cartridges from the hospital tank and
another 10 gal tank. This morning, the hospital tank is clear and the
other tanks is also clear.

So, I conclude, cleaning the bottom is only esthetically useful. The
hospital tank was the only one that got its bottom swept twice weekly
and it was the only one that had a problem. I will continue to sweep
its bottom, but only to keep the loose debris down.

dick