Gravel Cleaning

[D P]

I have a 5 gallon aquarium with about 1 inch of gravel and 6 tropical fishes
(1Guppy, 1platy and 4 small neon), and only have plastic plants. I have a
filter that hangs ou side the aquarium, with carbon and sponge in it. I do
weekly 20% water change. I want to know is it absolutely necessary to clean
the gravel in this aquarium? And if so how often it should be done?




:D

[Köi-Lö]

"D P" > wrote in message ...
>I have a 5 gallon aquarium with about 1 inch of gravel and 6 tropical
>fishes (1Guppy, 1platy and 4 small neon), and only have plastic plants. I
>have a filter that hangs ou side the aquarium, with carbon and sponge in
>it. I do weekly 20% water change. I want to know is it absolutely necessary
>to clean the gravel in this aquarium? And if so how often it should be
>done?
==================

Some people claim toxic gasses accumulate in the gravel, especially if no
live plant roots are running through it. I do have live plants in all my
tanks buy vacuum the gravel anyway. How often depends on how many fish I
have in the tank and if I can see mulm on the gravel or seeping down into
it.
--
KL....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö> ~~~~ }<((((({*>

[atomweaver]

"D P" > wrote in :

> I have a 5 gallon aquarium with about 1 inch of gravel and 6 tropical
> fishes (1Guppy, 1platy and 4 small neon), and only have plastic
> plants. I have a filter that hangs ou side the aquarium, with carbon
> and sponge in it. I do weekly 20% water change. I want to know is it
> absolutely necessary to clean the gravel in this aquarium? And if so
> how often it should be done?
>

When you feed, does any food make it to the substrate, and/or go uneaten?
If you agitate the gravel, does detritus get stirred up into the water
column? You don't have any bottom feeders in there, so no cleanup crew for
your mid- and top-feeder's leftovers... I'd vacuum the gravel, covering
half of the bottom at a time, when changing the water.

DaveZ
AW

[Tynk]

Köi-Lö wrote:

>
> Some people claim toxic gasses accumulate in the gravel, especially if no
> live plant roots are running through it. I do have live plants in all my
> tanks buy vacuum the gravel anyway. How often depends on how many fish I
> have in the tank and if I can see mulm on the gravel or seeping down into
> it.

Koi-Lo..you are mixing things up.
The toxic gasses build up when an under gravel filter plate is used and
not properly serviced.

And yes...to the original poster....
You do need to vacuum the gravel. Once monthy if you are not over
feeding or over stocked.
That is just the norm.
Don't worry about vacuuming out the nitrifying bacteria (you may have
heard this myth), as they are sticky and adhere to all surfaces of the
tank, and gravel.
If you do not vacuum the gravel, you will start having a nitrate
problem (old tank syndrome).

[D P]

Thank you for all your replies. I guess vacuming the gravel once a month
will do it.

"atomweaver" > wrote in message
...
> "D P" > wrote in :
>
>> I have a 5 gallon aquarium with about 1 inch of gravel and 6 tropical
>> fishes (1Guppy, 1platy and 4 small neon), and only have plastic
>> plants. I have a filter that hangs ou side the aquarium, with carbon
>> and sponge in it. I do weekly 20% water change. I want to know is it
>> absolutely necessary to clean the gravel in this aquarium? And if so
>> how often it should be done?
>>
>
> When you feed, does any food make it to the substrate, and/or go uneaten?
NO

> If you agitate the gravel, does detritus get stirred up into the water
> column?
YES

You don't have any bottom feeders in there, so no cleanup crew for
> your mid- and top-feeder's leftovers... I'd vacuum the gravel, covering
> half of the bottom at a time, when changing the water.
>
> DaveZ
> AW

[Köi-Lö]

"Tynk" > wrote in message
ups.com...

Köi-Lö wrote:

>
> Some people claim toxic gasses accumulate in the gravel, especially if no
> live plant roots are running through it. I do have live plants in all my
> tanks buy vacuum the gravel anyway. How often depends on how many fish I
> have in the tank and if I can see mulm on the gravel or seeping down into
> it.

Koi-Lo..you are mixing things up.
The toxic gasses build up when an under gravel filter plate is used and
not properly serviced.
=============================
Uh, no. YOU are mixing things up. Gas buildup under a layer of gravel
doesn't need a UG filter plate to accumulate. In fact it's less likely to
occur due to the water movement UNDER the filter plate.
--
KL....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö> ~~~~ }<((((({*>

[Köi-Lö]

"atomweaver" > wrote in message
...
> When you feed, does any food make it to the substrate, and/or go uneaten?
> If you agitate the gravel, does detritus get stirred up into the water
> column? You don't have any bottom feeders in there, so no cleanup crew
> for
> your mid- and top-feeder's leftovers... I'd vacuum the gravel, covering
> half of the bottom at a time, when changing the water.

==================
I've done the entire bottom at the same time and checked for ammonia several
times in the next 48 hours - there was none. The bacteria "stick" to the
gravel and are not easily removed from it. They're also all over everything
in the tank.
--
KL....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö> ~~~~ }<((((({*>

[dc]

"D P" > wrote in :

> and sponge in it. I do weekly 20% water change. I want to know is it
> absolutely necessary to clean the gravel in this aquarium? And if so
> how often it should be done?

Is it necessary? Yes.

It is absolutely necessary? No.

Cleaning your gravel will dramatically reduce the amount of organic
waste in your tank, which is essentially what water changing is all
about.

You don't have to keep it spick-and-span unless you're using an under-
gravel filter as your primary filter--in which case a dirty gravel bed
will drastically reduce your filter capacity.

In situations were you have live plants it can be very difficult to
clean the gravel properly, and in such situations it may be better to
simply allow your plants and co-existing heterotrophic bacteria to deal
with the decomposition of organic wastes trapped in the gravel. Some
plant substrates (e.g. onyx sand) are completely impossible to gravel
vacuum. Monitoring the amount of waste you place in the tank should
allow a natural equilibrium to become established in your gravel bed.
Using gravel heating cables can reduce the potential for anaerobic areas
to develop in aged dirty gravel.

As far as how often you should clean your gravel, if you are doing 20%
weekly changes why not use a gravel vacuum/siphon to do it and clean the
gravel at the same time.

[dc]

Köi-Lö <$##$$@$##$$.#$$> wrote in
:

> Some people claim toxic gasses accumulate in the gravel, especially if
> no live plant roots are running through it. I do have live plants in

The toxic gasses arise from some types of anaerobic bacteria. It is not
especially common, but it is a potential problem if you have a very dirty
or very deep gravel bed. Using gravel heating cables will generate a
natural rising water flow and prevent the development of these gasses.

[dc]

"Tynk" > wrote in
ups.com:

> The toxic gasses build up when an under gravel filter plate is used
> and not properly serviced.

Toxic gasses, especially sulfuric ones, arise from certain types of
anaerobic bacteria. You don't need a under-gravel filter for this to
happen, just a deep or very dirty gravel bed.

[Köi-Lö]

"dc" > wrote in message
...
> Köi-Lö <$##$$@$##$$.#$$> wrote in
> :
>
>> Some people claim toxic gasses accumulate in the gravel, especially if
>> no live plant roots are running through it. I do have live plants in
>
> The toxic gasses arise from some types of anaerobic bacteria. It is not
> especially common, but it is a potential problem if you have a very dirty
> or very deep gravel bed. Using gravel heating cables will generate a
> natural rising water flow and prevent the development of these gasses.


To my knowledge I haven't had any of these toxic gas problems. I don't have
very deep gravel in my tanks and do vac it regularly. All the gravel in my
tanks are full of plant roots which may also be helping. I read about
heating cables but they're too darned expensive.
--
KL....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
http://www.ganesha.org/ptb/hipcrime.html
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö> ~~~~ }<((((({*>

[dc]

Köi-Lö <$##$$@$##$$.#$$> wrote in
:


> To my knowledge I haven't had any of these toxic gas problems. I

For the gasses to become a problem they not only need to be produced in
significant quantities, but they also need to remain trapped in the
substrate were they may dissolve into the water table were they may poison
the animals living therein.

[atomweaver]

Köi-Lö <$##$$@$##$$.#$$> wrote in
:

>
> "atomweaver" > wrote in message
> ...
>> When you feed, does any food make it to the substrate, and/or go
>> uneaten? If you agitate the gravel, does detritus get stirred up into
>> the water column? You don't have any bottom feeders in there, so no
>> cleanup crew for
>> your mid- and top-feeder's leftovers... I'd vacuum the gravel,
>> covering half of the bottom at a time, when changing the water.
>
> ==================
> I've done the entire bottom at the same time and checked for ammonia
> several times in the next 48 hours - there was none. The bacteria
> "stick" to the gravel and are not easily removed from it. They're
> also all over everything in the tank.

I was being a bit conservative, as this is a 5 gallon tank. Stirring up
100% of the settled detritus with each water change seemed like a bad idea,
given the small water volume *shrug* You're probably right... in my own
10 gallon tanks, I vacuum 100% of the gravel with every water change.

DaveZ
Atom Weaver