On Mar 25, 3:14*pm, ExPat wrote:
On Mar 25, 11:10*am, (L u) wrote:

I feel I need to wash off fish waste and uneaten food. But then again,
in rinsing the plastic plants and little rock cave, I also feel I might
be removing the good bacteria.
Ok, you're the expert. So I won't do it anymore.

Evisdenbtly if your feeding that myuch there is food remains onthe
ornaments etc you need to b ack off on feeding. As for fish waste, you
really should not be getting that much waste deposite don plants etc,
and water current usually will remove it formornaments and pull it
into the filter unit. Doubt a undergravel filter will do this very
effectively.........

The way I understand it, the gravel, decorations and wood all collect
the good bacteria that is essential to a balanced system, as does the
filter sponge. I rinse my filter sponge only periodically and not at
the same time that I do a water change.

It has also been said that when you do rinse the filter sponge you
should rinse it in old fish water from one of your changes (you can
use the rest of the water to water your plants, it has great natural
fertilizers in it). Hope this helps!

marypage