gravel cleaning or changing

"Dick" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 14 Oct 2006 20:48:05 -0500, Köi-Lö wrote:
I use a gravel vac from the pet shop to thoroughly clean the gravel when I
do water changes. The gravel is clean except around the live plants where
I
don't want to harm the roots. I just go over those areas lightly. There's
few things more unsightly than gravel covered in mulm.

Now that sounds like a reason to vacuum the bottom. Who wants to look
at unsightly "mulm."

What is mulm?
=================
That's the decomposing and decomposed dropping from the fish mixed with
decaying plant matter and any food the fish missed or couldn't consume.
--
KL....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~~ }((((({*

On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 00:04:56 -0500, Köi-Lö wrote:


"Dick" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 14 Oct 2006 20:48:05 -0500, Köi-Lö wrote:
I use a gravel vac from the pet shop to thoroughly clean the gravel when I
do water changes. The gravel is clean except around the live plants where
I
don't want to harm the roots. I just go over those areas lightly. There's
few things more unsightly than gravel covered in mulm.

Now that sounds like a reason to vacuum the bottom. Who wants to look
at unsightly "mulm."

What is mulm?
=================
That's the decomposing and decomposed dropping from the fish mixed with
decaying plant matter and any food the fish missed or couldn't consume.

Thanks. I don't have any mulm. I wonder if the food I use makes a
difference? I use Tetramin " Tropical Flakes" mixed with "Spirulina."

dick

Dick wrote in
:

Actually, I wonder why you believe the gravel needs cleaning? The
poster says nothing about any problems. His concern seems to be from
reading comments like yours. He may well have plants.

I accept your caution, but only as a caution, not proof of your
belief.


Belief? No. I have an unplanted tank, and my local water is normally soft
and acidic (low bufering capacity). When I vacuum the gravel during water
changes, I see a marked control in the rate at which total nitrates
develop, since I'm removing more decaying matter than I would by just
decanting off the supernatant water.
Without gravel vacuuming, fish waste continues to decay in the gravel
substrate, and nitrate levels rise more rapidly, requiring larger water
changes to keep nitrates 20 ppm. Its not belief... its math. But it is
also setup-specific, hence Tynk's wisely added caution. People don't
vacuum gravel on mere superstition, although Iunderstand how you might
think that about a lot of fishkeeping practices.

DaveZ
Atom Weaver

"Dick" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 00:04:56 -0500, Köi-Lö wrote:
That's the decomposing and decomposed dropping from the fish mixed with
decaying plant matter and any food the fish missed or couldn't consume.

Thanks. I don't have any mulm. I wonder if the food I use makes a
difference? I use Tetramin " Tropical Flakes" mixed with "Spirulina."
===========================
Your filter may be picking it all up if there's enough current to keep it
from settling. :-)
--
KL....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~~ }((((({*

On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 16:26:14 -0500, Köi-Lö wrote:


"Dick" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 00:04:56 -0500, Köi-Lö wrote:
That's the decomposing and decomposed dropping from the fish mixed with
decaying plant matter and any food the fish missed or couldn't consume.

Thanks. I don't have any mulm. I wonder if the food I use makes a
difference? I use Tetramin " Tropical Flakes" mixed with "Spirulina."
===========================
Your filter may be picking it all up if there's enough current to keep it
from settling. :-)

As you know from my spouting off so often, filters merely strain the
solids. The water passes the solids captured by the media. Erosion
reduces the size of the solids allowing them to return to the tank.
I think the smaller waste size keeps them from being seen and gives
the bacteria a more digestible portion.

I have never found any test to show my water parameters to be harmful.

All speculation on my part. I live happily on with my ignorance.

dick

"Dick" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 16:26:14 -0500, Köi-Lö wrote:


"Dick" wrote in message
. ..
On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 00:04:56 -0500, Köi-Lö wrote:
That's the decomposing and decomposed dropping from the fish mixed with
decaying plant matter and any food the fish missed or couldn't consume.

Thanks. I don't have any mulm. I wonder if the food I use makes a
difference? I use Tetramin " Tropical Flakes" mixed with "Spirulina."
===========================
Your filter may be picking it all up if there's enough current to keep it
from settling. :-)

As you know from my spouting off so often, filters merely strain the
solids. The water passes the solids captured by the media. Erosion
reduces the size of the solids allowing them to return to the tank.
I think the smaller waste size keeps them from being seen and gives
the bacteria a more digestible portion.

I have never found any test to show my water parameters to be harmful.

All speculation on my part. I live happily on with my ignorance.
===================

Whatever works for YOU. Once the mulm is totally broken down and in
suspension it's removed with partial water changes.
--
KL....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~~ }((((({*