How do you vacuum gravel that sits on an undergravel filter?

Question

Won't you disturb and destroy the bacteria that resides in the gravel that biologically filters your tank?

Answer 1

No problem. Do half every week. Do the other half every other week. Don't do the whole thing at once. Don't forget which side you did last week.

Answer 2

Yes and no. Some bacteria will certainly be removed with the siphon, but it should be physically impossible to remove it all before you drain the 20-30% of the tank volume, which is all that should be removed in one cleaning.

If you do the maintenance properly, you should clean along the gravel right in front of the tank (where people will see it) and the very top to remove large particles (you don't want to leave these so they contribute to your nitrates), but only a portion of the rest should be cleaned deeply. The part that gets more thoroughly cleaned should be rotated, so only about 1/3 of the bottom area is cleaned at a given time. This leaves the rest of the substrate relatively undisturbed so it can "reseed" what was cleaned. Also, you shouldn't clean the gravel and change your filter pad on the same day.

Great question, though. Not something we usually think about when we clean our tanks.

Answer 3

One thing, the suction isn't killer from a siphon, the bacteria are in the gravel pretty good.

Another thing, I recommend turning your UGF off, removing the tubes and siphoning some of the junk from underneath the plate AT LEAST once a month. It gets nasty under there and will leach bad stuff back into the water and in those tubes. You can clean the tubes while you have them off with a cheap bristle brush you can find in a fish store or usually near the filter section in a pet store. That slime and stuff on it breeds a bad bacteria and can cause problems (such as fungus) if left on there for long periods of time.

I agree, great question.

I also do recommend eventually picking up an adequate hang on back filter, they are cleaner overall. You can get one good enough for up to a 30 gallon tank for $20-30, maybe cheaper ... PetSmart.com has great deals at times.

Answer 4

i don't think of the undergravel filter out could completely restore the issue. you're able to be able to desire to probable wait one greater a million day in spite of the undeniable fact that before making use of the vacumm with the undergravel filter out. It pratically does not something in spite of the undeniable fact that. i could do a on a regular basis 10-25% water cleansing then a 50% water substitute/cleansing as quickly as a week. different than that, get some snails or backside feeders including a pleco or 2 to help....sturdy success!