# How often do you vacuum your gravel?



## lewmel (Dec 25, 2008)

Hi everyone,
I have had my new tank (125g) set up for a couple of months now, and I was curious how often should I vacuum the gravel. I have only done it twice with a python. And it was a real pain! I am sure I will get better at it, but I would like to know how often I should be cleaning it.
Thanks


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## smellsfishy1 (May 29, 2008)

It depends on how many fish, how often you feed, and if you use a powerhead.
I feed once a day and have about a dozen fish in each of my 55s.

The sand tank i just hover the python over the poo once a week during water change.
My other has crushed coral and I gravel vac every month or 2.
The power head really helps here.


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## lewmel (Dec 25, 2008)

I have a 125 gallon with 3M substrate, with about 25 juveniles


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## mel_cp6 (Feb 3, 2009)

> The sand tank i just hover the python over the poo once a week during water change.
> My other has crushed coral and I gravel vac every month or 2.


why such a difference in intervals between sand and coral?
just curious.


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## earth intruder (Oct 14, 2008)

I gravel vac/stir my sand every two weeks.


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

i vaccum my gravel every other week


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

Cichlid tanks, once a week. Fry tank, every day. Pleco tank, three times a week. All coincide with a 50% water change.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

lewmel said:


> Hi everyone,
> I have had my new tank (125g) set up for a couple of months now, and I was curious how often should I vacuum the gravel. I have only done it twice with a python. And it was a real pain! I am sure I will get better at it, but I would like to know how often I should be cleaning it.
> Thanks


You should vacuum as often as needed. If you wait two weeks, but hardly pull anything out, then you 
can go longer. 2-4 weeks would be typical, but in a lightly stocked tank you could go much longer. 
Don't neglect moving rocks, etc to vacuum underneath and around them because that's a spot where 
stuff typically accumulates and can go aerobic pretty quickly.

Having said all that, there's always a need to strike a balance. You want to enjoy your tank, not be a 
slave to it. You may be able to change your feeding routine or add the devices suggested above, so 
more gets picked up by the filters. And watch your nitrate, KH, and pH levels. They'll tell you if the 
organics in the system are building to an undesirable level between vacuumings.


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## Maddog (Nov 7, 2008)

i do once or twice a week, jsut cause i liek to be diligent, basicaly anytime i do a 30 % water change, same intervals, i check the poo in the gravel

setting up my first sand tank... not sure how that will turn out yet


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## smellsfishy1 (May 29, 2008)

mel_cp6 said:


> > The sand tank i just hover the python over the poo once a week during water change.
> > My other has crushed coral and I gravel vac every month or 2.
> 
> 
> ...


Poo sticks out on sand and is hidden in the coral.
Plus it is easier to clean sand compared to gravel or coral.


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## BoostedX (Mar 1, 2009)

When i had gravel every single water change i would gravel vac. If you had diatoms like i did you would have did the same. I cant wait till they are gone.


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## THEKING (Mar 16, 2009)

In my opinion it really is a matter of what kind of filtration you have if you have UGJ system you could probably get away with once every month.If not the number of fish in your tank also plays a big roll in it so i hope this helps you out with your decision :thumb:


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## wheatbackdigger (May 11, 2008)

Once a week with water changes. If it needs it or not


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

THEKING said:


> In my opinion it really is a matter of what kind of filtration you have if you have UGJ system you could probably get away with once every month.If not the number of fish in your tank also plays a big roll in it so i hope this helps you out with your decision :thumb:


G'day *THEKING*,

Mate it doesn't mater what type of filtration system you have setup. A fish tank and filter setup is a closed system. If you have a very good filtration setup, it just means most of the waste is picked up and stored in the filter to be slowly broken down into nitrates eventually by the bacteria in the filter.

The only difference is that during water changes you don't have to spend as much time vaccuuming [email protected] off the substrate. You still have the same amount of nitrate building up in your tank. Filters do not remove nitrate from your tank.

So you still need to do regular water changes, no mater how good your filter is. The only thing with a good filter setup is that you need to clean out your filter/s more often.

As I only have a couple of tanks, I have two eheim canister filters on each tank. I clean out a filter each alternating month. That includes scrubing out the filter tubes, spray bars, and the canister as well. I replace the fine filter pad, and wash out the coarse filter pad, and rinse out the filter media. I do all this in a couple of buckets of tank water. Never, ever clean a filter out under tap water as you will kill off all the beneficial bacteria in your filter.


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## ben_charm (Jan 29, 2009)

i vacuum with every water change ( big tank every week, fry tank everyday )
i think there is no point just emptying water when you can clean the gravel while your at it :thumb:


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