# cleaning



## steviepc7 (Jan 23, 2010)

Hey guys,

I have a 29 gallon tank planted with water sprite and annarchis. Im wondering what you guys do when u clean your planted tanks. Do you uproot the plants and vacuum all your gravel or do you leave the plants planted and just try to vacuum around them as much as you can?


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

In my heavily planted tank,I just pull out about 50% of the water,and trim the plants.I dont vac the gravel(its a mix of sand,gravel,eco complete and voodoo river substrate.I leave the substrate be,because any decaying plant matter the plants use,or the snails eat,and leftover food goes to the plants and snails,and the snail poo feeds the plants too.Its a pretty balanced system.The 29 gallon,is not quite there yet,so i do hover over the substrate to lift excess debris,but I dont uproot any plants,unless I rescape.I do replant the trimmed tops though,as most of my plants are stem.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

steviepc7 said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I have a 29 gallon tank planted with water sprite and annarchis. Im wondering what you guys do when u clean your planted tanks. Do you uproot the plants and vacuum all your gravel or do you leave the plants planted and just try to vacuum around them as much as you can?


No (uproot then clean).

I don't clean the planted tanks.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

It depends on how many plants you have. You might want to vac areas where there are no plants but stay away from the plants, they need some peace to grow and will take enjoy the waste that is around their roots.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I don't vac too much in my planted tanks. If I am doing some movement of plants and it creates a stir I will try and vac that area or around it as much as I can. Occasionally I will wave the vac tube low to the bottom to try and stir up loose stuff and get it or use my hand to stir it up.


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## chris oe (Feb 27, 2009)

I rarely vacuum. I have mts snails and they travel all through the substrate and do a good job keeping the substrate clean and open, so I don't really need to, but even if I didn't, I wouldn't uproot my plants.


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## danilykins (Dec 22, 2010)

I vacuum around the plants, and then lightly vacuum on the plants(like put the entire vacuum over the plant and suck up the yuck on the plants. I try not to uproot them because the roots are long.


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## steviepc7 (Jan 23, 2010)

thanks for all the info guys,

i guess im more concerned now because i recently got a ram and i know how fickle they are about perfect water conditions.


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