kd123 Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 I am stripping one of my tanks and replacing the gravel.... what is the best thickness for ease of cleaning, plant growth etc? Also if there are rocks and driftwood, do these sit on the gravel or on the glass with gravel placed around them. I normally partially bury them but this means that there is always gravel below them which never gets vac'd.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naz_Nomad Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 If you are planning a heavily planted tank, then the substrate needs to be thicker and it is often thought best to layer some aquarium fertiliser below the gravel. If this is the case, then you may well have about 4 inches of substrate in total. If you are going just gravel, then a couple of inches is often enough. Consider the needs of the fish and the plants. Are the fish burrowers such as Coolie Loach? If so, this will determine not only the depth of the gravel but also the grade - fine or coarse. The plants - will they require firm anchoring? This is determined not only by the size of the plant and its root system, but also again by the type of fish because if they are rooters who uproot plants often, then the plants will require deeper firmer planting to help prevent this happening. There is no hard and fast rule about depth of gravel. When vacuuming, there is no need to vacuum every grain of gravel in the tank. If your tank is well filtered and not too heavily stocked and the fish are not heavily fed, a monthy surface clean is more than enough for the gravel, whatever the depth. In a more heavily stocked tank with less water movement and filtration, and a more generous feeding regime then a really good vacuum disturbing the top layers of the gravel is required at least weekly. Carnivorous fish, messy eaters and no bottom feeders will require heavier maintenance than a mixed bag of fish who require less food and clean the tank themselves. As for placement of logs and rocks, I personally lay the substrate and then place rocks, pushing them into the surface of the gravel. Driftwood I just lay on top of the gravel and don't bother pushing it down at all. Again, this is a personal preference thing and should take into consideration the needs of the tank's inhabitants and ease of maintenance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 I put the substrate in first then place the rocks and driftwood. When I vacuum (every week)I lift the rocks and move the driftwood so I can clean thoroughly - yes I know that it is the harder option but at least I know that there are no spots harbouring muck. I vacuum as far down as I can around the plants until I reach the roots, I have several different sized vacuums from big down to pretty small so I can get amongst them. Takes ages but is worth it IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mankeycow Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 i would take the sucker fish but have only had my tank for a week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheesejawa Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 would it be worth it for shipping? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 Your aquarium is a balanced living system if you keep it right. Everthing plays a part in the balance including the fish waste. If you want a spotessly clean sterile system you should wash and boil every thing and then get plastic fish and plants., If you want a balanced living system you will need to feed your plants so vacuuming all the fertilizer up once a week will starve them of food. Just remove the excess from on top when it builds up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navarre Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 I have to aggree with Alan. I have several plant tanks and depth of gravel varies with all of them. In my planted discus tank gravel is layered in size and all "items" are placed on top of gravel. It has under gravel heating and I have never vacumed the gravel. Has been running around 12 mths or so. I trim plants and do occassional water changes. It has an internal filter Gravel depth runs from 6-10 cms and has about 10 fish total in about 350l water. On the other hand I have a 150l tank that has an average depth of about 7-8 cms. It was planted sparingly originally and has never had CO2. I have only ever had it lightly stocked ...a few guppies. It now has no place in the gravel that is not covered n plants I have NEVER Ever vaxed the gravel. I often pass the vax over the top (about 1-2 cm) of the gravel when doing a water change (about every 2-3 mths). This tank has no filter and relies on the thermal currents from the heater to move the water I dont have algae probs ..tho it is present and I usually (knock on wood) dont loose fish. This tank has been running for about 8 years. So really it is a matter of Balance. HTH Blair Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kd123 Posted February 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Thanks for the help.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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