How do you keep your substrate clean in a heavily planted tank?

[Beach Cruiser]

I've always believed that a "clean" tank leads to a healthy tank (if other things are in balance). In the intrest of that, i was wondering how other folks keep detritus to a minimum in their planted tanks.

In the process of adding a bunch of plants to my 100ga, it occurred to me that it was going to be difficult get amongst the stems with my current equipment.

I used a standard python for water changes & "vacuum" with that...but it's intake is WAY too big for detail work.

Do you guys use any special attachments or tricks to keep the tank floor tidy?

[NOLANANO]

On 5/8/2024 at 3:47 PM, Beach Cruiser said:

I've always believed that a "clean" tank leads to a healthy tank

Clean water leads to a healthy tank but a truly healthy tank needs some mulm to support microorganisms that truly help keep parameters stable.

As for planted tanks, I'd say definitely leave the majority of the mulm because it will work its way into the substrate and feed your plants. Now when I say leave the mulm, I do get that you don't want the tank to look unsightly so you can suck up the obvious build ups but I rarely gravel vac.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

I use gravel and then let the plants utilize the mulm. 
 

Outside of that, internal filtration, spraybars, canister filters, and Corydoras all help keep mulm suspended in the water column so the filter has a second/third/fourth/etc chance to pick it up. 

[Beach Cruiser]

Corys are definitely little aquatic tractors!  Mine have trashed a recently planted patch of pearl weed. 😆

I have great flow with two large canister filters, etc. But my substrate is pretty fine. I'll try stirring stuff up before a water change. 

[lefty o]

i use a python , and just run it around where it fits, and once in a blue moon shove it down  through the plants.

[doktor zhivago]

I just let the poop go into the gravel and the detritus worms and scuds and copepods and everything else goes to town on it. The surface gravel itself is clean from the snails and shrimps and pleco. I don't think I've gravel vacced since I started the tank.

[HelplessNewbie]

If it helps, I watched a video where a turkey baster was used to stir up detritus in the vicinity while vacuuming. I imagine this makes it easier to clean up the tight spaces.

Not sure we would be able to do this on our tanks, since two hands are already occupied: one to direct the vacuum, and the other to pinch the hose when pausing the vacuum.

[Beach Cruiser]

On 5/8/2024 at 8:35 PM, HelplessNewbie said:

If it helps, I watched a video where a turkey baster was used to stir up detritus in the vicinity while vacuuming. I imagine this makes it easier to clean up the tight spaces.

Not sure we would be able to do this on our tanks, since two hands are already occupied: one to direct the vacuum, and the other to pinch the hose when pausing the vacuum.

Good idea! I use the inline valve on the python to reduce flow to a manageable vacuum that won't suck out all the sand, so this might work well. 

[Matt B]

I keep my tanks like doktor zhivago said. 

No gravel vacuuming in my tanks. Lots of organisms! 🦠 It's definitely a unique look and I completely understand that it's just one style of keeping an aquarium.  

[Galabar]

I'm going to put it out there that a don't think a clean tank is necessarily a healthy tank.  🙂

[Beach Cruiser]

On 5/9/2024 at 2:03 AM, Galabar said:

I'm going to put it out there that a don't think a clean tank is necessarily a healthy tank.  🙂

Hence the caveat in my original post.  All things in balance makes for a healthy tank. 

Personally, i find that easier to achieve if there isn't a bunch of decaying organics in the water column. 

[Matt B]

@Beach Cruiser 

I completely agree. If the decaying organic matter is in  the water column, it's a mess for sure. 

[Mmiller2001]

The idea of mulm keeping balance is absurd. A constant source of ammonia is the last thing you want going on in a planted tank. High turnover with good flow throughout the tank will help tremendously. Turkey baster for any problem areas works well. You can also just wave your hand in those areas while doing the water change.

[Beach Cruiser]

On 5/9/2024 at 11:00 AM, Mmiller2001 said:

High turnover with good flow throughout the tank will help tremendously. Turkey baster for any problem areas works well. 

The tank is pretty well balanced, flow-wise. (Dual canisters, outputs at each end, etc) 

Just did the weekly 50% WC & the turkey baster worked well in the spots where i wasn't smart enough to keep the hardscape away from the back glass. 👍

[Galabar]

To clarify my comment, I don't like the look of mulm.  However, if you have a planted tank and mulm is not visible (in the substrate), I think it can be quite helpful for plants.  In addition, at some point mulm will become inert.

On the other hand, if you have a cichlid tank with no plants, you should probably be vacuuming the substrate regularly.

Edited May 10 by Galabar

[lefty o]

On 5/9/2024 at 10:56 PM, Galabar said:

To clarify my comment, I don't like the look of mulm.  However, if you have a planted tank and mulm is not visible (in the substrate), I think it can be quite helpful for plants.  In addition, at some point mulm will become inert.

On the other hand, if you have a cichlid tank with no plants, you should probably be vacuuming the substrate regularly.

mulm is great, and one can simply gravel vac over the surface, and do a deep gravel vac just around the parts of the tank you can see. that way one can have some mulm in the substrate for the plants, and not have to look at it in the gravel.

[Matt B]

I just went back and read the original question. And I was just thinking,  What do aquarist with dirted substrate tanks think about this?  I guess what I'm wondering is, how to keep material out of the water column or on the surface of the substrate, especially sand?  But is there something negative about haveing detritus in the gravel tanks? Isn't that what root tabs are?  Soooo many ways to keep an aquarium and its inhabitants happy.  😁

[doktor zhivago]

On 5/11/2024 at 10:28 AM, Matt B said:

 But is there something negative about haveing detritus in the gravel tanks? Isn't that what root tabs are?  Soooo many ways to keep an aquarium and its inhabitants happy.  😁

As long as it's breaking down and turning into mulm down in the lower substrate it's not a problem. But lots of detritus sitting on the surface is just rotting poop your fish are swimming in.