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Author Topic: How often do you clean your tank?  (Read 1215 times)
April
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How often do you clean your tank?
« on: December 10, 2010, 05:48:07 PM »
This may seem like a silly question, but I don't know when I should and if I take out Mr. Tailer in a separate bowl while I clean the whole thing. Do you wait a certain amount of time before putting them back so that everything settles again or not? Does stirring up the gravel create an ammonia spike? Should I leave everything alone until it finishes cycling? When he was in the little tank it was easier and I just don't want to screw the bigger one up for him.
« Last Edit: December 10, 2010, 08:05:43 PM by April » Logged
Mindemae
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Re: How often do you clean your tank?
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2010, 08:19:00 PM »
Ok, you leave him in the tank while you syphon the tank.  Really this would be less stressful. Smiley
I always test my water before I change out any water. Then depending where my nitrates are and if everything else is good then I skip a week.  BUT you don't have to syphon water on a newly established tank unless you have an ammonia spike or nitrite spike.  As long as the nitrates are below 30 just leave it be.  Especially while it is cycling.  Best to leave it alone and let mother nature do her thing.  But test your water and if your ph is low like it has been but everything else is good, just add pH adjuster at this point OR regular tap water if it is higher.  Whenever you add or change water I would also add beneficial bacteria into the filter media. Smiley
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Mindemae
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Re: How often do you clean your tank?
« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2010, 08:21:23 PM »
If your going to tear down the whole tank because you changed your mind on the color of gravel then I would take him out while you do major tank work. Wink
Stirring up the gravel a bit should not give you an ammonia spike if your tank is cycled . Smiley
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Hanna
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Re: How often do you clean your tank?
« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2010, 08:24:25 PM »
Yep, same.
I leave the fishies in there while syphoning the poo out and if pH drops a bit I don't adjust the pH in the fresh water, only use conditioner and beneficial bacteria.

But before syphoning I wipe the glass as this stirrs a bit of s.h.i.t. up too, let it settle and then syphon the gravel.  Tongue
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Hanna
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Re: How often do you clean your tank?
« Reply #4 on: December 10, 2010, 08:27:39 PM »
Just did a bit a tank work on YoYo's tank with the "Frontlights" = Neon Tetras and "Backlights" = Glow Light Tetra. Added light gravel to the dark one, gently mixed it, left all fishies in there. Water was a bit stirred up, but now after 1 hour all almost clear.
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Mindemae
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Re: How often do you clean your tank?
« Reply #5 on: December 10, 2010, 08:28:15 PM »
Stirring up s*h*i*t is ok because your filter should suck it up while your gravel vacuuming right?
So then you just rinse the sucked up s*h*i*t off in your syphoned tank water and put it back in the filter. easy peasy. Smiley
Well that's what I do anyhow! Cheesy
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Hanna
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Re: How often do you clean your tank?
« Reply #6 on: December 10, 2010, 08:29:54 PM »
Yes, it sucks it up too  Smiley
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axwell2010
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Re: How often do you clean your tank?
« Reply #7 on: December 10, 2010, 11:42:07 PM »
Mindemae - I do the same with mine as well
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April
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Re: How often do you clean your tank?
« Reply #8 on: December 11, 2010, 02:18:41 AM »
S.H.I.T. Wink lmao! Thank you so much girls for this info. I cannot believe I never asked before but as I said the other was easy and small. I'm NOT touching anything I swear to disturb the balance and will just monitor the levels carefully and adjust accordingly. pH is now at 7.0 nitrites are zero and ammonia is zero and nitrates 10 so woohoo!!! does this sound like a cycled tank or what Wink *clapping fins in background * Hi Axwell, welcome to the forum Smiley
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Hanna
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Re: How often do you clean your tank?
« Reply #9 on: December 11, 2010, 02:56:27 AM »
April, this sounds PERFECT!  Cheesy If you can keep pH stable with them Neutralizer Blocks all should be fine.

Axwell, HELLO and WELCOME to this fantastic community.
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pappy-fish81
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Re: How often do you clean your tank?
« Reply #10 on: December 11, 2010, 02:59:44 AM »
When I see too much slime on the glass that's when I clean it. I do it the day/night before I do water change. Smiley
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Nossie
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Re: How often do you clean your tank?
« Reply #11 on: December 11, 2010, 04:44:03 AM »
I've never cleaned out a whole system in ages... and I would certainly not recommend it. If you'll ever find that your water quality is worse than usual = high nitrates, do a larger water change instead. It's always better to just clean the gravel while siphoning out the water Smiley

I do bi-weekly water changes on my big system, in two weeks, the nitrates reach 25-30 at most, so it would be a waste to change it after just one week d:
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axwell2010
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Re: How often do you clean your tank?
« Reply #12 on: December 12, 2010, 03:18:02 AM »
Thanks April!!  Grin
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ranchuandorandaluver
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Re: How often do you clean your tank?
« Reply #13 on: December 20, 2010, 05:34:56 PM »
I just cleaned out my tank today with my lovely siphon. I was stirring about the gravel so it could suck up all the junk. I hit this one corner and so much poop floated up it was like a flippin' litterbox!  Shocked
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April
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Re: How often do you clean your tank?
« Reply #14 on: December 20, 2010, 06:33:34 PM »
Yes this I've noticed too in my new aquarium. I guess it has to do with the water current and where the poop settles on and in the gravel. Will be doing my first cleaning of this tank probably the week between Christmas and the new year. Picked up a tall siphoning system today and am interested in seeing how it will work.
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Hanna
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Re: How often do you clean your tank?
« Reply #15 on: December 21, 2010, 03:41:09 PM »
Same here, poop concentration in one corner, I also suck it up with the baster in between  until I'll get this Eheim Quick Vac.
He said it should be in before Xmas, so this is only a couple of days.....
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April
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Re: How often do you clean your tank?
« Reply #16 on: December 21, 2010, 03:47:16 PM »
Since I have only ever chased down the rogue cables of just one pudgy fish, I don't feel I can relate to the thrill of seeing that much mucky muck sucked out like you must with all your sweet babies in one big tank Wink Props to the person who invented the baster  Grin
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