# How do you clean the substrate in a planted tank?



## bigmark (Sep 8, 2006)

OK, this may sound very dumb to most, but I figure what the H, I have been bending a lot of ears, and this is something I just have not though about before.

In my normal tank I use a syphon type into a 5 gallon jug. I drive the suction head deep into the substrate and pull all the nasty stuff out. this is easy and straight forward.

What about with a planted tank? How do you clean the substrate? Do you do the same thing, or do you just lightly go over the top? My thought is to not hurt the roots, or disturb them.

Thanks for putting up with me these past few weeks.


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## sarahbobarah (Sep 5, 2005)

Personally, I don't clean my substrate bed. I use the siphon to collect water and junk that has collected at the base of my plants on the surface of the substrate.


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## bigmark (Sep 8, 2006)

Very good. I was hoping that was the answer.


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## joephys (May 9, 2006)

I just hit the surface of the substrate if I can, but I have many areas of the tank where I can't get to the substrate, so I just leave it alone.


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

I clean the substrate whenever I pull up/re-plant an area. Over the span of a year, probably the entire substrate will get vaccummed maybe twice. Obviously where the stem plants are get 'cleaned out' more often than where the Crypts and Anubias are.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

On the parts that I have open areas I will stick the syphon down into the substrate to pull out debris. On parts with short forground plants I just swipe the syphone over the top of the plant to pick up lose debris. All othr parts, usually the background I do not syphone.


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## AndyT. (Jun 28, 2006)

Amano mentioned in one of his Nature World Aquarium books that he always leaves an area in the rear which slopes downward so that mulm and debris will accumulate there. I have done that ever since reading this and I can report that mulm and debris does accumulate in the sloped area... and everywhere else. So I wind up doing what everybody else in this thread is suggesting.


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## DaFishMan (Dec 4, 2005)

"How do you clean the substrate in a planted tank?"

I don't, my snails do. (Malaysian Trumpet Snails)


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## MiSo (Nov 4, 2005)

with substrate like eco complete, there isn't any crevices that food can fall into so the cleanup crew gets almost all the food that falls to the bottom. 

ever so often i will swipe the syphon over the surface to pick up any loose debris but generally speaking, there's no heavy cleanup as opposed to cleaning regular gravel where you'd stick the syphon into the gravel to get all the nasty stuff.


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

> 29 gallon planted community tank
> 5 gallon Betta (Pete) 2 snails (Gary & Slider)
> 2.5 gallon Betta (Shadow) 1 snail (Monster)
> 1 gallon fish bowl Betta (Cookie)


BigMark, with list of your very nice Aquariums I assume you may have an easier time adjusting to this idea.

You don't have to. So many habits that we learn maintaining fish tanks are very hard to un-learn with planted aquariums. The information on the biology of a planted aquarium is so unique. Diana Walstad's book - Ecology of the Planted Aquarium gave me a new insight on 'black gold' in the aquarium. The whole idea of DOC 'Dissolved Organic Carbon' being able to bind toxins from the water and actually protect and benefit the tank was a new one for me to learn. I would clean the substrate and feel good about it being 'clean'. And then in the past I would purchase black 'tabs' to put back into the substrate.

Imagine. Snails can be friends. Mulm can be good. Organic stuff in or underneath or with the substrate can be good. Weird, huh?

Maybe not artistically spotless, but biologically and organically, GOOD.

Biology. What a unique and beautiful science!


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## gabeszone (Jan 22, 2006)

I dont clean my aquasoil, but I do clean the bright sand with a vac to mix it up and suck up poo!


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## Mellonman (Nov 2, 2005)

I don't clean the ground either...
A good filtratiion and some shrimps will do the job


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