Hi,
I recently picked up a 40L, already-planted tank from Gumtree (Aust's local buy/sell site). It's got 5 male neptunes and a guppy fry, plus a bunch of tiny snails (I know, I know, but I got it like that). The tank's levels are pretty good - pH is around 6.3 and ammonia's near 0. However, the plants and substrate get really dirty with algae and poop. I'm wondering if there's a way to clean the substrate and plants without disrupting the ecosystem?
Also, what's the best way to deal with the poop that doesn't get sucked into the filter? I've attached a pic of the tank.
Thanks for any advice,
Angie
Cleaning substrate in planted aquariums: a step-by-step guide
Re: Cleaning substrate in planted aquariums: a step-by-step guide
I've had my share of dealing with snails in tanks, and honestly, they can be quite a pain. However, in a setup like yours with livebearers, they shouldn't cause any issues. But if you ever plan on breeding egg-laying fish, I'd advise against having snails in the tank.
If you could post a picture of the snails, we might be able to identify them for you. As for cleaning the gravel, I'd recommend getting a gravel cleaner. It's a simple tool that can be moved across the surface of the gravel to pick up waste and sediment that the filter misses. You don't need a fancy one; just a basic model with a hose and gravel cleaner tube will do.
To raise the pH, you could try adding some shell, limestone, or crushed coral to the tank. These are all calcium carbonate and will help increase the pH. You can put a small bag of shell or crushed coral in a filter compartment if you have a power filter, or simply add a few limestone rocks to the tank. Just be sure to monitor the pH over the next few weeks to see how much you need.
Another option is to use a Rift Lake water conditioner in powder form. Use it at about 1/3 to 1/2 strength, and it will help raise the pH, GH, and KH.
If you could post a picture of the snails, we might be able to identify them for you. As for cleaning the gravel, I'd recommend getting a gravel cleaner. It's a simple tool that can be moved across the surface of the gravel to pick up waste and sediment that the filter misses. You don't need a fancy one; just a basic model with a hose and gravel cleaner tube will do.
To raise the pH, you could try adding some shell, limestone, or crushed coral to the tank. These are all calcium carbonate and will help increase the pH. You can put a small bag of shell or crushed coral in a filter compartment if you have a power filter, or simply add a few limestone rocks to the tank. Just be sure to monitor the pH over the next few weeks to see how much you need.
Another option is to use a Rift Lake water conditioner in powder form. Use it at about 1/3 to 1/2 strength, and it will help raise the pH, GH, and KH.
Re: Cleaning substrate in planted aquariums: a step-by-step guide
Thank you so much for all the advice. I really appreciate it. I'm not sure a gravel cleaner would be the best idea for my tank, it's so heavily planted and I have little cherry shrimp that I'd hate to accidentally suck up. I'm worried it would be too difficult to maneuver around all the plants.coltin wrote: ↑Sat May 18, 2024 5:00 pm I've had my share of dealing with snails in tanks, and honestly, they can be quite a pain. However, in a setup like yours with livebearers, they shouldn't cause any issues. But if you ever plan on breeding egg-laying fish, I'd advise against having snails in the tank.
If you could post a picture of the snails, we might be able to identify them for you. As for cleaning the gravel, I'd recommend getting a gravel cleaner. It's a simple tool that can be moved across the surface of the gravel to pick up waste and sediment that the filter misses. You don't need a fancy one; just a basic model with a hose and gravel cleaner tube will do.
To raise the pH, you could try adding some shell, limestone, or crushed coral to the tank. These are all calcium carbonate and will help increase the pH. You can put a small bag of shell or crushed coral in a filter compartment if you have a power filter, or simply add a few limestone rocks to the tank. Just be sure to monitor the pH over the next few weeks to see how much you need.
Another option is to use a Rift Lake water conditioner in powder form. Use it at about 1/3 to 1/2 strength, and it will help raise the pH, GH, and KH.
I've actually already added a pH neutraliser powder to my tank, so hopefully that will help with the pH levels. I'll just have to keep an eye on it and see how it goes.
Here's a picture of the snail, they're all about that size.
Re: Cleaning substrate in planted aquariums: a step-by-step guide
When using a gravel cleaner in a heavily planted tank, you don't necessarily have to push it into the gravel. Instead, you can just move it around the tank and suck up the loose debris from the surface of the gravel, which should minimize the disturbance to the plant roots.
A well-designed gravel cleaner, like the one I linked to, has a low-pressure vacuum around the intake that reduces the chance of sucking up fish or shrimp. Plus, most fish and shrimp will move away from the cleaner when you use it. If a curious fish does swim into the vacuum part, you can just kink the siphon hose and let it swim out, then continue cleaning.
As for the snail, I think it might be a baby mystery snail or a type of pond snail. But honestly, it's up to you whether you want to keep them or not.
Regarding pH regulators, I would advise against using commercial ones. They're usually just sodium bicarbonate or sodium biphosphate that can quickly raise or lower the pH, but they don't provide a stable pH over time. If you want to bring the pH up and keep it stable, it's better to use something like Rift Lake water conditioner, which increases the general hardness and carbonate hardness of the water. These are minerals like calcium and magnesium that remain dissolved in the water and slowly react with acids, stabilizing the pH.
Adding shells, coral skeleton, or limestone, which are all calcium carbonate, can also help stabilize the pH. As the acids in the water react with the calcium, they're neutralized, which helps maintain a stable pH.
A well-designed gravel cleaner, like the one I linked to, has a low-pressure vacuum around the intake that reduces the chance of sucking up fish or shrimp. Plus, most fish and shrimp will move away from the cleaner when you use it. If a curious fish does swim into the vacuum part, you can just kink the siphon hose and let it swim out, then continue cleaning.
As for the snail, I think it might be a baby mystery snail or a type of pond snail. But honestly, it's up to you whether you want to keep them or not.
Regarding pH regulators, I would advise against using commercial ones. They're usually just sodium bicarbonate or sodium biphosphate that can quickly raise or lower the pH, but they don't provide a stable pH over time. If you want to bring the pH up and keep it stable, it's better to use something like Rift Lake water conditioner, which increases the general hardness and carbonate hardness of the water. These are minerals like calcium and magnesium that remain dissolved in the water and slowly react with acids, stabilizing the pH.
Adding shells, coral skeleton, or limestone, which are all calcium carbonate, can also help stabilize the pH. As the acids in the water react with the calcium, they're neutralized, which helps maintain a stable pH.
Re: Cleaning substrate in planted aquariums: a step-by-step guide
When I'm cleaning my tanks, you can bet I'm chasing after my fish and shrimp, yelling 'move it, guys!' - even my loaches think it's playtime around the gravel vac.