I have a tank with 2 ranchus. Should i remove the gravel? It is kind of hard to clean. Are there any benefits of not removing the gravel?
I have a tank with 2 ranchus. Should i remove the gravel? It is kind of hard to clean. Are there any benefits of not removing the gravel?
James
I prefer no substrate in my aquariums. Currently I am running a 125 gallon, 40 gallon, and 20 gallon. The substrate collects poop, which as you know, adds to the bioload of the tank. When I removed my gravel, it was a shocking mess, even though I vacuum it with a siphon. Now the poop will make it's way to my filters, which can be rinsed, removing the bioload from the system. It could be said the surface are of the rocks allows more bacteria which process ammonia and nitrite to colonize since they provide extra surface area, but I believe that is far outweighed by the extra debris that collects in there. Also I have significantly reduced my time spent cleaning the tank by removing the gravel. Some find sand to be a good replacement for gravel for those who want a substrate.
Remove the gravel. It just catches poop and food and is a haven for
Bugs and bacteria.
In addition to my previous post, depending on the size of the fish and gravel, it can be a choke hazard. I have had a fish with a rock stuck in it's mouth.
Before you remove the gravel, make sure you have a good bio-filter going. I did not when I removed the gravel and undergravel filter from my tank a year or two ago, and I lost both my fish to a sudden ammonia spike. Quite literally, one day they were fine, and the next they were dead. I tested the water and was shocked by the ammonia level. So get the bio filter up and running, and test often.
I just set up the aquarium again a few months ago, and I was careful this time to get a good bio filter going. I tested just last night, and everything is going great. I left a few handfuls of gravel on the bottom for the goldies to play around with, but other than that, the bottom is bare. I'm quite happy of the appearance without the undergravel filter and substrate.
I have four tanks going now. No gravel in any of them. I would not remove all of the gravel at one time. Good bacteria also live on the gravel substrate. If you were to remove all the gravel at once it could disrupt the biological cycle (the filter may not have enough good bacteria in it to process ammonia/nitrite). I would wait a couple of weeks before I clean the filter . Do not clean your filter before you remove the gravel. It is best to remove gravel a little at a time. I would remove 1/4 of the gravel every two days. Beneficial bacteria live on many surfaces including the sides of the glass . Therefore removing anything, rocks, gravel, plastic plants,or the filter media, will have some impact on the bacterial colonies.
Try not to stir the gravel up. I would test the water for ammonia every other day for the next couple of weeks.
i removed most of the gravel. There is still some left. I have 4 filters running on the tank.
James