How do you clean...

[pumkin54]

My new tank has smaller sized gravel. Not as small as sand, but not as large as standard pet store gravel. I bought it because there's more surface area for bacteria to grow (?) and the small size seems more friendly for live plants. The problem with this gravel is that it's light enough to get sucked right up the siphon with debris when I'm cleaning. How do you guys clean this stuff?

I thought you weren't really supposed to clean aquarium gravel/sand when you have live plants. But I've seen on a few forums where people do. Which is right?

Thanks!

[bettaboy691]

i dont really know which is "right" but with my tanks i vaccum the open spaces where they are no plants in the way, other than that i leave it. i use a siphon as well and sometimes small greavel comesalong with the water, all i do after ive finished is pick out the gravel and drop it back in the tank

[Abbeys_Mom]

Buy a gravel cleaning attachment that is really tall. Like the one I attached a picture of. The gravel will have to go up along way to make it into the tube. The current isn't as strong in the wide part of the cleaner, so it will only suck up the light poop.

[pumkin54]

I see, thanks very much!

[jweintraub]

I've got sand in my 20G community tank and I just run the siphon about 1/4 of an inch above it and it doesn't disturb the sand at all.

Also if you google it, there's a good instructional video somewhere out there about siphoning with sand, it says just about the same thing I just said above.

[jeffs99dime]

yeah. you have to siphon above the sand.