Simpler Low-Maintanence Aquarium Setup?

[bettabeauty]

So, I'm sitting here wondering what to do now. I just tried to syphon the gravel in my aquarium for the first time, and I realize that I probably need to remove the rocks and plants that I have set up.

I wish I didn't have to syphon. Is there any way that I can get around syphoning? Tons of live plants? Two filters?

Secondly, in case there is no getting around it, how can I simplify my aquarium setup so that it won't take me forever to remove all the plants and rocks so I can syphon and then have to put everything back?

Thirdly, some of my plants are turning brown and debri is getting everywhere from them. Should I remove them or try to save them?

[ScuitoAmi150]

I had that problem with my 50 gallon turtle tank.
I'd just take everything out and dump out the water. Put the rocks in a strainer and rinse them off.
I tried the two filters with my turtle and it didn't work. Just couldn't work fast enough.
If you're tank is small enough that you can pick it up and dump it I'd try that.

[bettabeauty]

No, its six gallons, so I seriously don't want to pick it up!

[ScuitoAmi150]

Yeah that would be hard!
I had this thing and all it was was a 1/2ft long cylinder attached to a tube. one side of the cylinder was cut open. You just hold it under water until all the air bubbles are out and then it's like a vacuum. Keeps emptying till there's no more water. As around at your local pet store

[ChristinaRoss]

if u use the vacuum syphon, you simply vacuum the gravel and u wont have to remove evrything every time.

[bettabeauty]

Christina-Yes, that's what this was, a vaccuum syphon. My tank is only 6 gallons and I have a divider up so there are three gallons on each side. It is just so difficult to get around all the plants and rocks I have set up. Isn't there another way?

[ChristinaRoss]

in a tighter space thats about your only option, remove the items in the way so u can clean easier underneath everything, believe me wed all love an easier way :)

[kelly528]

Okay first off, 2 filters won't help: You have bacteria turning your ammonia into nitrItes, and bacteria turning those nitrItes into nitrAtes, but you need to remove the excess nitrates yourself because that is where the assembly line ends lol.

Plants will soak up some nitrates but not all, and solid waste will build up in your tank if you rely only on plants.

Do you know what type of plants the dying plants are? Like houseplants, aquatic plants have different light requirements and light-loving plants will die if your light isn't strong enough. Furthermore, a lot of pet stores sell plants that aren't truly aquatic and die after a few months of submersion.

Just try to move as many ornaments as you can and siphon under those. You don't have to uproot the whole tank to clean it sufficiently. In fact, I only siphon the 'bare floor' areas around my plants, and do a more throough cleaning every few months if things start to look dirty.

Siphoning is the easuest way to go, and when you get enough practice at it, siphoning a divided 6 gallon should only take 20 minutes from start to refilling the water. I get my 4 tanks (in the signature) done in less than an hour.

[bettabeauty]

OKay, thanks for the explanations!

The plants that are dying are these green narrow plants that have really small leaves on them. They kind of look like these plants in the middle of the picture:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_DtAIqAbd77g/Sb...2/P1100665.JPG

Except that mine look a little bit fuller and fuzzier. I got them from Petland. Could they just be bad plants?

[kelly528]

hard to tell cause it's dying, but it looks like cambomba. Nice-looking plant, but a lot of people (including myself) have a really hard time getting correct lighting, CO2 and ferts for it. You will probably need to just scrap it.