I don't understand

[Dennis The Mennis]

I have only recently started researching planted tanks. I must say that I'm amazed with what so many accomplish. I have really started to rethink my setup. The one thing that puzzles me is how do you clean up fecal matter. A beautifully planted tank seems almost impossible to clean. Is it converted into plant food that quickly? Is this job left to a crew of bottom dwellers? If so, what/who seems to do the best job?

[pcsb23]

Careful use of the syphon hose, and yes some will get used as plant food too.

[swingdaddy]

yes, vacumn the substrate lightly and i use a small diameter tube to get into the nooks and crannies.

[Harriett]

Before you actually do the aquascaping, try to strategize on how you will be able to do maintenance--do some drawings of the layout and see if that gets you in the ball park. By terracing the plants to some degree and also planting in naturalistic looking 'clumps' with open areas around them, you can get a look of fullness but you can get between the loose rows to clean. Also, if you plan to use Anubias, they do very well anchored to driftwood, out of the substrate entirely. Then you just move the wood and vacuum the area with the python. Plants, as said, will uptake some of the ditrius, but regular vacuuming and tank maintanence will give a great look and a well functioning tank, given good foundations of a very generous filtration system, clean water, nutrients, light, possibly CO2, a good cleaning crew [catfish, plecs, cories, etc]and so forth. Good Luck!
Harriett

[judy]

A combination of good clean-up crew that eats any leftover food, frequent vacuuming of the surface, digging the vacuum a bit into the gravel and pushing it about a little, around the plants (I combine that with the water changes so both are accomplished at the same time), and lots and lots of filtration (I run three HOB filters that, in total, should serve 170 gallons, on a 78 gallon tank, and I clean one of them each week by rinsing the media in siphoned tank water). as well, as Harriet noted, try to plan your aquascape with open spaces and plants that spread out above those spaces, so you can vacuum underneath the plant "canopy".
I just discovered what many planted tank veterans have probably always known: I redid part of my substrate as extra-fine white gravel-- coarse sand, really-- and it's remarkably easy to vacuum up gunk--- just wave the siphon tube back and forth over it at a slight angle and up the stuff comes without disturbing the sand.
My clean-up crew is a couple of clown loaches and a littel pack of Siamese algae eaters , but I have read that bristle-nose (or is it bushy-nose?) catfish do a great job...

[Silent Running]

I "graze" my vacuum over the top of the gravel at WC change time just enough to suck up any detritus that's loose on the surface. I don't dig into the gravel, rather I get the vacuum just close enough to pull up any loose debris. That combined with sufficient plants and filtration really goes a long way in keeping the substrate clean.

[KJoFan]

There is also one type of snail, who's name escapes me that helps keep at least the top inch or so of the substrate stirred up well without ruining anything. I have them in my planted tanks and they go a long way in keeping that top layer of substrate free of debris buildup.

[pcsb23]

, but I have read that bristle-nose (or is it bushy-nose?) catfish do a great job...

Either name is acceptable and yes I would agree they do an excellent job ime.

[rlong]

Hi,
KJoFan, the snails you were thing of are "Malaysian trumpet snails"

[KJoFan]

Yep, those are the ones! Thanks for filling that in!