Loaches Online Forum

I find that the sand is showing all the poo.

And by the time I move all the wood and vac, it out....am doing a 70% W\C....

I like to do two W\C`s a week.... But now am wondering if this is going to be to much...

For filter`s am running a fx5 and Ehiem 2260. I clean one filter when water flow is down. Never both at the same time. ( alway`s in tank water)

Tank is 200x55x60cm-660 liters.

What you think should I cut down to one W\C a week ?

I strongly believe healthy fish is clean water. And a verity of good food. but can one go to far, and mess thing`s up with too much. ?

Iam thinking that as long as you don`t clean your filter`s more than needèd you will be alright..... But still I wonder.

What is everyone else doing ?

It sounds like you don't have enough current to pick up the poo so's the filter can suck it in. Try repositioning a spraybar low in the tank to give a current across the floor. Place a filter intake at the opposite end.
Theoretically, if set up properly you should not need to vacuum a sand-bottomed tank IMO because the filters should contain all the poop.

Martin.

Just a few random thoughts.

Try adding a couple of powerheads to blow the debris toward the filter intakes.

Plant the tank pretty heavily, and the debris will only show in the very front (where there are fewer plants). THe debris becomes plant fertilizer, and the plants remove the Ammonia before the bacteria can turn it into Nitrite or Nitrate. Better quality all around.

Vacuum only half the tank at one time. Half this week, half next week. (perhaps this results in one 50% WC per week)

There is no problem with doing large, frequent water changes, keep up with the way you are doing them. Mother Nature does larger, more frequent water changes than this, and the fish are surviving.

What is the Nitrate level? If it requires 2 x 70% per week to keep it under 20 ppm, then do not reduce the water changes.

Diana wrote: What is the Nitrate level? If it requires 2 x 70% per week to keep it under 20 ppm, then do not reduce the water changes.

May I ask why is so important to have nitrates bellow 20 ppm?
I frequently read posts elsewhere recomending to have nitrates below 50 ppm but much more because of algae, not fish. I have already read that nitrates are not as harmfull to fish as amonia or nitrites and that 300 or even 400 ppm of nitrates can be tolerated for most fishes if not for long time.

thanks in advance for the answer!