# How to clean Fluval plant/shirmp substrate?



## ah3 (Dec 14, 2010)

i have a 20g tank with only a couple freshwater fish and some plants. Recently just changed from gravels to the fluval plant substrate about a month ago. It's also time for a water change; i wonder how to clean those substrates? I used to clean the gravels with those gravels cleaners while changing water. Would the substrate turns the water brown/grey if i clean them? how do you guys clean it?


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## ug.mac (Jul 13, 2010)

You will just leave them alone. Soil based substrate is not gravel and cannot be vacuum clean. Just make sure you don't overstock/overfeed your tank, leave your filter running at all time.

I have the same substrate in my tank too, I never disturb them except planting.

ug.


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## ah3 (Dec 14, 2010)

so you just leave the feces mix with the substrates? do you have other fish in the tank to eat those? sorry for all the questions - im still very new to the aquatic world


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## ug.mac (Jul 13, 2010)

Your plants will use the poop in the substrate and no fish will feed on other's poop. So make sure you have some plants in the tank.

ug.


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

ug.mac said:


> You will just leave them alone. Soil based substrate is not gravel and cannot be vacuum clean. Just make sure you don't overstock/overfeed your tank, leave your filter running at all time.
> 
> I have the same substrate in my tank too, I never disturb them except planting.
> 
> ug.


I would have to disagree, ug. I often gravel wash my substrate (including ADA) with a Marina mini gravel washer (mods: the link is only for reference to the siphon used). It is a slow process and this would only apply to plant free areas. I do this regularly in my Blue Pearl tank and my 10 gallon tanks. The only exception would be where carpeting plants make it impossible (and then I just siphon lightly on top of the plants). I siphon off the mulm and dirt that collects in the top inch of the substrate.

Respectfully,

Stuart


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## mikebike (Sep 8, 2010)

I remove as much of the substrate and contamination and put it into a basin.

Then swirl it around with some of the water that was removed for water change and the *rap/detritus will float out.

A plastic gold pan works very well for cleaning soils.

It is not fast but I recently recoverd 25#'s of redish soil.


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## EDGE (Aug 24, 2010)

I do something similar to CRS Fan. light vac along the surface of exposed area and deep clean in area where I planned on planting within the next couple of days. Deep vac is done to keep the mulm down so the roots can breath easier at the beginning. The debris gets very thick in the substrate after a while with ada soil.


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