File :-(, x, )
Aquarium Questions - Ask Them Here Anonymous
I'll start.

Why doesn't a filter remove heavy waste from the water, isn't that the purpose of it? Why must we replace part of the aquarium water and suck up the shit from the gravel, shouldn't filters...filter? Are there any alternatives to keeping water clean so I do not have to vacuum the gravel?
>> Anonymous
Lazy op is lazy.
>> Anonymous
Filters DO remove large particles that go though the filter.

The reason why the gravel must be kept clean is because a lot of those "large particles" fall down into the gravel before they get sucked into the filter's intake. Think of it like a vacuum cleaner: Your vacuum sucks up dirt. But, it only sucks up the dirt right next to itself. It's not that the filter doesn't remove the bits. It's that the bits never make it into the filter.

You can improve your filter's effectiveness by getting a current going in the tank and by using a larger filter, so the current is stronger and thus there is less chance for particles to settle out (assuming that this is appropriate for your inhabitants, of course)

Anyway, to answer your other question, if your tank is set up *exactly* right then water changes are theoretically not needed. However, most hobbyist's tanks aren't set up good enough to get away with this. The real issue is that nitrates build up in the water. If your tank has a good colony of denitrifying bacteria and the right amount of live plants in it, then these will consume all the nitrates. However, without this you must remove the nitrates through water changes so they don't build up and poison your fish.

As for the gravel, again, a proper tank setup can greatly reduce your need to vacuum the gravel. Scavenging critters like some kinds of crabs, shrimp, snails, and starfish will dig around in the sand and eat waste particles. Their digging action also helps make particles waterborne, so the filter can remove them.
>> Anonymous
>>227160

...something else to consider:

A filter is not a magic cure-all for your tank. Filters trap waste particles. But those particles remain in the water--you just can't see them, becasue they're inside the filter instead of floating around in the tank. Those particles still decompose, and that is still a problem. Most filters are designed to have a lot of surface area where bacteria can live that break down ammonia into nitrites, which is definatley a good thing. But, understand that the byproducts of all that still end up in your tank water, unless you are changing your filter pads at an extremely rapid rate.

Filters are mainly a tool for clarifying the water by removing suspended particles, and they also provide area for nitrifying bacteria to live. But they don't magically "clean your tank".

If you want to set up a minimal-maintenance tank, then you need to study the Nitrogen cycle so you can understand what you are working with. Start here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_cycle
>> Anonymous
I have fine sand in my tank and from time to time it gets clogged with dark stuff.
How can I clean the sand without sucking it up too?
>> tigerfeather !CrwtTbFNxQ
>>227242
You're supposed to not get right up to the sand, just hover over it. If your sand is nasty all the way through, then go get yourself a fine net that will let the sand sift through but will catch the waste.
>> Anonymous
>>227310
thx for the tip