how to clean driftwood snags and rock work?

[BK]

Hi,

How do those of you with driftwood snags (or extesive rock work) in your tanks clean them? do you periodically remove the wood and vaccum the area under the wood or do you just gravel vaccum around it and not worry about the waste under the wood?


Thanks,
BK

[Zack]

I dont move the wood to clean under it, but when im rearanging things i take the wood out and clean it in the sink and then gravle vac where it was and then set the tank back up.

[Ben]

I keep a good ammount of bog wood in my tank, and with the extra high levels of waste produced by cats, I've found it sure does build up under the wood (especially sice that's where they spend a lot of thier time) I do my normal rock vacs going around it and under it as much as I can fit, and try to stir it up a bit in the process, and once a month I take all the wood out and do an extra good vac where it was.

[BK]

in my 120 gallon i try to move the wood around and clean once a month because the big pile is not really that complex, but my concern is about my new Tank for my L204. It will have alot more driftwood tangled together in a complex pile and i don't see an easy way of removing and replacing it to clean the gravel under/around ther big pile without horribly stressing the fish.

[vulkoq]

Assuming you're using a "python" hose for water changes, you could suck a liitle bit of water out of the tank so it doesn't overflow. Then turn up the faucet to high pressure and add water back in with the hose at the bottom, pointing the tip right under the driftwood to blow the waste out into the tank. Then switch back to suction to vacuum up the waste you just moved.

[BK]

i don't use a python. Good thought though.

[gail]

This is such a timely topic for me! I was just wondering about cleaning the driftwood "furniture" which I have strewn around the tank... I think I'll just take it out and rinse it periodically... by the way, i am not using any substrate... just flat rocks and wood... easy to clean... althought some might find it rather barren... but I have lots of flat rocks of different colors and textures. Hoovie loves it, I think. For the first time, I found him GLUED to a piece of driftwood!!!! Honestly, I think he was in heaven: I don't think he had ever had driftwood before, and it took him quite a while to approach it! His little beady eyes were practically glazed over in ecstacy! Poor ol' fella!!!!