# Mulm or Not to Mulm



## Fishfinder (Feb 17, 2008)

So, since my tank has been up and running for awhile now, and is now heavily planted, there is a quite the leaf/plant litter starting to build-up, and im sure a good amount of mulm from the fish/snails. So, when i do a w/c should i vaccum up the mulm/leaf litter, or just leave it in? Im asking because i know there are benefits to mulm, but also it is still fish waste.


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

I am an obsessive compulsive gravel vaccer...Mulm completely freaks me out. I'd say keep an eye on your water parameters and make sure they don't get out of whack.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

LOL why does mulm freak you out?

I still giggle at the fact you hate MTS.. XD


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

Ciddian said:


> LOL why does mulm freak you out?
> 
> I still giggle at the fact you hate MTS.. XD


I dunno, I like it mulm free...MTS ugh they are freaky..The way they inch up the glasss.....EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!


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## Fishfinder (Feb 17, 2008)

LOL, when i first saw u type, MTS i thought, why does multiple tank sydrome freak you out? 
But, any like....detail about it though, im really not worried about it poisoning my tank b/c i got a zillion plants and not to many fish, its really more of a dead leaf problem then anything, with the crypts starting to mass melt atm.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Fishfinder said:


> LOL, when i first saw u type, MTS i thought, why does multiple tank sydrome freak you out?
> But, any like....detail about it though, im really not worried about it poisoning my tank b/c i got a zillion plants and not to many fish, its really more of a dead leaf problem then anything, with the crypts starting to mass melt atm.


A bit of mulm is fine. Just vacuum some of it every once in a while during water changes and make sure your filter isn't clogged with that stuff (because cleaning will be extremely disgusting lol). It's great for fertilizing your garden plants / house plants though!


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Mulm good, compacted gravel bad!

I do the same as dekstr, remove a bit now and again via water changes. Also, I try to remove debris like dead leaves etc. as soon as possible. If I can, I try to stir up the substrate a bit to aerate it. I also keep lots of MTS in my tank, as they slowly, but surely, rotate the substrate for me by digging in it.


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

I try to remove as many dead leaves and plant debris as possible. I don't have to worry about compacted gravel with the number of burrowing snails in the tank as well as the Bolivians excavating holes and rearranging rocks every two seconds!


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## Fishfinder (Feb 17, 2008)

Yea, i remove the larger dead leaves and such, but there is a still a bit of a buildup of smaller ones and roots/java moss. Also i have alot of MTS.


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

I never said mulm was bad per say, I just don't like looking at and it makes me feel guilty when I see my bottom dwellers sitting it in lol. My house can be trashed but if there is mulm in my tank I am vaccuming it. Warped sense of thinking. Snails and shrimp loving picking through decayed leaf and plant matter. My spixi's love to nibble on decayed plant leaves.


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Fishfinder said:


> Yea, i remove the larger dead leaves and such, but there is a still a bit of a buildup of smaller ones and roots/java moss. Also i have alot of MTS.


I make a special effort to give the mosses an extra vacuum as they collect a lot of debris.


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## Fishfinder (Feb 17, 2008)

Chris S said:


> I make a special effort to give the mosses an extra vacuum as they collect a lot of debris.


Yea, good point. Wouldnt want them to get covered and die + it would look really bad.


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