Still Vacuuming Substrate? - Here's How To Stop!

I have not a wave maker, but a powerjet kind of just simple filter that has coarse foam in it - it blasts from one side of the tank to the other. I LOVE this filter, but my little fishes are like OMG WHERE AM I and they get knocked around a bit. I love how it moves my sand around and makes "waves" and bumps in my sand and it constantly moves the water. I also used it without fish to cycle the tank before we got fish and it made my tank so clean and crystal clear for nearly a month and a half. They are awesome and I would love to use it with my little fish lol.

Man I must say my freshwater tank is where it is today because of you Kev and the caveman channel really love your videos bro since day one of me starting my tank. I haven’t had to vacuum my tank in like 4 months myself because of my two wave makers constantly working👍🏾 jus doing my weekly water changes and my water stays crystal clear man you guys better hit that sub button and follow along with Kev man he always make very helpful videos. Thanks bro

I have a wavemaker and it definitely works but like you said Kevin my goldfish were having to constantly swim against the current. Now instead I have 2 filters running at opposite ends of my 400 litre tank, an FX4 and an FX6, one outlet nicely rippling the surface for good oxygenation, the other at the opposite end low down creating nice water circulation. My water is crystal clear and the gravel stays very clean although the goldfish really do a lot of work there themselves picking up big mouthfuls of gravel, cleaning it off in their mouths and then spitting it back out, they are better than any gravel vacuum I find! The flow is good enough to keep things clean and oxygenated but once a day for maybe 10 minutes I manually switch the wavemaker on just to make sure there are no dead spots of still water in the tank. This system works well for me along with some Corys cleaning up any uneaten food from the bottom. Your advice has been invaluable to me my friend, thanks for everything you share dude! 👍

The wave maker has helped me with not having to vacuum my 55 gallon tank for over 6 months. Thank you for your advice!

Thanks to you my water is crystal clear. I have my canister filter along with an HOB purifying filter. I’ve reduced my feeding food quantity “whatever your feeding your fish CUT IT IN HALF! Lol” I have 2 wave makers one with less flow” and since I’ve applied your tips to my tank, my water has been crystal clear and my sand substrate has been super clean! You’re amazing, love your videos. I’ve been fish keeping for years but I have learned soo much!!! Keep doing what you do! 🤗👍

I totally agree , every since I seen your video about putting a wave maker in the tank, I have not had to vacuum my 55 gallon in over a year. That has been the best investment yet. Thank you, also my angel fish don't seem to mind, my flow is not full force . Keep doing your thing, loving your info.

Been a fish keeper for 45 years, this last 5 years when I found corycats I started getting groups of a few that since they started having eggs I know have just picked out around 15 eggs with some that always hatch in the tank, I just had another flood at 1am xmas day with my Greek Hubby screaming that turned out to be my aqua filter that was pushing the water all over, So no leaks thank Jesus, So turning that one off & just keeping my tidal & foam filter I was looking on either a new airpump or the air mover then I saw this video as I need to do somthing, with so many corycats & snails that he`s finally agreeing there are too many as he saves every little thing, Even grows fruit flies for the spiders as winter they need food, I`m loving this video & learning more on what to do, Ty

This all makes perfect sense! If you do this and you get one of those water pumps Kave man did a video on - you could get water change / maintenance down a lot. That is important as we all live busy lives. I’ve got a lot of live plants and rock works - so I still vacuum despite my wavemaker going 24/7.. For me however the biggest plus from the wavemaker is it makes my fish calmer, healthier and happier! i don’t think I would ever do without one again!

Loving the content man. You give really valuable advise and info. But if you don't mind i have one critic about this video. I've only had my koi tank for a week and your videos have been a God-send. Because of how good your content is and how well you present it, i don't think you need the movie cut clips. They're a bit distracting. You're good as you are bro. Don't try to be like the others. I have nothing but respect for you man.

I'm glad I found your video right before I spent money on vacuuming stuff. Since I put a Wavemaker on my 75G African chiclid tank, there's barely any stuff laying around on top of my pool filter sand. I just suck what I can with the hose that I use to remove the water. The FX6 catches the rest. I'll keep it like that. And yes, my aquascape is very minimalist. I even took my 3d background out. It used too much room and it trapped junk back there. Plus my fish would hide back there 80% of the time! Thank you for another great video!

Kev you seriously got me loving this hobby and I just wanna thank you for your helpful knowledge.

I bought the uniclife wavemaker and used another smaller wavemaker to get the cycle of water movement in my tank as suggested. Its been a few days now and im already noticing a big improvement in my tank as far as debris and poop and etc arent staying at the bottom of the tank leaving my substrate looking clean. There are still a few spots with debris and all but nothing like how it was before I started the water circulation thing. Even when I do feeding and the fish make a mess some times, the circulation helps bring that stuff into the filters after awhile and the tank looks clean. Thank you Kev :)

I’m sure I am not the only one to say that your videos are so helpful. I don’t have African cichlids but I do have a Midas/Red Devil and a Flowerhorn in a 125 gallon. I am planning on getting a Fluval FX-6 here shortly and can’t wait to install it. Thank you for all the helpful tips.

Am not vacuuming my substrate Kev the way you think I already have two wavemakers but every time I move my rocks they will have poop underneath them. No matter what wavemakers can't clean under a stone. And second because African cichlids are moving lots portions of sand , especially in the corners, I have , now and then, to straight my substrate up! So that's the vacuuming am doing, nothing more but I still considering it as vacuuming.

Kev firstly thanks for providing such great knowledge and helping us all to have a great tank that we look at. I have 3 tanks and I follow a lot of Kev’s advise and it just keeps the fishes happy and seeing them healthy and hearty make my day. All thanks to the Kevman.

Hey K man great vid as usual. Have 2 wave makers in my 100g all male cichlid tank. Great circulation and haven't vacuumed in 4 months and counting. Love the insertion of the movie clips in your vids. Maybe a Sopranos or Good Fellows clip next time ? haha Merry Christmas to you and your family...

Hey Kevin, as an addendum to "Still Vacuuming Substrate?"; would you please (it would be helpful in deciding where and how to place intake and outlet with a background) make a video demonstrating how your wave maker aids in circulating the tanks water to your intake. (Your intake and output are concealed behind your background). Kevin many thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience in keeping these beautiful specimen, their housing, and their care and health. I appreciate all that you do and publish immensely as do others; I know!!

Thanks Kev! Found your channel today and have been binging for hours! Doing all my research now to prep for getting a big tank for 2 Koi. You got the best content Ive seen so far!

Brooooooooo I appreciate these edits ❤️🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

Your tank does look nice. I'm using a sump overflow system (overflow sponge and pre-filters, plumbed to a FX6) and the return nozzle is coming out at the overflow on the right side of my 150gal. The FX6 is blasting the water across the tank slamming into the far left wall 72" away and was working great on the detritus, I guess like the wave maker does. Unfortunately all my fish are juvenile Tanganyikans (Fronts and Comps) 1" to 1-1/2" long. It was blowing them around like the cow caught in the tornado in the Wizard of OZ. I had to adjust the flow to a corner of the tank. Great information Kev, and it works, but I'm still stuck gravel vac-ing... my sand looks like you sprinkled paprika all over it by the end of the week. The positive thing about this whole situation is, my Green Dragon Bushynose is getting fat. 😏