![]() ![]() ![]() If you wish to remove mulm, it can be easily vacuumed up using an aquarium siphon. Plus, the extra debris provides extra cover for smaller fry.Īn aquarium siphon can be used to vacuum the bottom of a fish tank because the heavier substrate sinks to the bottom while the lighter mulm gets sucked up. Fish tanks with fry: Mulm in an established aquarium often grows infusoria and other microorganisms that are an ideal first food for baby fish.However, if there is so much mulm that it covers your carpeting or short foreground plants, you may want to remove some of it to make sure the plants are getting enough light. Fish tanks with live plants: Detritus is often left in the aquarium because it provides essential nutrients for plants to feed on and can potentially decrease the amount of fertilizer that is needed.Removing the excess mulm will help keep the water clearer and the tank look cleaner. Fish tanks without live plants: Mulm can make the water a little cloudy, especially if you have bottom-dwelling fish that like to scavenge in the substrate.Here are some different setups to consider: It depends on whether or not your aquarium can benefit from it. In fact, some aquarium hobbyists encourage the growth of mulm by adding catappa leaves and driftwood to create a more natural-looking biotope or breed fish that like the additional cover. However, the mulm at the bottom of those waterways is packed full of nutrients that continually feed the inhabiting plants and animals in the cycle of life. For example, ponds and lakes in nature may appear to be “dirty” because of their murky, muddy waters. While mulm may look a bit unsightly, it’s actually an indication that you have a thriving ecosystem in your fish tank that can support life and process organic waste without a drop in water quality. Mulm is beneficial to planted aquariums because they revitalize the substrate and add nutrients for plants to consume. Also, remember that mulm looks like brown or black sediment, so if you see large amounts of uneaten food or other organics that aren’t breaking down, consider removing them with a gravel vacuum to prevent deadly spikes in nitrogen waste. If your tank is not cycled, detritus buildup could be a sign that your aquarium is reaching harmful levels of these nitrogen waste compounds, which can be lethal to your fish. You can measure this with an aquarium water test kit to make sure you have 0 ppm (parts per million) ammonia, 0 ppm nitrite, and less than 40 ppm nitrate. Generally speaking, no – as long as you have enough biological filtration (e.g., beneficial bacteria and microorganisms) to safely break down the waste. Therefore, think of mulm is like the compost heap of an aquarium, where organic waste turns into compost that is rich in nutrients and can be used to revitalize the substrate that plants grow in. In fact, the fertile soil in our yards and gardens is basically mulm that is made up of decaying leaves, animal droppings, and so forth. This army of detritivores turns the organic matter into mulm, which contains nitrogen compounds and essential minerals that can be consumed by plants and algae. The decaying organics are broken down by bacteria, fungi, microorganisms, and tiny microfauna. Mulm starts off as fish poop, plant leaves, leftover fish food, and other organic materials that are decomposing in the water. ![]() Keep reading as we dissect what mulm is made of, whether you should remove it, and how to minimize its appearance. Is there a brown or black substance that seems to collect like dust bunnies all over the floor of your fish tank? This dirt-like material goes by many names – such as mulm, detritus, and debris – and it’s a naturally occurring part of healthy aquariums. ![]()
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