What crucial maintenance practice for substrate removes compacted, anaerobic waste during water changes?

Answer

Physically disturbing and siphoning the substrate

While partial water changes (25-30% weekly) are essential for diluting nitrates, they often fail to address the primary source of long-term pollution accumulation in a yabby tank. Because yabbies are prodigious burrowers and spend all their time at the bottom, waste, uneaten food, and detritus become deeply compacted within the substrate layer, creating anaerobic pockets. Simply skimming the surface or just refilling the evaporated water will leave this buried waste untouched. Therefore, a crucial practice involves physically disturbing the gravel or sand bed and siphoning out the settled debris during these water changes to prevent the chronic, slow buildup of toxins that degrades the animal's systemic health over many months or years.

What crucial maintenance practice for substrate removes compacted, anaerobic waste during water changes?

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