How to clean aquarium with plants?

my plants just grew after a few weeks 1 feet high and there is a floating lily floating on the water.



if i clean my aquarium by vacuuming, will the 15% of water taken out break the plant due to the plant not being in water?

How to clean aquarium with plants?
The lily pad's stem is quite flexible and won't break off. The stem will bend and the pad will stay level with the water.
Reply:If your plants are newer than 3 or 4 months , be VERY careful. Don't vacuum anywhere near it. The roots haven't set very well yet, so when you do a water change, they are likely to uproot. Very annoying. Instead of doing 15%, do 5% of the water 4 times. So, in a 20 gallon tank, take out 1 gallon, replace that gallon, then another gallon, etc..... This will keep the plant from being disturbed.



If the lily is well rooted, though, you should be able to vacuum near it. I had a plant tank for years, and never vacuumed the gravel, though. I just did water changes. You shouldn't have to worry about 'breaking' the off-shoot. They are very flexible, just be gentle when putting the fresh water in.
Reply:I wouldnt use the vaccum to take it out....
Reply:You need to vacuum your substrate, so all I can say is be careful not to uproot your plants and push the flower stalk aside to avoid breaking it. Be advised that aquarium plants can grow fast if you don't have fish that eat them, so, eventually, you are going to need to cut them back and/or tear out some of them voluntarily anyway.
Reply:Go watch Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo. He is an expert aquarium cleaner and that is how I go about cleaning my aquarium.