Added a fun pic of my little 10 gal just because I think she's pretty. Anyways,

As long as I've been keeping fish, I've been under the impression that a water change is especially important in removing buildup of detritus and waste within the tank, as well as chemicals like ammonia or nitrites, which are coming from said waste. I keep seeing people just changing the water though. I always saw these clips of "hands free water changes" and thought, "But if you don't move the siphon through the gravel, you don't remove the source of the issue". But today I saw another one of these videos and thought, "Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the detritus could be hosting beneficial bacteria as well. Maybe the reason I had such an issue getting my tank to cycle was because I didn't let this dirt lie, and not because of the evil ammonia God."

Have I finally understood some great truth that was obvious to everyone else all along? Should I be leaving the mulm alone? My tank is staying stable with the weekly water changes/gravel vacs I do on it, but I would love to see faster plant growth if possible.

Any new perspectives would be enjoyed!!

Thank you :)