How do you clean sand?

[Hobgob]

Could you not just take a net and put it into the sand and slowly pull it along the bottom pulling out any waste the might has got thrown under the sand from a fish that burrows?

 

[smileyface9]

Could you not just take a net and put it into the sand and slowly pull it along the bottom pulling out any waste the might has got thrown under the sand from a fish that burrows?

That's a good idea!! Anyone else know if this works?? And thanks everyone for your input. I appreciate it and your support on helping me make a good decision.

 

[Hobgob]

Ya it just came to my mind but seeing as I dont have sand, I haven't tried it before... Hopefully it works.

 

[smileyface9]

Ya it just came to my mind but seeing as I dont have sand, I haven't tried it before... Hopefully it works.

Yeah! Thanks for the idea! My mom's going to let me get sand as soon as i pay her back for the fish lol so i'm going to switch to sand! I'm so excited! Any body want to tell me what type of sand they use and post pic of it? Please? i want ideas..

 

[Hobgob]

Pool filter sand looks good and it's cheap! It is fine to use in an aquarium and you can probably get it at a hardware store or a pool store

 

[Maltimomma]

I have black sand (Petco brand). I bought 5 20 lb. bags at $18 per bag, for my 55 gallon tank. What ever you get just be sure to rinse rinse and rinse some more.

That idea of running a fish net through the sand sounds interesting and I think maybe I'll try it next time. I'm also wondering if you could use a fine strainer because the strainer would have a stronger handle.

 

[Niki]

I use pool filter sand and love it! So easy to clean, I do find I suck a little bit up every time I vacuum but it's no big deal to me!

And I also use crushed coral but I don't like it as much as I like the pool filter sand. With the coral I find debris get caught on it and weighs it down so I feel like that tank is dirtier than my others.....

 

[smileyface9]

Pool filter sand looks good and it's cheap! It is fine to use in an aquarium and you can probably get it at a hardware store or a pool store

Okay thanks

 

[smileyface9]

I use pool filter sand and love it! So easy to clean, I do find I suck a little bit up every time I vacuum but it's no big deal to me!

And I also use crushed coral but I don't like it as much as I like the pool filter sand. With the coral I find debris get caught on it and weighs it down so I feel like that tank is dirtier than my others.....

Thank you! i've been thinking of getting crushed coral too..to help keep my ph more stable.

 

[Niki]

I haven't seen a change in my ph at all, I measures my tap water and then my tank water with the crushed coral before and after water changes with no noticeable difference

 

[meloyelo]

You can get a 50lb bag of pool filter sand at home depot for 5 bucks. And once you go sand you will never want to go back to gravel. It's so much better in so many ways. That's just my opinion though...

Yep, this is exactly what I did. It took roughly an hour to wash the entire 50 lbs out good, but boy does it ever settle out quick when stirred up. I really like the way it looks in my 55 gal tank. I've got 6 peppered corys that run around the bottom and it's neat to watch them dig around in the sand.

 

[smileyface9]

I haven't seen a change in my ph at all, I measures my tap water and then my tank water with the crushed coral before and after water changes with no noticeable difference

Oh so it doesn't really help with ph fluctuations? Mine keeps going too low. Like below 7 once and a while. Idk why. :/ my water's perfectly clean. I had the ppl at pet co test it for me.