What not to do!

[thresholdoftime]

Okay, yesterday I decided to vacuum my "sand" and do about a 25% water change to my 30 gallon tank. So everything was going fine, got the water out to my garden, cleaned the sand I sucked up, then I decided to put the sand back in. Unfortunately I left my hang on the back filter on while I was putting the sand back in and it sucked a bunch of sand into it. BIG PROBLEM. I'm so dumb! I even read somewhere to turn everything off while doing water changes. So anyways, what was originally a 30 minute job turned into a 2 hour job. I quickly took my filter and took it part piece by piece trying to salvage it. Luckily I got it to work again after spending an hour trying to get every grain of sand out of it.... and its back to working normal again.

Just thought I'd put this out there for anyone who is new and using sand in their tank. Sand will ruin filters if they suck it up. Important to know.

 

[asudavew]

I feel you.
Setting up my first saltwater tank...
My powerhead slipped down the side and into the sand.
Now it's one dead powerhead.

Added a small pump to keep circulating water... it slipped down too.

Now it's one dead pump.

 

[kangster]

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=276
i have sand as the substrate and use this

 

[mgamer20o0]

you have a pre filter over the filter intake?

 

[kangster]

yes...a sponge over the intake...
if you remember my problem from another thread i was having trouble ever since i started injecting co2 because some kind of clear mucus that was constricting the flow through the sponge...
it looks super ugly but i think it is doing what it is supposed to do...