Underwater Filters and Sand

[TheMurrays]

I need advice on a filter for my fiddler crab setup. I will be doing half land, half water in my 30 gal. Only half will have water. I want to have fish in the tank as well, so I want a good underwater filter. (Going to try an HOB, but not sure if the low water level will keep it from pumping or not... Trying to find other options.) The crabs really prefer sand as a substrate, so I have to think about that when selecting a proper filter. Here are a few of the options I have looked at:

1. Tetra Whisper: Says "do not use with sand".
2. Tetrafauna Viquarium: See video. Water actually runs through gravel as part of it's filtration. If sand was put on top of the gravel, I believe it would fall through and be sucked up by the waterfall, eventually clogging it.
‪The Viquarium from Tetrafauna with Ron Tremper‬‏ - YouTube
3. Fluval filters: I would actually lay this one horizontally in my tank (hiding it with rocks or plants). I can't find anything so far that says not to use with sand, but since it will be so close to the sand, I'm not sure if it will suck it up or not.

Any advice or suggestions greatly appreciated!

 

[Fishguy2727]

I had their old Viquarium setup with sand in the water area but still used gravel for the land area.

 

[TheMurrays]

Thanks for sharing! I want to do bamboo too... Does it require additional lighting?

Fiddlers like to borrow in the sand on the beach. I don't know that it's necessary, but I think they would prefer it.

 

[Fishguy2727]

I had two light fixtures, one 4' and one 3', nothing special.

You could always make burrows for them using PVC pipe cut at an angle to match the surface of the land area. The right diameter would be an artificial burrow they would love. You could even cut one or two length-wise and silicone it to the front glass to see inside the burrow.

 

[TheMurrays]

I had two light fixtures, one 4' and one 3', nothing special.

You could always make burrows for them using PVC pipe cut at an angle to match the surface of the land area. The right diameter would be an artificial burrow they would love. You could even cut one or two length-wise and silicone it to the front glass to see inside the burrow.

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[skiweeangel]

I had two light fixtures, one 4' and one 3', nothing special.

You could always make burrows for them using PVC pipe cut at an angle to match the surface of the land area. The right diameter would be an artificial burrow they would love. You could even cut one or two length-wise and silicone it to the front glass to see inside the burrow.

That's a neat idea!

 

[TheMurrays]

By the way, what did you have in that tank?

 

[jlk]

FYI, UGFs will not function with sand- the sand would be blown all over the place. UGFs need heavy gravel to function properly. Perhaps you can consider placing filter foam over the intake of a hob to prevent sand from being sucked up? If the water level is not deep enough to run a hob, perhaps you can look into filters that are suited to terrarium setups? Just a thought. Good luck with your new tank!

 

[TheMurrays]

FYI, UGFs will not function with sand- the sand would be blown all over the place. UGFs need heavy gravel to function properly. Perhaps you can consider placing filter foam over the intake of a hob to prevent sand from being sucked up? If the water level is not deep enough to run a hob, perhaps you can look into filters that are suited to terrarium setups? Just a thought. Good luck with your new tank!

Thank you! I actually went with a Whisper filter. I placed it on a rock that is about five inches high. I believe it is far enough from the sand bottom that it will not suck sand inside. So far so good!