With pool filter sand as substrate, can you use gravel vac

[gu2high]

With pool filter sand as substrate, can you use normal gravel vaccum to clean it? Will the sand be suck into the tube during cleaning? If yes, how do you clean it?

 

[Zagz]

Yes you can use gravel vac. Just wave the wand over the sand and the detremis will be sucked up. I also deep gravel vac and some of the sand gets sucked into the tube but I raise it out of the sand before it reaches the top of the tube and it falls back out before beig sucked up into the hosing. Pool filter sand can be quite coarse so it doesn't get sucked up too easily.

 

[Esra]

Good tip.
Keep one finger ready at the end of the pipe in the bucket.
When you want to stop the suction just put your finger over the hole, let the sand fall back out and then release your finger and start again.

 

[Burks]

As long as the pool filter sand was rinsed well I wouldn't worry about it. I've gravel vac'd mine a few times and never had a problem.

 

[bs6749]

I also have pfs and I deep gravel vac it and only the finest particles seem to get sucked up and out of the tank.

 

[Sicklid]

If you don't want to get your hands dirty, instead of closing off the tip of the hose w/ your finger, just pinch the hose midway and control the flow that way.