mike47517
Aquarium Advice Addict
How do u clean a tank with sand instead of gravel? wont the siphen suck it up?
How do u clean a tank with sand instead of gravel?
- Thread starter mike47517
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FastFly67
Aquarium Advice FINatic
not if you just skim over the surface
OP
OP
mike47517
Aquarium Advice Addict
then how do you clean all the fish crap out of the sand?
FastFly67
Aquarium Advice FINatic
my fish crap doesn't sink into the sand. just kinda sits on top. then again i have black sand so i don't even notice the fish poo
MisticX
Aquarium Advice Freak
you put a bit of fine sand into a woman's desuu (under dressing) and rub with it.
OR
use your gravel (if it's fine sand) between the glass and your own fingers.
make sure the filter isn't running until you're done cleaning.
OR
use your gravel (if it's fine sand) between the glass and your own fingers.
make sure the filter isn't running until you're done cleaning.
OP
OP
mike47517
Aquarium Advice Addict
ok i think ill stick w/gravel
MisticX
Aquarium Advice Freak
after re-reading your question... i must correct my answer.
i thought you ask how to clean a tank WITH SAND (as in cleaning material)
you clean a tanks glass just the same way as if gravel or sand is in it.
i thought you ask how to clean a tank WITH SAND (as in cleaning material)
you clean a tanks glass just the same way as if gravel or sand is in it.
Mike 47517-
I currently have black sand in my tank. The waste does sit on the top of the gravel and doesn't seem to sink beneath the surface. However, this does make it difficult to syphon, because your instinct tells you to syphon all the way through to the glass, and that sucks up too much of the sand. Syphoning just the surface of the sand can be difficult, and it will still suck sand into the syphon regardless. I know this dilema.
I often just gently sitr up the surface of the sand to get the waste moving and then net it with a brine shrimp net. I takes more time though because brine shrimp nets are tiny.
What I would suggest is to mix the sand with another type of gravel. I am about to do that with my black sand now because I want to be able to syphon down through without sucking up too much sand. Sand can be a pain.
I currently have black sand in my tank. The waste does sit on the top of the gravel and doesn't seem to sink beneath the surface. However, this does make it difficult to syphon, because your instinct tells you to syphon all the way through to the glass, and that sucks up too much of the sand. Syphoning just the surface of the sand can be difficult, and it will still suck sand into the syphon regardless. I know this dilema.
I often just gently sitr up the surface of the sand to get the waste moving and then net it with a brine shrimp net. I takes more time though because brine shrimp nets are tiny.
What I would suggest is to mix the sand with another type of gravel. I am about to do that with my black sand now because I want to be able to syphon down through without sucking up too much sand. Sand can be a pain.
GhostKnife
Aquarium Advice FINatic
You could always use a fine mesh on the end of your gravel vac and still stick it in the sand and clean up whatever is in the sand that way.
TankGirl
Aquarium Advice Addict
I wave the tube end of the syphon hose around vigorously to disturb any accumulated debris (you can do this with your hand, too) and suck it up in the syphon as I do my water change. This should not disturb the sand too much. Once the tank is established the sand does not tend to fly up and around with the slightest current, as it gets coated in bacteria and such.
Also, I use a chopstick or similar device to "stir" the sand before I do a PWC in non-planted areas to prevent the sand from becoming impacted and developing anaeropic pockets. This will usually do the job of lifting stray debris into the water colum for me to suction away during the PWC.
Do not be afraid of sand! It is the substrate that fish are adapted to in the wild. Gravel is so common in aquariums because it used to be that aquariums were primarily filtered with a UGF, requiring a loose, coarse gravel substrate. This is no longer the case, and IMO we ought to be using substrate that fish would encounter in the wild. Millions of cory barbels would be saved if we all switched over to sand. JMO!
Also, I use a chopstick or similar device to "stir" the sand before I do a PWC in non-planted areas to prevent the sand from becoming impacted and developing anaeropic pockets. This will usually do the job of lifting stray debris into the water colum for me to suction away during the PWC.
Do not be afraid of sand! It is the substrate that fish are adapted to in the wild. Gravel is so common in aquariums because it used to be that aquariums were primarily filtered with a UGF, requiring a loose, coarse gravel substrate. This is no longer the case, and IMO we ought to be using substrate that fish would encounter in the wild. Millions of cory barbels would be saved if we all switched over to sand. JMO!
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