FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Please help, need to clean sand in tank and not sure of best way, any ideas?????

Cheers Sue

The best way is to use a Gravel Vac. You can pick up a decent one at the LFS for 20 - 30$.

"Party it up, Drink it down"

Hi,
What are you talking about when you say "sand?"
Are you talking about beach sand or sand box sand?
Or, are you refering to the gravel in the bottom
of the tank?

If you have true sand, what you do depends upon how planted
the tank is, and especially, what type of filter you are
using on the tank.

Generally speaking, you need to rile up the sand to get
the "dirt" up into suspension, and then siphon it off.
The problem with sand is that the individual grains of
sand are so small, that they can get caught up by the
filter intake along with the dirt. Those sand particles
can clog the filter, or even get into the filter pump and
eat away at the impeller (the vane like part that spins).
In short the sand can destroy the pump. The same problem
holds true if you are using a power head for circulation.
The sand in suspension will destroy the pump. If you have
either, or both of them, turn them off while cleaning the
tank. That will protect them from the sand.

Using a siphon like the Python, is about the best thing
to use for either regular gravel or actual sand. In this
case, you should start the siphon like normal and then turn
the valve down to control the flow out of the siphon.
After you start it and turn the flow down, then push the
head of the siphon into the sand and the sand will be
sucked up into the large plastic tube. Adjust the suction
(flow) so the sand is only pulled part way up into the
tube and the sand will swirl within the tube and as the
grains knock together they will dislodge the dirt which
will be sucked out the tube and into the drain. If you are
not careful, you can easily siphon the sand right out of
the tank and down the drain. Clean only the non planted
parts of the tank, and in the planted sections waive your
hand over them to bring any dirt laying around the leaves
or among the stems up into suspension, and then suction
that off as well.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Frank's pretty much right. Here's a link to a video that shows it so you can see it visually http://www.cichlid-forum.com/videos.php# just click on the link that says "cleaning sand substrate" its a good video for newbies to sand.

By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.
Socrates-
I happen to have become a philosopher