Cleaning black sand

[dany83]

Hi, I have a problem cleaning black sand. A week ago or so, there was some left over food, i think it was worms, which stayed at the bottom of the tank due to overfeeding. I tried removing it with the net but it was hard because I have black sand instead of gravel. I do not know how to clean it, and I think it is the reason two of my neon tetras died and where sucked into the filter. Strange. Any advice would help, I'm still a beginner. THX

 

[FishDan]

Cleaning sand (any sand) is fairly easy. Simply use a gravel syphon/vacuum to clean the bottom of your tank during water changes. Hover a little bit over the sand and most all of the debris should be sucked right up, while most all of the sand will fall back down, as it is heavier. You can also scoop it with a net or clean cup, rinse it, and then add it back into your tank later if you want. Personally, the gravel vac solution has worked for me, in both my black sand and "sand colored" sand tanks.

As for your dead neons, it would take a lot of rotting food a fairly long time to create conditions that will kill fish, so I think we need to try and determin if there is another issue(s) at work here.

\Dan

 

[dany83]

I'm pretty sure it's either the water or the temperature. I am not testing the water because I do not have a kit yet, and the temperature seems to confuse me. The digital thermometer usually reads 79-81 degrees, even when the heater is set at 76.

 

[FishDan]

That temperature is probably okay, but without test kits you are right in that you can't tell if it's a water-quality issue. It could very well be. As a temporary measure, you can try your LFS, they will usually test a sample of your water for free, though some do charge for this if you are not buying from them at the time.

\Dan