F.A.O Anyonw With Sand Substrate

[DutchKev]

ok,i knew i was asking for trouble when we got a couple of plecs, but not this much! i have tried to use a gravel cleaner/syphon but the poo seams to heavy to go up the tube, but admitedly it is only a small cleaner.

anyone any suggestions/remidies on how to go about cleaning it up? i dont fancy pooa-scooping every morning when i come down!!

 

[doresy]

ok,i knew i was asking for trouble when we got a couple of plecs, but not this much! i have tried to use a gravel cleaner/syphon but the poo seams to heavy to go up the tube, but admitedly it is only a small cleaner.

anyone any suggestions/remidies on how to go about cleaning it up? i dont fancy pooa-scooping every morning when i come down!!

Not knowing the rest of your stock I am stabbing in the dark with this suggestion but if able why not have an army of cory or goby that will stir up the sand every night which will help to break up the plecco poo and desolve it into the water so it can be picked up by the filter?

Failing that I never found cleaning sand a problem back in my community tank days, just swirl a thinned tubed syphon cleaner about an inch above the sand and collect the poo as it's disturbed

 

[DutchKev]

we have about 5 corys at work sifting the sand around atm, but there is only so much the lil guys can do have seen a goby in the LFY, so they work on the same principle as a marine goby?

 

[Keithoms]

What you need to make sure is that your filter is powerful enough to pick up the crap that the cory's stir up. What size tank is it and what model filter?

 

[Haych]

we have a rio 180 with a tetratec ex1200, so plenty of filtration

 

[ellena]

I think you need a stronger siphon then. I have a cheap 2.99 one with a bulb on which you squeeze and that picks up all sorts.

 

[razer121]

theres always those cooking tools....like a long tube with a balloon on the end that you squeeze, they work a treat! i just cannot remember what they are called lol

 

[DutchKev]

i think that might well be our problem tbh, its only a small thing but ti dont sea to have enough oomph to pick up anything larger than a fry!

 

[Haych]

theres always those cooking tools....like a long tube with a balloon on the end that you squeeze, they work a treat! i just cannot remember what they are called lol

turkey baster?

i may try that lol, and a bigger syphon too, the one we have was a little TOO cheaply made i think

 

[razer121]

turkey baster thats it! they work a treat!

 

[Bobtastic]

Have you tried using just a length of air hose? It will generate more suction than the gravel cleaner, but u have to be careful u don't suck up a load of substrate.

 

[DutchKev]

not of yet, we have a waterchange due today so were going to try a few methods and see what works best!

 

[fishnovice]

not of yet, we have a waterchange due today so were going to try a few methods and see what works best!

Try MTS -Malaysian trumpet snails. They keep my livebearer tank sand spotless and I don't have cories or any other clean-up crew. Snails live buried in sand and come out at night. Breed easily producing live baby snails so numbers will increase steadily but your tank shouldn't be over run with snails unless you have far too much waste.

 

[Haych]

unfortunately, i cannot abide snails, they creep me out

 

[thefubar]

I really don't like it when people suggest an animal/fish to solve a problem in a tank.

Dirty sand >> snails .... "oh no too many snails" >> clown loach ... "they have got soo big" >>> buy a 6 foot tank

(all i had was dirty sand

)


*reminds me when a council worker recommended me and my girlfriend get pregnant to get a house

There are more powerful vacuum siphons you can buy, some battery and some mains powered.
Some manual siphons are def stronger than others, I prefer a narrow and shorter pipe (you'll get more of your arm wet, but you'll gain accuracy and suction)

I have the same tank and the extra depth does make it harder on the manual siphon.