Gravel Cleaning

[andyboy!!]

Hi

Can anyone give any advice on methods they employ for cleaning the gravel including time, frequency, how they do it, what they do.

Cheers
Andy.

 

[atadon]

hello there, another related question:

i have sand on top of gravel. how would i clean sand?

thx for ur responses

 

[lizjamie]

Not an expert, but for the gravel cleaning, when you do your water change, use a gravel vac (a cyphon thing) which is a long tube. Put it in the gravel, so as you suck out the water you suck the gubbins out the gravel at the same time. You just do it at the same time you do your water change, I am doing it once a week, but as I said I'm a complete beginner and may have that frequency wrong.

Sorry no idea about sand, I suppose there is a riskk it would all just get sucked up the tube so dont know.

Hope have been at least a little bit helpful.

 

[rob newland]

To clean the sand just hold a gravel vac about an inch above the sand. If you do not, then you will end up with a bucket of sand...

 

[chibi]

If you have trouble with sucking up more sand than the dirt on it, try kicking it up a bit. The dirty stuff will float around. Be sure to get it all up, though! Some fish will try to eat it

Ahh, you have sand on top of your gravel?? That's not a good idea... you should have one type, and if you want both, sand on the bottom. The only way to clean the gravel under the sand would be to move the sand out of the way. I really suggest you remove one or the other, though...

 

[atadon]

If you have trouble with sucking up more sand than the dirt on it, try kicking it up a bit. The dirty stuff will float around. Be sure to get it all up, though! Some fish will try to eat it

Ahh, you have sand on top of your gravel?? That's not a good idea... you should have one type, and if you want both, sand on the bottom. The only way to clean the gravel under the sand would be to move the sand out of the way. I really suggest you remove one or the other, though...

ah damn that's gonna be a lot of work. i thought the gravel underneath the sand wouldn't require much cleaning. hmmm does anyone has any other suggestion? i guess i'll have to leave the sand at the bottom with some of the gravels on top then.. (koz it looks pretty nice )

 

[morefishies]

ah damn that's gonna be a lot of work. i thought the gravel underneath the sand wouldn't require much cleaning. hmmm does anyone has any other suggestion? i guess i'll have to leave the sand at the bottom with some of the gravels on top then.. (koz it looks pretty nice )

if the tank you are talking about is the same one in your sig, than i suggest you get sand. having the gravel on top defeats the purpose of the sand entirely (to give your kuhli loach burrowing material). I agree with chibi that you should remove one or the other, and i'd suggest removing the gravel.

what you can do (since you seemed unenthused at the idea of a lot of work) is scoop out half the gravel and do a half gravel/half sand tank so that you won't have to completely take the tank apart to take out the gravel and it would allow your kuhlis a place to play. just don't have gravel on top of sand or vice-versa. you can siphon deep into the gravel and siphon only the top of the sand.

just my two cents... but i'm no expert.

 

[atadon]

ah damn that's gonna be a lot of work. i thought the gravel underneath the sand wouldn't require much cleaning. hmmm does anyone has any other suggestion? i guess i'll have to leave the sand at the bottom with some of the gravels on top then.. (koz it looks pretty nice )

if the tank you are talking about is the same one in your sig, than i suggest you get sand. having the gravel on top defeats the purpose of the sand entirely (to give your kuhli loach burrowing material). I agree with chibi that you should remove one or the other, and i'd suggest removing the gravel.

what you can do (since you seemed unenthused at the idea of a lot of work) is scoop out half the gravel and do a half gravel/half sand tank so that you won't have to completely take the tank apart to take out the gravel and it would allow your kuhlis a place to play. just don't have gravel on top of sand or vice-versa. you can siphon deep into the gravel and siphon only the top of the sand.

just my two cents... but i'm no expert.

thx i'll do that! yeh the reason i'm not so fond of such a job is koz i recently had to exchange my tank. but cheers for the advice, will remove the gravel then

 

[atadon]

i was about to get the gravel out of my tank, but then i just wondered, why exactly can't i have gravel at the bottom of the tank (it's a very thin layer), and sand on top? the gravel:sand ratio is around 1:5

and i only have a few gravel on top of the sand koz it looks good like small rocks on sand

thx for the replies