How To Clean Sand

[gowing238]

Hi there,

Anyone got any cleaning tips for me!? I just replaced the gravel in my tank with sand and was wondering what the best way to clean it would be. I would have thought a gravel vac would suck up all the sand!! So if anyone got any secres they would like to share im all ears!!!!!

Cheers

 

[adamgreen240]

Pretty decent site, watch the Betta with the male guppy, it may try to kill it. Watch the Siamese algea eater too, when they get larger they get agressive beyond belief.

yupjust take the gravel vac off and use the tube as a syphon over all the crap. it will all be sucked up but takes practise to not get sand !thanksadamyupjust take the gravel vac off and use the tube as a syphon over all the crap. it will all be sucked up but takes practise to not get sand !thanksadam

 

[doresy]

Hi, I too have sand in my small tank. I got some small bore rigid plastic tubing from my LFS and fixed a length onto the flexable tube from my gravel vac.
With a finger over the exhaust end of the tube to control flow I found that, with practice, I could extract the muck without taking up much of the sand. Also if you direct the water into a bucket then when you have finished you can flush-wash the sand and keep it. After a few water changes you may wish to put the collected and washed sand back in.

 

[andywg]

I just have a high flow around the tank and never gravel vac. Works great for me.

 

[SkiFletch]

Generally take a small gravel vac and stick really thin tubing on it so that it doesn't pull with too much force and that works well

 

[gowing238]

Cheers all, Much appreciated

 

[Dorkhedeos]

Swirling around the area works for me. The crap gets kicked up and its easy to siphon it out. Another thing i do is add like half a gallon of water just enough to move the sand a little which kicks up everything, then you can just stick your vac in there without having to look for stuff on the sand.