Sand Cleaning

[nathan01]

Does anyone know an easy way to clean sand 9daily0 beaces at the minute im usin a gravel cleaner pump which wheni have finished leaves for tank 9 litres less water.I know you can get undergravel filters but thses wond work with sand will they?

 

[Shaun]

Hi,

To clean the sand in my tank i use a gravel vac but rather than pushing it in the substrate (as this will suck the sand up) i hold it about 2" above the layer of sand and move the vac in a circular motion and it will lift all the debris off the bottom and up the tube. I don't clean the sand in my tank everyday usually 2 times per week

As for 'Under gravel filters' im not sure that they will work as they may get blocked, but someone with more experience with UGF will be able to help you out.

Hope this helps

Shaun

 

[stue0]

HI i got this great thing from pets at home (don't buy any fish from there tho!!!) its an air driven thing it only cost couple of quid but its great, its got a bag on side of tube for sand to go thru but crap to stay in some sand doe's get stuck in the bag but a little shake an it comes through! Wouldn't be with out it, takes for ever to try an clean up after my oscar with out it!!!

or look here if that don't worksand vac

 

[Dave Spencer]

I have zero experience of using UG filters, but I am pretty sure that a sand substrate would be too dense to allow a sufficient flow of water through it for filtration to work.

Do you have any Corydoras? Mine turn over the top layer of my sand, which helps a bit. Plus it is great to watch them sifting sand through their gills.

 

[Shaun]

Do you have any Corydoras? Mine turn over the top layer of my sand, which helps a bit. Plus it is great to watch them sifting sand through their gills.
[/quote]

Yea this helps with my sand aswell and also all the food my other fish miss the corys clear up

 

[Canadian]

All i can suggest is to clean your sand when you do your water changes, so it does both at the same time.

 

[SuperColey1]

The problem with undergravel filters with sand is that due to the finesness of sand compared with gravel it gets into the filter and can block it up. (hence the name UNDERGRAVEL. lol)

As for the water issue as someone has said. You will lose water because at the end of the day the gravel cleaner is a syphon with a 'bottle' on the end of it. it cleans the gravel up by using the water suction to pull the poop with it, so I only clean the poop when I am doing a water change once a week, then replace with the clean water

 

[stue0]

i tend to use my sand cleaner after i've got out what i can with siphoning, it doe's make a great deal of a difference i think. as for as for under gravel filters they would not work with sand, imo

 

[F.O.H]

ugf will not work with sand because the filter will constantly be sucking in the sand it works with ghravel obviously because it is thicker cant get sucked in and the debris will be able to move between the stones.

 

[stue0]

that was wat i mean't just forgot to put that bit lol