Substrate Vacuuming

[Stu1210]

How do all you people go about vacuuming your substrate?...

I have Live arog substrate and want to vacuum the substrate to remove deritus...

Trouble is how do i do it sucessfully without sucking up half of the substrate and inhabitants?....


Cheers

Stu

 

[SLC Flyfishing]

Ususally I just get the stuff I knock into the water column while my hand is in there, you can move your hand back and forth like a gentle fanning motion to temporarily suspend it in the water then get it with the vacuum from there. I leave most of the detritus cleaning to the nassarius snails, and my water quality stays spot on.

SLC

 

[afmo]

If you are worried about detritus, you could try and control it with detritivores instead of mechanical vacuuming. They are far less disturbing to the tank and there isnt any worry of loss of substrate or critters that may be burrowed therein.

i dont know a whole lot of them off hand but i know some sea cucumbers and some types of sea stars are detritivores, as well as the nassarius snails as slc mentioned.

 

[steelhealr]

Mechanical vacuuming should be done as routine maitenance of your nano reef. Certainly, detritivores are great, but, they don't get everything. I use the trusty old gravel vac. I insert the end into the substrate but kink or fold the tubing. I gently open and close the kink allowing enough vacuum to draw the substrate up into the siphon and then kink it to minimize drawing up the subsrate. I wait until the sand then falls back down and then move to the next area. You would be shocked at what still comes up.

Doing this does several things:

• removes residual detritus
• aerates the substrate
• breaks up the substrate to help prevent concretion

SH

 

[SkiFletch]

SH is exactly right. My tank isnt a nano but I do the same thing anyways

 

[tmreynolds]

You can buy gravel syphons designed to allow the gravel to be swirled around in opening, but there's a valve that only allow the water and detritus through. I have one, only cost a few quid and they do pick up some gravel but you can easily add it back.

I normally vac every other water change.

 

[bobf]

All you would ever wish to know about poo gobblers!

Linky

I use the old gravel vac too - find it does pick up a lot of sand too, but if you swish the water it round in the bucket you will be able to pour out most of the cack and still save the sand. I generally leave the sand to dry out in the bucket then tip it back into the tank a couple of days later.