Cleaning a sandy tank?

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Stu
Posts: 17
Joined: 01 Jan 2003, 15:27
Location 1: Edinburgh, Scotland

Cleaning a sandy tank?

Post by Stu »

Hi,

I was thinking about changing one of my tanks over to a sand substrate. Does anyone have any advice on how best to clean the sand once itâ??s in the tank? I would think my normal gravel cleaner would just suck up all the sand.

Cheers.
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Sid Guppy
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Joined: 31 Dec 2002, 15:36
Location 1: Brabant, the Netherlands
Interests: Catfish, Tanganyikan fish, Rock'n'roll, Fantasy

Post by Sid Guppy »

Got sand in all my tanks, and never used one of those....

I just hose the tanks (use a hose -python?- to syphon the surface of the sand).
The sand that is sucked up, I re-wash or replace with new (I always have some spare, pre-washed, sieved riversand about).

And once I'm done with the syphoning (wich doesn't use enough water for the waterchanges), I put a spare filtersieve on the hose and syphon about 1/4 to 1/3 of the tankwater out; and replace it with new.

With fry tanks or tanks with other tiny critters, I use pumphose (8-12mm) or even airhose (4mm) to syphon. Takes time but it's safe.

What's a gravelcleaner? can you post a pic?
Plan B should not automatically be twice as much explosives as Plan A
Stu
Posts: 17
Joined: 01 Jan 2003, 15:27
Location 1: Edinburgh, Scotland

Post by Stu »

This is what I mean by a gravel cleaner.

http://www.aquatics-online.co.uk/acatal ... rs_54.html

I currently use the Hagen Standard Gravel Cleaner for my tanks.
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SynoPetri
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Post by SynoPetri »

Come on SG_Eurystomus,

have you really never heard about a gravel cleaner? This was the first thing I bougth for my 55 litres tank.
Georg
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Bathos
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Location 1: USA, Pennsylvania
Interests: Corydoras and other freshwater fish

Post by Bathos »

here, most "gravel cleaners" from your website are either called gravel vacs, siphons, or pythons. maybe you just use different terms for the same things or group them differently.

-Liz
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