Cleaning A Sand Substrate?

[ffeeel]

Hello im new to this forum and to tropical fish.

I have a 60litres tank and four bleeding hart tetras.

Anyone know an easy way to clean their mess up?

 

[doresy]

This has been asked many times but I see you are a 'Newbie' so here is my suggestion. Use a gravel vacuum. If you don't know what that is, it's a ridged plastic clear tube (choose one to match depth of tank) that has a flexable tube fitted to it. The idea is that the ridgid tube goes into the tank with the other end in a collecting vessel. Once you start a syphoning action keep the tube approx 1" above the surface of the sand. Then do a sort of figure of eight maintaining an inch above the sand. This will disturb the poo etc. which will then be sucked up by the syphon action. If you keep the other end in your other hand then if you accidently dip too near the sand and it begins to be sucked up, quickly place your thumb over the tube for a few seconds. This will stop the flow allowing the sand to return to the bottom of the tank. Releasing your thumb will commence the syphoning. When you have gone over all the substrate like this, keeping a close eye on the amount of water taken out,(not more than 30%) stop the flow. Then replace the water with fresh (conditioned ie. de-clorinated) and you have cleaned your substrate as well as completed a water change!

 

[ffeeel]

Safe, thank you very much.

Can you also suggest i good plec (hardy) for a 4 week cycled tank?

 

[doresy]

Safe, thank you very much.

Can you also suggest i good plec (hardy) for a 4 week cycled tank?

Now, i got into a bit of a spot on this forum a while back about plecs. I will word this very carefully! MOST plecs (but not all) grow very big and your tank is unsuitable for them. There are smaller ones so chose only with expert advice. Maybe have a look or post a question in the pleco forum (under catfish). My knowledge on plecs is limited to the above so cannot advise you further but there are many on this forum that will be glad to.

 

[ffeeel]

Thank you for your help.

The forum wont let me post on that board?

But i can post on this one? is this coz im a newbie?

 

[The-Wolf]

you are still validating
this means you have to click the link sent to the email address that you registered with.

 

[ffeeel]

no email was sent? il have another when im back from work.

Thank you.

 

[The-Wolf]

if it is not in your in box, check your spam filter, I bet it is in there

 

[ffeeel]

if it is not in your in box, check your spam filter, I bet it is in there

You should put that up as a constant thread. Bet everyone has that trouble.
thankyou very much.