How To Clean The Tank Now?

[lil-x-me...x]

Hiya

i have just been sitting in my room, watching all my fish swim around happily in there new looking tank. if you dont already now, i have decided i wanted a change in my 48ltr tank, after having it for 2 years, and had gravel, a big rock and fake plants, i have recently went out and replaced my gravel with sand and have now 3 real plants and 3 fake plants in my tank and have a piece of bogwood, which i am over happy with. it looks stunning!

However, i was wondering, how on earth am i supose to clean it out, i simply just used a gravel cleaner, but dont think that would work, how else do i change my water or clean out the sand???

thanks x

 

[backtotropical]

Hiya

i have just been sitting in my room, watching all my fish swim around happily in there new looking tank. if you dont already now, i have decided i wanted a change in my 48ltr tank, after having it for 2 years, and had gravel, a big rock and fake plants, i have recently went out and replaced my gravel with sand and have now 3 real plants and 3 fake plants in my tank and have a piece of bogwood, which i am over happy with. it looks stunning!

However, i was wondering, how on earth am i supose to clean it out, i simply just used a gravel cleaner, but dont think that would work, how else do i change my water or clean out the sand???

thanks x

Hi,

It's virtually no different with sand. All you need to do different is you don't put the gravel cleaner right down into the sand, just wave it around about 1" above the sand instead. This will stir up any dirt which is lying on the sand which can then be hoovered up.

Other than that, just do everything exactly the same as before.

Cheers

BTT

 

[Colin_T]

If you do want to clean the sand then kink the gravel cleaner hose so the water doesn't drain out as quickly. Then you can push the gravel cleaner right down in the substrate. But otherwise just do a Homer Tropical suggests and just syphon the gunk off the top

 

[Goodygumdrops]

I just put my thumb over the end of the gravel vac hose (take the big attachment thing off),so that I can adjust flow by either letting the water out faster or slower.
Sand looks great but it gets dirty looking quickly,you'll be obsessed with hoovering!!

 

[Truck]

if youve got a nice group of cories, sand cleaning is never a problem

 

[Goodygumdrops]

Sorry about the cories,but they don't actually eat crap,you still have to clean the sand.

 

[pauly]

Agree with backtotropical. Although I find that it tends to be a bit slower sucking the muck up, which could soon have your tank empty. So what I do it take out the water by using the standard gravel cleaner as a syphon, then use a battery operated vacuum that uses a bag to filter the muck and the water just goes straight through. I find this easier as it allows me to take more time doing it.

Another tip, you'll likely to get build ups of muck under your wood / ornaments so use your first couple refill jugs to flush it out, then suck it up. Otherwise you might just mess your tank up again everytime you refill it.

Pauly.