New Roma 90

[Geordie502]

Hi All

Hope everyone is will

My Roma 90 has been set-up for 3 weeks now with a sandy bottom.

At present I have few plants and the following fish

X2 Swordtails
X2 Mollies
X2 Platies

The Tank was looking great and tests all coming back with no problems; however I have been reading a lot on cleaning the Sand.
I have watched loads off Utube Videos showing how easy this can be.

I bought a 2M Tube and 10L Bucket and thought right let’s get cleaning with a 10% Water Change (can’t be that hard).......

I set the tube up and bucket and looked for the mess on the Sand......no sooner had I found the mess the bucket was full with sand and water.

I thought right let’s try again tried to locate the mess and again the bucket was full with more sand. I thought 3rd time lucky tried again and yes the bucket was full again.
I stopped and started to panic due to 30L off Water lost from my Tank. The fish didn’t seem too angry but must have thought what’s he is doing to us so I stopped.

I placed fresh water back into the tank (Treated off course) and added some Bacterial supplements to help out.

Today I woke up thinking the worst and was surprised at how clear the Tank looked the fish were swimming around and then I noticed loads off dirt on the sand.

My 3 Questions are

1 Is there an easy way to clean the dirt from the Sandy Bottom without removing so much water and sand? Is there a tool availble to by that can do the Job
2 The Tank looked very clear from the front, looking through the side was cloudy is this a problem
3 How much Damage did I do with 30L off Lost Water

Sorry to go on but well new to this and hoping for some help

Thanks

Geordie502

 

[K_Hedin]

Once the tank is established 90% of the beneficial bacteria if not all of them are pretty much in the filter. You could do a 90% water change everyday if you really wanted to. I wouldn't recommend it but you could if everything was done right. So on the note of doing a 30% water change you are fine. As for sand I don't run any tanks with sand so I can't help you there.

 

[Geordie502]

Once the tank is established 90% of the beneficial bacteria if not all of them are pretty much in the filter. You could do a 90% water change everyday if you really wanted to. I wouldn't recommend it but you could if everything was done right. So on the note of doing a 30% water change you are fine. As for sand I don't run any tanks with sand so I can't help you there.

Thanks K_Hedin

Thats good to know 90% off the Benefical Bacteria now lives in the Filter. Would you know why the Tank looks cloudy from the side but clear from the front, no problems about the sand....There has to be something out there that I can use.

All the best

Geordie502

 

[CrazyAirborne]

are u using a gravel vac like this?

sounds like ur hose might be sucking too fast for you to get the waste without taking out too much water.

it takes some practice, but learning how to swirl your hose or vac over the top of the sand, to swirl up the detritus without messing up the sand is easy.

you'll learn to love the sand. and it looks so nice too!

i do 40-50% water changes every week, with zero issues, so dont worry about ur 30%.

and if the water looks hazy from the side, it could just be an optical illusion, or maybe your side glass isnt as clean as ur front glass...

 

[Geordie502]

are u using a gravel vac like this?

sounds like ur hose might be sucking too fast for you to get the waste without taking out too much water.

it takes some practice, but learning how to swirl your hose or vac over the top of the sand, to swirl up the detritus without messing up the sand is easy.

you'll learn to love the sand. and it looks so nice too!

i do 40-50% water changes every week, with zero issues, so dont worry about ur 30%.

and if the water looks hazy from the side, it could just be an optical illusion, or maybe your side glass isnt as clean as ur front glass...

Hi CrazyAirborne

Thanks for the message

I was just useing a normal White piece off tubeing, however I have placed an order for the following

Interpet Extra Large Prime Gravel Cleaner With Unique Self Start Siphon
hoping this might help to stop the quick flow off Water.

I guess its down to practice and then more practice, so happy that 30L off Water Loss will not have caused any problems.

The Glass was cleaned so maybe an optical illusion, as typed into Google and so many people have said the same due to Light.

Thanks again for the help

Geordie502

 

[Tizer]

use a small tube, ideally a hose, not a massive gravel vac. simply swirl it around about 3 inches away from the surface of the sand, all the mess will lift up and get sucked up. The bigger the tube, the quicker the water gets sucked out. The more water you change every week the better your fish will be so dont worry if you drain off half the tank while cleaning the bottom. (nothing good is held in the water, its all in the filter)

It also sounds like you got the tank and put fish in straight away without cycling it, or you used a bacterial additive (which are c.rap) I strongly suggest you test for ammonia and nitrite with your own test kit.

I have the same tank, i used a £3 bag of Argos play sand and still have half a bag left (because i didnt plant anything). even if you do suck up some sand, its really not expensive to replace.

good luck with your tank.


PS cancel your order, that device will drain water very quickly.

 

[Geordie502]

use a small tube, ideally a hose, not a massive gravel vac. simply swirl it around about 3 inches away from the surface of the sand, all the mess will lift up and get sucked up. The bigger the tube, the quicker the water gets sucked out. The more water you change every week the better your fish will be so dont worry if you drain off half the tank while cleaning the bottom. (nothing good is held in the water, its all in the filter)

It also sounds like you got the tank and put fish in straight away without cycling it, or you used a bacterial additive (which are c.rap) I strongly suggest you test for ammonia and nitrite with your own test kit.

I have the same tank, i used a £3 bag of Argos play sand and still have half a bag left (because i didnt plant anything). even if you do suck up some sand, its really not expensive to replace.

good luck with your tank.


PS cancel your order, that device will drain water very quickly.


Hi Tizer

Thanks for the message

I will try the product first just for my own piece off mind, its from Amazone so can send it back.

I ran tests all through the 3/4 Weeks off the Tank Running without fish and everything was great with no problems.
I spoke to the Trop Fish Shop who advised on the above fish as there Harder Fish to get your tank moving and there swimming around non stop.

Dont surpose you could send a picture off your Roma 90 Tank see how you got yours set-up (I wont copy)

Thanks

Geordie502

 

[CrazyAirborne]

heres mine before i sold it

 

[Tizer]

use a small tube, ideally a hose, not a massive gravel vac. simply swirl it around about 3 inches away from the surface of the sand, all the mess will lift up and get sucked up. The bigger the tube, the quicker the water gets sucked out. The more water you change every week the better your fish will be so dont worry if you drain off half the tank while cleaning the bottom. (nothing good is held in the water, its all in the filter)

It also sounds like you got the tank and put fish in straight away without cycling it, or you used a bacterial additive (which are c.rap) I strongly suggest you test for ammonia and nitrite with your own test kit.

I have the same tank, i used a £3 bag of Argos play sand and still have half a bag left (because i didnt plant anything). even if you do suck up some sand, its really not expensive to replace.

good luck with your tank.


PS cancel your order, that device will drain water very quickly.

Hi Tizer

Thanks for the message

I will try the product first just for my own piece off mind, its from Amazone so can send it back.

I ran tests all through the 3/4 Weeks off the Tank Running without fish and everything was great with no problems.
I spoke to the Trop Fish Shop who advised on the above fish as there Harder Fish to get your tank moving and there swimming around non stop.

Dont surpose you could send a picture off your Roma 90 Tank see how you got yours set-up (I wont copy)

Thanks

Geordie502

Link is in my sig pal, Tiger Tank one. Its not setup like that anymore though, i've got 200 corydora fry in it at the moment

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-LkwtA-E3c

 

[Blubble37]

just a suggestion but as you have sand you might want to et a kuhli loach?