Siphoning

[RTKBA308]

What do you all use to siphon debris off your sand? I've seen the ones for freshwater gravel, where the gravel is sucked up into the large tube, there is a strainer in the tube that keeps the gravel from being sucked out of the aquarium. Sand is so thin, these won't work.

I really have not found anything that would work for sand. Once again, I'm a newbie and don't have sand in my tank just yet:confused: .

I hope to get something with a hand pump, I'm not too fond of sucking dirty poop water through a tube, in the process getting it my mouth:mad: .

[Paintbug]

i just use a 5/8" hose to siphon out the water. i dont worry about the detritus from the sand to much. your clean up crew will take care of that, as well as some other creatures that find their way in to the tank. to start the siphon i put the hose in the water, and allow most of the hose to become filled. the end in the tank should not have any air in it. once theres water in the hose i plug both ends with my thumbs, and quickly put the hose into the first bucket. the siphon starts and your in business. some people will use pumps to start the siphon as well, or to just pump the water out. i use a pump to put the new water back into the tank.

[ionredline0260]

a very cheap siphon from wal-mart by top fin has a one way value, you submerge it and shake it and it starts the siphon right away, I think they call them shake-starts (imagine that?)

[RTKBA308]

:D Thanks! :D

[zoomfish1]

Word of caution. If you vacuum the sand you will likely stir up the nitrates that the bacteria are consuming, putting it back into the water column. If you feel you have to clean it, just do the very surface. Try not to disturb it much. I personally would not vacuum it at all.

[RTKBA308]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9164985#post9164985 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zoomfish1
Word of caution. If you vacuum the sand you will likely stir up the nitrates that the bacteria are consuming, putting it back into the water column. If you feel you have to clean it, just do the very surface. Try not to disturb it much. I personally would not vacuum it at all.



Ya learn something new everyday. Thanks.