Easier way to vacuum Sand?

[pammy]

Hello. My tank has been cycling for 3 weeks. Stuff is accumulating on my shallow sand bed (oolitic sand). Since my ammonia and nitrites have stayed at 0 curing the cycle, and nitrates have been steady at 5, I added 6 cerith snails a few days ago but they just seem to stay buried in the sand bed. One hangs out on the rock all the time, I've only spotted one other at night once or twice.

I did my first 5% water change last night. I thought it would be easy to just vacuum off the stuff that had accumulated, but with long 1/2" diameter tube, it was easy to drain and fill the water back up, but trying to hold the tube in the bucket, and trying to straighten the tube out and try to get it in the right spot, was NOT easy. Finally gave up and just did the water change. I was going to pick up a siphon the other day at the LFS to clean the bed, but they told me that it was worthless unless you had gravel, and that I should just use the 1/2" tubing.

Is there any easier way to vacuum the sand bed than by using 1/2" flexible tubing? Should I buy a siphon even though the LFS said it was a waste since I have oolitic sand (nice that they were honest with me and not just trying to make a buck).

Do any snails/crabs/shrimp/cucumbers/slugs/gobies actually eat the stuff that accumulates on top of the sand bed? The ceriths just seem to dig under the sand.

Thanks.
Pam

[sabbath]

As for me,I would not siphon for the first few months. There just won't be that much in there yet. Then only do maybe 20% of the sand per month or so,no more.
To siphon you do need to use a regular gravel siphon. Smaller one will be fine. Then what you do is with one hand do the siphoning and with the other have it in your hand in such a way( with three fingers) so that you are slowing it and stopping it by making a sharp bend in the tubing. You know like stopping a garden hose. If and when it fills up the big part of tub,bend it to stop flow and let it drop back down.