Sand Maintenance??

[galaxyfe]

How do you guys clean/vacuum/maintain your sand?? I have 80 lbs of sand in my 72 gal tank which gives me a pretty good bottom. But starting to get some growth on the surface, along with what I'm assuming is fish waste and what ever else. I try to vacuum it up during water changes while siphoning out the water, but it's just as heavy as the sand and siphoning doesn't seem to separate from the sand, so it just ends up getting mixed around. Anything I should be doing different or better?? Thanks everyone.

[jflick345]

Get some cerith and/or nassarius snails. They'll help stir up the sand bed

[epstein]

No Vac No Stir!!!!!.....You will release toxins........want nice clean sand?......easiest way.....Orange spot sand sifting goby........and hes fun to watch!

[Toddrtrex]

No Vac No Stir!!!!!.....You will release toxins........want nice clean sand?......easiest way.....Orange spot sand sifting goby........and hes fun to watch!

Way too broad of a statement.

I have been vacuuming my sandbeds since I started this hobby --- 1992 --- and never had any release of toxins, nor a tank crash. For a shallowing sandbed it is perfectly safe to vacuum it. However, if they tank has been running for a while, I would only start with a small area first.

[bsagecko]

You can use like a dowel rod to stir up small areas of sand at a time and then put on sometime of mechanical filteration that u clean out atleast once a day...

the sand-sifting goby really isnt the best way to go....
u will get more accomplished with some narrasius snails and the dowel rod...

I use all three methods on my 150g

[epstein]

You are correct .....Way too Broad.....I just had visions of massive clouds......We all stir our bed either with landscape or water changes.......Snails are a given......But as far as vacuuming......You mean like your actually sucking up loads of sand portions at a time and replacing? or just gently going across the top but no sucking sand......

[Toddrtrex]

You are correct .....Way too Broad.....I just had visions of massive clouds......We all stir our bed either with landscape or water changes.......Snails are a given......But as far as vacuuming......You mean like your actually sucking up loads of sand portions at a time and replacing? or just gently going across the top but no sucking sand......

I don't suck out the actual sand (( though some does end up in the bucket )). I just put the wide end of the gravel vac into the sandbed and suck out all the detritus -- control the flow by putting my finger over the other end of the tube.

Sort of like this,

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/toddrtrex/WC.jpg

[lordofthereef]

I have seen people vacuum sand (actually suck it in the tube and then let it back out) with no ill effects. I imagine this reduces the amount of life left in it, but it can be done. I believe it is only "dangerous" if you have a DSB or a stagnant bed with no movement in it for months.

[epstein]

thanks for clarifying

Brian

[goochesfish]

the down side to a sand sifting goby is that there is always a sand storm

[Flipper62]

On every water change I suck up the top layer of sand ( lightly ) Once the sand & crap is in the Syphon, I pinch off the tube & let the sand fall back...But the crap is still in the syphon. I then let the crap go into the waste bucket.

This keeps the sand looking good. I have been doing it like this for years.....NO problems yet.

[PRDubois]

Get this:
100 Nassarius Snails for $7.50
I have 1.5 per gal

http://www.atlanticseafarms.net/servlet/the-81/100-Nassarius-Snails/Detail

[DC_40gallon]

Those aren't nassarious snails, don't fall for the trap. If it's too good to be true....it always is!

[jflick345]

+1 to me they look like Ilyanassa obsoleta, the eastern mud snail. They're great at digging around in the mud but I don't know how they do in sand

http://www.gastropods.com/5/Shell_3305.shtml

[Frogmanx82]

Is there food for that many nassarius snails in a tank? I have a 90 gallon tank with a 3-4 inch sand bed. How many nassarius snail can be supported without special feeding. I only have 4 large ones.

I don't think I want a sand sifting fish, they suck all the pods out.

I'm getting a hectors goby. They sand sift some but not to the extreme like a diamond goby.

I have 20 red leg hermits, they work pretty hard at keeping the sand clean.

[TheStig]

i say you should use a syphon with a longer vacuum at the end... that will allow you to go deeper into the sand without the top of the vacuum touching the top of the sand

[johnike]

My black sea cucumber does a wonderful job cleaning up.

[tspors]

I have a Sand Sifting star in my 150g and a Pink Spotted Goby along with snails. All is keep tidy. No need for siphoning. And be careful what you read about SS Stars depleting your tank of food and staving. Yes it is true if you put on in a 15g tank. Just in reply to the SS Nay Sayers.

[galaxyfe]

What do you do about chunks of algae that get mixed up in the sand? I had that growth all over the surface but it wouldn't siphon up. Just stuck to the sand and clumped up and got mixed all in. Will it just degrade, and break down and dissapear?? I have no idea how you'd get it out?

[peasofme]

the algae will grow unless removed. it is a symptom of overfeeding, etc