Best way to clean sand?

[kingtoad]

I've had my aquarium running for a month now and my sand is starting to look really dirty. Definatly not as clean/white as it used to be before. What would be the best way to clean this? Should I get snails? Or one of those vacuums? I really don't want to put another layer of sand on top of it or replace it being that I just set it up.

I was looking at Gravel cleaners and it had me thinking. The grains of sand or so small that it just might suck the sand up instead.

I don't know how to clean it. Can anyone assist me?

[Zodiac]

you could siphon off the top layer or get some critters to stir it up

[Blown 346]

The vacuums have to powerful of a suction and you will only pull up alot of sand. Youcould take the tubing from the vacuum and start a siphon that way, pinch the hose end to your desired suction or strength rate and go slowly across the top of it.

Or you can get a mixture of snails to clean it for you.
In the beginning stages since your tank is newly setup your sand might not look the best, so vacuuming at this point would be a waste of time. By the time you vacuum it, a few days later it wont be white anymore.
It is perfectly normal for the sand and tank to accumulate algae growth in the first couple of months.
If your tank has finished its cycle I would get some snails to help clean it up.

[Fmellish]

If you find a solution, please let me know. My sand is covered in brown crap, (rock die off), from my cycle.

I tried a siphon, and it picked up the sand too. All I've been able to do, which barely puts a dent in the problem, is to mix it all up into the water and hope a fair amount of it goes into the overflow and filter sock. But using a powerhead or turkey baster to blow it up into the water has the primary drawback of coating all of your rock and coral in a light dust of the cr@p you were trying to get rid of.

And this is not algae that snais or hermits will eat. It is dead rock matter. Brown crud. It has to be mechanically removed somehow.

I need help with this in a big way too.

Josh

[Blown 346]

You could get a decent sized fish net, big enough that the sand can easily pass thru the holes in it, then you will only pick up all the die off etc.

[kingtoad]

Femellish, my tank has what your tank has. Dead matter from the rock. We're in the same boat, so if you find anything let me know as well.

[dchao]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6728369#post6728369 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Fmellish
If you find a solution, please let me know. My sand is covered in brown crap, (rock die off), from my cycle.

I tried a siphon, and it picked up the sand too. All I've been able to do, which barely puts a dent in the problem, is to mix it all up into the water and hope a fair amount of it goes into the overflow and filter sock. But using a powerhead or turkey baster to blow it up into the water has the primary drawback of coating all of your rock and coral in a light dust of the cr@p you were trying to get rid of.

And this is not algae that snais or hermits will eat. It is dead rock matter. Brown crud. It has to be mechanically removed somehow.

I need help with this in a big way too.

Josh Josh,

I think you are doing the all the right things. I won't worry too much about siphoning the sand, just replace with new sand every few month. Since the sand bed will slowly be used up anyway (the trace elements dissolved into the water). The LR's will continue to have die-off's and detritus, there is nothing you can do to stop it. When the LR's is covered with coralline and corals, then it won't look as bad.

[Teremei]

What I do is start a syphon on a 1/2" tubing and gently put it close to the top layer just so I get a little sand, but also alot of the "gunk". .

And really that grey unprocessed gunk, nothing's going to eat it. You either need much better flow, or to get it out of there. I do this during water changes so I don't have to put anything back in that I took out. It works well for me. . I replace with some new sand if needed. .

[Fmellish]

Thanks guys.

I won't stress over it so much anymore.

I'll also try a small sipon hose.

Josh

[BlackOnyx]

Get some critters to turn it over for you.

[mystic7]

I use a vacuum. It pulls up sand but when you lift up the end of the vacuum a bit and tilt it, the sand falls back out and the crud keeps going.