Cleaning Sand

jackvicious

I just switched from a gravel substrate to sand and I love the way it looks now. I have a question about water changes, as to how I could syphon the water without syphoning out my sand while I'm at it. Is there a sand filter I can buy or make to prevent my syphoning tube from sucking it up along with the fish doo doo?

Also, I need ideas as to how I can create more water movement in my tank. As of right now, I have a Whisper 4.0 for my 35 gallon tank along with a bubble wand. Is there anything cheap I can pick up to drastically create water movement?

BJP

Pick up a piece of plastic quilting from the arts and crafts section of Walmart for about 50 cent. Roll it up, insert it into the vacuum. Trim it to leave enough sticking out of the end of the vacuum to equal the depth of your sand plus about an inch.Adjust from there if needed to your gravel vacuums strength.

http://s140.photobucket.com/albums/r...=gravelvac.jpg

It also keeps small fish out of the gravel vacuum and serves as a rake for smoothing the sand.

For water movement a small powerhead with a prefilter sponge.

jackvicious

Thanks a lot BJP!

Kuli_Loach

If you get the sand that is larger, you can suck it up and pick up your vaccum and the sand will fall back to were it came from. I vacum the sand and everything in my tank with nothing special and I get less that a quarter of a teaspoon in the bottom of my bucket and that is on a 55 gallon and a 10 gallon.