cleaning new tank

[spider2928]

My tank has just cycled and is ready for its first cleaning. I have had a freshwater tank and used a gravel vac to clean the substrate. I feel that the sand in my new tank will be too fine and will get sucked up as well if I use the gravel vac. Are there other ways to clean sand?

 

[worldwide zoo]

Unfortunately the best and safest way would be to utilize some sand sifting critters. My favorite being the sand -sifting gobies. They are the most efficient for the money. Of course you also have sand-sifting stars and snails. But you usually have to buy a lot of these to do the job. Keep in mind the size of tank in question. Large tanks should definately use a goby. A smaller nano is left with the snails and stars as a goby would starve with such little sand.

 

[spider2928]

The tank is 55 gallons and currently has 5lbs of live rock and 25lbs of base. The sand bed is about 2 inches deep. I have 5 turbo snails and 2 damsels in the tank that were used to speed up the cycle. I plan on trading them back to the lfs and replacing them with an lionfish and an eel.