Cleaning Substrate & Marine Epoxy Questions

[bugsman]

Well since I didn't do my homework properly - my LFS sold me marine epoxy that is white. Well I did my thing with it and have all my LR stuck together and stabilized now, but I have some white blobs of epoxy showing (not a whole lot but . . . .) - I didn't know they sold it in colors online. Will the white blobs get some algae on them at least to tone down the white??
My other question is what do I use to clean LS - I have a siphon but it keeps sucking the sand in or maybe I'm just not doing it correctly.
Thanks.
Edit - I used the search bar and got the answers to my questions. I keep forgetting about that excellent search feature. Algae will start to grow on the white blobs and as far as my LS goes - I have a good CUC in my tank and the I'll use the siphon just to blow off sand and stuff from my rock.
Let me know if I have it right.

 

[bang guy]

The Epoxy will tone down fairly quickly. It may even grow coraline algae eventually. No worries, it won't be gleaming white very long.
Live sand should be cleaned by sand bed critters in my opinion and not by vacuuming. Bristle Worms, Copepods, Mini-brittle Starfish, Cerith Snails, etc. Make sure you have a lot of waterflow so that detritus doesn't collect on the surface of the sand.

 

[slice]

I use the white epoxy; it will be covered in coralline in time, don't sweat it.
Does you siphon have a flow valve? Mine has a clamp that can pinch down on the tube to lessen the suction if needed.
Mine has a wide opening at the "business" end that only tumbles the sand, then allows it to settle back down. I have a couple of times, taken the wide opening section off for high suction of rock holes, etc and got some sand taken into the bucket. I just picked it up and put it back into the tank.

 

[bugsman]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Slice http:///forum/thread/386556/cleaning-substrate-marine-epoxy-questions#post_3396067
I use the white epoxy; it will be covered in coralline in time, don't sweat it.
Does you siphon have a flow valve? Mine has a clamp that can pinch down on the tube to lessen the suction if needed.
Mine has a wide opening at the "business" end that only tumbles the sand, then allows it to settle back down. I have a couple of times, taken the wide opening section off for high suction of rock holes, etc and got some sand taken into the bucket. I just picked it up and put it back into the tank.
Yes it does have a flow valve. I'm just new at it I think and don't have the right touch yet. Thanks for the input.

 

[flower]

I'm with Bang Guy....let the CUC take care of it. It's one of the perks of a SW tank. Give the vacuum to someone with a freshwater tank. Use a turkey baster (mark it FISH ONLY) and blow stuff off the rock once in a while.

 

[slice]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///forum/thread/386556/cleaning-substrate-marine-epoxy-questions#post_3396073
I'm with Bang Guy....let the CUC take care of it. It's one of the perks of a SW tank. Give the vacuum to someone with a freshwater tank. Use a turkey baster (mark it FISH ONLY) and blow stuff off the rock once in a while.
OP didn't say particularly what he was needing to siphon off the sand. I would suggest keeping the siphon until cyano and diatoms from being a new tank has passed.
FWIW, I haven't siphoned my sand in quite a while.