Vaccuming Aquarium With LR

[brendac]

How do you all vaccum anaquariums sand bed when the aquarium is right full of LR? I know you can buy aquarium glue to hold your LR together so it wont fall over... Do You just vaccum around it and in the back and front without ever moving a single piece? If You go moving the LR it seems to me there would be a mess. I would be using a siphon with a long hose to vaccum with. How are the vaccums that dont suck water out?

 

[teen]

if you have a deep sand bed, then youre not supposed to vaccuum it.

 

[brendac]

Goodness wont the bottom get all dirty?? Or would you put in some sand sifters?

 

[hardcrab67]

I vaccummed the die-off from my LR off the sandbed after my take cycled, but thats it. I have my sand thicker(3") in the back and slopes to the front(1"). I blow the rocks off when I do my water change. Everything should be broken down (fish pooh, molts, etc.) by the bacteria in your sand, after your clean-up crew is done with it. HTH

 

[hardcrab67]

sand- sifters

 

[maxalmon]

I "blow off" all my LR with a powerhead. Whenever I do awater change I use a powerhead to blow water in all the nook and cranies of the tank, pretty amazing what it blows around. then I do my water change. I gently blow the top of my SB so that only maybe 1/8 - 1/4 of sand is moved around. My readings are always at 0.

 

[teen]

ask her before buying any sand sifters because a lot of them need certain requriments to live, such as a sand sifting star.
the sand sifting star sounds like it will keep your sand nice and clean, but in reality, it eats the microfauna(sp?) in your sand and once it eats all that, it will most likely die. also, microfauna is what you want in your sand. thsi is an example of something to stay away from.
i would go with some type of conch, such as the persian or queen. ive got both a queen conch and a persian conch in my 30 gallon, and they do a good job at cleaning the sand. i would also recomend some nassarius snails and depending on how big your tank is, maybe an atlantic cucumber, or some other type of cuc. HTH
also, is this a reef or fowlr?

 

[tx reef]

Originally Posted by teen
ask her before buying any sand sifters because a lot of them need certain requriments to live, such as a sand sifting star.
the sand sifting star sounds like it will keep your sand nice and clean, but in reality, it eats the microfauna(sp?) in your sand and once it eats all that, it will most likely die. also, microfauna is what you want in your sand. thsi is an example of something to stay away from.
i would go with some type of conch, such as the persian or queen. ive got both a queen conch and a persian conch in my 30 gallon, and they do a good job at cleaning the sand. i would also recomend some nassarius snails and depending on how big your tank is, maybe an atlantic cucumber, or some other type of cuc. HTH
also, is this a reef or fowlr?

I'll second the conch.
I added a fighting conch about 2 weeks ago and my sand has never been cleaner.
Best thing I ever put in my tank!

 

[hardcrab67]

I've had a sand sifting star a month after my tank cycled, 8 months later still sifting strong! I know I can't be the only one. Just passin' some info, never claimed to have a Phd in marine biology and if you notice I just stated "sand-sifters", no particular species

Some research on the owners part can determine whats best for them!