i have sand in a aquarium and when i try to siphon it i just suck up the sand how can i clean it without sucking it up
2007-01-20 15:45:25 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
You shouldn't use sand. If its fresh water, debris will rot in it. If you have a salt tank use crushed coral insted. I keep goldfish with nothing on the tank bottem except large black river stones and marbles and glass rocks. (glass is inert) Undergravel filters are nasty and hard to clean. Remove sand a little at a time, or remove the fish to new quarters for a while drain the tank, remove the sand and replace. Don't put holy rock, volcanic rock, sandstone or driftwood in the tank, they can leach toxins. As well as all those cool looking aquarium decorations and bright colored rock will do the same. Natural river rock is better, hard and round pea gravel is usually best if you have to have something down there. Not the little stuff get the bigger sized stuff.
2007-01-23 15:41:50 · answer #1 · answered by Sunday P 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What I do is stir the sand up to get all the gunk out before I start siphoning, then just hover the gravel vac about 3/4 inch above the sand and it just pulls the gunk off from on top of the sand without sucking up all the sand.
2007-01-20 18:22:46 · answer #2 · answered by fish guy 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Best way I've found is to stir up the sand with your hand (this also prevents anaerobic areas from forming which smell gross). Let the sand fall back into place then siphon out water, holding the bottom of the siphon just high enough off the gravel that it doesn't suck any up.
2007-01-20 16:12:24 · answer #3 · answered by copperhead 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I do mine by pinching the hose of the siphon shut and then the sand falls back out... Suck some up, pinch, and release... Suck some up, pinch, and release... Suck some up, pinch, and release...
If your sand is the type that is powder-fine, there is no reason to siphon it like gravel anyway, since the debris can not fall into the crevices, it just sits on top so all you need to do is "skim" the sand with the siphon, don't plunge it into the sand like you would do for gravel.
2007-01-20 15:49:45 · answer #4 · answered by M CEE 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Use a long siphon tube with 1/4-1/2 inch diameter. Use your index finger to control the flow-do this carefully, with patience, & don't rush it. NEVER disturb or push the gravel around-this releases deadly ammonia into the water-don't stir the sand/gravel up. I have 44 years experience w fish....M CEE's answer is also very good.
2007-01-21 03:39:32 · answer #5 · answered by antonio bigfish baccala 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Stirring the sand defeats between the makes use of of the gravel vacuum it extremely is to no longer stir the crap (waste and micro organism) returned up the place the fish are. acceptable used each and all of the stirring action of a gravel vac happens interior the vac. Ask somebody in a puppy save for example,if their tanks are clean then they have had a lot of prepare. cleansing the finished backside is seldom neccessary yet bear in mind the place you wiped clean till now (or greater powerful yet have a schedule) so which you're able to do diverse aspects next time.
2016-11-25 23:19:00 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they make a vacuum cleaner for aquariums
2007-01-21 06:37:33 · answer #7 · answered by hill bill y 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
extremely tough issue. seek using yahoo or google. that will might help!
2015-03-28 18:43:25 · answer #8 · answered by helen 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dude I don't think the sand is salvagable.
2007-01-20 15:48:30 · answer #9 · answered by delldude405 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
very confusing thing. look into from yahoo. it may help!
2014-11-25 21:51:26 · answer #10 · answered by hyacinth 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋