how do i clean sand gravel in my fish tank?

Question

i have a 10 gallon tank with a few rosy red minnows, guppies, and some babies convict cichlids. ( the convicts will be moved when bigger) i have a gravel siphon, but how do i clean the sand to get the guck out? is sand better to us to grow plants?

Answer 1

You can use sand as long as it isn't so fine that it compacts around your plants' roots and cuts off any air/nutrients. Construction sand or play sand would be okay. Plants can do better in a sand substrate, but you'll need to make sure the roots get enough nutrients.

See the first link below for how to (and not to) use your siphon to clean the sand. The second is about the types of sand to use.

Answer 2

sand IS easier to clean in my opinion, you just hold the siphon up a little higher so it doesn't take the sand. sand doesn't have lots of nooks and crannies for stuff to get stuck in so it comes up much easier. pool or play sand works fine and is CHEAP! make sure there are no chemicals used to process this (if all esle fails, play sand that says safe for pet use is perfect). your snails will be fine with sand. ----- rinse the sand well (of course) you can do either. if you do it all at once, remove the fish for a little while (a few hours until the sand settles some). make sure where you put them is large enough to allow for swimming, have an air pump,and a heater if needed. as long as you do NOT remove the filter the tank won't need to recycle.

Answer 3

Sand is not an optimal substrate for live planted tanks because the roots won't hold down as compared to pea sized gravel and other factors like buildup of anaerobic gas pockets. Planted tank aquarists still use sand as for show, but most of the time, they add a first layer at the bottom before adding the sand.

Answer 4

hmmm...well, first of all, if you expect to keep your rosy reds, and minows, then you should remove your cichlids, as almost all cichlids are CARNIVORIS!

there are special syphion tubes and whatnot that you can purchase at your lps (local pet store) or even at your local store such as wal mart or some place like that...here in michigan we have meijers...

some of the sand will get sucked up, yes, but for the most part, they syphon tube will only suck up the debris on the bottom of the tank, and leave the sand alone.

otherwise, just take all the sand out, rinse it in a bowl, drain it, and put it back in the tank....never use harsh soaps or anything like that when cleaning sand, because the sand will actually hold in some of the toxins in the soap, and you will kill your tank.

Answer 5

Throw the old gravel in the trash when it is no longer good enough for fish to defecate on, scrape up some fresh gravel off your driveway to replace the dirty gravel.

Answer 6

Take it out, put it in a kitchen strainer (like the kind you'd use for spaghetti) and rinse it under the sink....that's what I always did.

Answer 7

sophisticated situation. lookup over a search engine. that can help!

Answer 8

just as u would the rest

Answer 9

complex point. query on bing and yahoo. that can assist!

Answer 10

siphon it!!!! duh!!!