I've wanted for some time now,to add sand to one of my tanks,but am somewhat sceptical because of the potential headache in cleaning(vacuuming)..does anyone have a tank with sand?..and if so,how do you vacuum that tank?
You hover your gravel vac tube just high enough over the sand where the waste and not the sand is sucked in. Make sure you also stir your sand when you do maintenance unless you have malaysian trumpet snails to do it for you. You nornally stir gravel in a tank when you clean it with the gravel vac. Since you are now deep cleaning the sand like you do gravel, make sure you stir the sand or have the snails to do it.
The debris and junk doesn't get down in the sand like it does the gravel. I just kind of swish the siphon over the top of the sand and pick up whats on the surface. I have Malaysian trumpet snails in all my tanks with sand. They bury themselves by day and come out at night most of the time, by doing this they keep the sand stirred and clean. I really like my tanks with sand.
Carol
I have play sand in a 10G, pool filter sand in a 55G and Sahara sand by carib sea in a 30GL shell dweller tank. Play sand and pool filter sand are both a pale beige and out of the two pool filter sand is my favorite. The pool filter sand tends to be larger grained and smoother. The Sahara Sand is black and white.
Carol
Yes you have to rinse, rinse, rinse the play sand. The pool filter sand I just poured in and didn't have any dust at all as it has to be really clean to go in pool filters. the Sahara sand was suppose to make the ph higher for my Multis(shell dwellers) but I didn't notice any difference in the ph from my other tanks and yes it had to be rinsed multiple times.
Richard I just realized you said "add" sand. usually if its added to a tank with gravel it eventually winds up on the bottom. It's usually best to have sand alone with some bigger rocks or pebbles for accent.
Carol
ooh very cool! hard to choose my favorite..did you glue those rocks together in the 55g? I read a post about doing that, and wondered if that was the norm? also, do you have 13 different tanks? (or am I not reading your signature correctly) how long have you been fishkeeping? one more question about the sand...how long can you use it before you need to replace it? years?
okay, I guess I'll quit bugging you now
Denise
The rocks were put together with aquarium safe silicone one at a time and allowed to dry before the tank was filled.
actually I have 16 up right now. A 10 G with Cory fry, 10 G with a family of red and white guppys and a 5G with an expectant Red Grass Guppy female. These three are temporary add ons
I have been keep ing fish about five years this time.
The sand doesn't have to be replaced.
Thanks glad you liked the tanks.
Carol
Good stuff guys..I've been thinking for a while about replacing gravel in one of our tanks with sand..the potential cleaning head-ache though,left me less than enthused..based on what you've told me however,I may revisit that option soon..thanks again y'all.
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