Can you vacuum out sand?

Two questions actually. I have both sand and gravel as substrate. Tried to do a separation and as filter has moved sand some is mixed with gravel and I don’t know if I like the sand and may just go to all gravel.

So just curious, question 1 would be could I just kind of mix it all together?

if that would not work, can I slowly add gravel on top and then if Ido a deep vacuum, will the sand come out with water during cleaning? Tank has not cycled yet so have not done my first deep gravel vacuum yet (and newbie) so not sure. I have a medium tank vacuum. Tank is just cycling so I was thinking of slowing adding gravel on top (so much a day and then wondering if deep vacuum would suck sand out of gravel)

it is brown gravel and white pool filter sand? Can you mix sand and gravel? Anyone have a picture if you can mix? Just wondering what the easiest way was to go all gravel or if anyone has done it, what it looks like mixed.

 

Sand will vacuum out. It may not be all at once but it will if you are trying to. You can mix sand and gravel if you want to it doesnt matter.

 

Oh, to answer my own question, did a tank clean today and sand wouldn’t come out with vacuum...some does but majority falls back out which is good because I like the sand more after getting layer of diatoms off.
Thanks Stargirl!

 

I vac'ed my sand out of my 5g. Got almost every spec out.

 

Thanks Stargirl! Since I just started establishing tank after cycle, mine was pretty quick and not too deep-didn’t want to mess with bacteria layer as much as I could. Glad it didn’t-I dig the sand now-I had such a new tank diatom explosion.

thanks again!

 

Just a fun fact: I have that cave of yours!