How To Clean Sand Substrate Properly

In my 20gal long, I have eco-complete with small gravel on top in the back corners of the tank, and sand down the middle fanning out to the front. Iv never had anything but gravel, and am wondering what's the beat method to cleaning sand and the eco-complete/gravel (if that's needed)
Thanks!

 

I've never had amazing success with gravel vacuums unless they came with a suction almost similar to a turkey baster. ( live in an apartment with carpet on the highest floor so anything tank related is a pain). A turkey baster is great for picking up sheddings and food and I just poke around the plants until I am semi-happy. You can always buy a python or aqueon water changer and use the sinks suction to help grab matter on the bottom. It takes some time but I just do my water change, poke around everywhere and net up any debris and it has seemed to work in the smaller tank...also was assuming planted based on the eco complete

 

Well you can just use a gravel vacuum/siphon to clean the sand and gravel but I wouldn't touch the eco complete because it'll break down and make a mess of your tank. You can just get your siphon and swirl it around right above the substrate to kick up any waste and suck it up that way. If you're going to have a heavily planted tank, you shouldn't need to vacuum the substrate too much.

 

Well you can just use a gravel vacuum/siphon to clean the sand and gravel but I wouldn't touch the eco complete because it'll break down and make a mess of your tank. You can just get your siphon and swirl it around right above the substrate to kick up any waste and suck it up that way. If you're going to have a heavily planted tank, you shouldn't need to vacuum the substrate too much.

It will be heavily planted in the future (when the plants get growing), but I have some sand but I do the poking method as it is so I guess that's the best way to do it. Just wanted to check and see if there was other ways to go about it. Thanks!!

 

I wouldn't touch the eco complete because it'll break down and make a mess of your tank.

I use Eco Complete on all my tanks, and do some pretty intense vacuuming every week with no braking down of the substrate. You are probably talking about something else.