Help please. Sand removed during cleaning

[JMorris271]

I vacuumed out the tank today trying and in the process sucked out about 15 lbs of cycled sand. What is the right way to clean and reuse or toss?
Thanks

 

[Sk8r]

Clean it, dry it out, and add it back through a piece of stiff pvc pipe at the rate of about a cupful every week.

 

[heathlindner25]

Pinch the vacuum gravel hose to adjust the flow for finer sand. You will still pull out the "brown dust" and the sand will stay.

 

[JMorris271]

Clean it, dry it out, and add it back through a piece of stiff pvc pipe at the rate of about a cupful every week.

If I am cleaning the tank once a week and get 10 to 15 ibs removed each time?:uhoh3:
Am I removing too much ? How should I vac?

 

[mcgyvr]

If I am cleaning the tank once a week and get 10 to 15 ibs removed each time?:uhoh3:
Am I removing too much ? How should I vac?

Simple...Don't vac the sandbed.. This ain't freshwater..
Rocks fine.. leave the sand bed alone unless there is clearly visible detritus piles in low flow areas..

 

[JMorris271]

Pinch the vacuum gravel hose to adjust the flow for finer sand. You will still pull out the "brown dust" and the sand will stay.

I use one of those Pythons with the hard tube to go in the bed. Are you talking about the flex hose after that?
I needto find a vac with a smaller hose.

 

[JMorris271]

Simple...Don't vac the sandbed.. This ain't freshwater..
Rocks fine.. leave the sand bed alone unless there is clearly visible detritus piles in low flow areas..

I'm getting some cyano out.
Didn't have a choice this time.

 

[johnike]

It got so clean going through your siphon hose, I'd just put it back in.

 

[talamasca]

The only difference between a saltwater tank and a freshwater tank is the salt... Don't get it twisted. Good husbandry alone should enable you to keep a happy healthy reef tank for years on end without any problems. (no crutches)

If you want to remove the sand just siphon it out and clean it under the faucet. You can dry it out if you want, but sometimes it doesn't have to be so complicated.

 

[anthonys51]

yes 15 lbs of sand in a cleaning is a little much, probably 14 and half lbs too much.

 

[mcgyvr]

I'm getting some cyano out.
Didn't have a choice this time.

Well once the cyano is gone then don't vacuum the sand bed..

I can't possibly believe how you are still sucking out 10-15lbs of sand..
You just need to catch a corner of the cyano and it will peel right up.. Don't go so deep into the sand..

 

[JMorris271]

The only difference between a saltwater tank and a freshwater tank is the salt... Don't get it twisted. Good husbandry alone should enable you to keep a happy healthy reef tank for years on end without any problems. (no crutches)

What's your point?

 

[talamasca]

What's your point?

None of that made any since to you? What's your point?

 

[JMorris271]

Well once the cyano is gone then don't vacuum the sand bed..

I can't possibly believe how you are still sucking out 10-15lbs of sand..
You just need to catch a corner of the cyano and it will peel right up.. Don't go so deep into the sand..

Got ya. This is my first attempt and I am usually heavy handed. I'll pour off the can and see how much sand is really in there.
The main tank will be treated with red slime remover tomorrow so hopefully that wiil be the end of that.
The sand is very clean except for the broken pieces of the cyano.

 

[heathlindner25]

I use one of those Pythons with the hard tube to go in the bed. Are you talking about the flex hose after that?
I needto find a vac with a smaller hose.

You want the tube to be long if your sand is fine, and yes pinch the small flexible part of the hose to adjust the flow.. I vacuum my sand every time I do a water change.

 

[JMorris271]

None of that made any since to you? What's your point?

OK I appreciate your advice.Thanks

 

[talamasca]

My bad JMorris271, I just thought you were giving me a bad time because of my post count. I've been warned about this place unfortunately.
I don't vacuum my sand bed anymore, being that a siphon can only reach so far. Stirring the whole thing up once a month right before a water change has seem to pay dividends for years on end. Running some sort of mechanical filtration for a few hours wouldn't hurt either.

 

[JMorris271]

You want the tube to be long if your sand is fine, and yes pinch the small flexible part of the hose to adjust the flow.. I vacuum my sand every time I do a water change.

It's Fiji Pink that was suppose to me medium but it seems a little fine to me.

 

[JMorris271]

I don't vacuum my sand bed anymore, being that the siphon can only reach so far. Stirring the whole thing up once a month right before a water change has seem to pay dividends for years on end. Running some sort of mechanical filtration for a few hours wouldn't hurt either.

Thanks and welcome to RC.

 

[talamasca]

My bad JMorris271, I just thought you were giving me a bad time because of my post count. I've been warned about this place unfortunately.
I don't vacuum my sand bed anymore, being that a siphon can only reach so far. Stirring the whole thing up once a month right before a water change has seem to pay dividends for years on end. Running some sort of mechanical filtration for a few hours wouldn't hurt either.

This first.