How in the world do you clean fine sand?

[JingoFresh]

I have very fine white sand.

Everything I have read about cleaning a tank says to siphon debris and such from the surface once a week.

If I even try that I get a sandstorm and pick up waaay more sand than I should.

What is the solution to clean very fine sand?

 

[thegrun]

Get larger grained sand! I love the look of the fine grained sand, but if you have corals that need high water flow it just isn't practical.

 

[JingoFresh]

Get larger grained sand! I love the look of the fine grained sand, but if you have corals that need high water flow it just isn't practical.

I don't have corals at present, just wondering how in the world you are meant to clean it.

 

[heathlindner25]

Pinch your vacuum gravel with your hand to slow the flow down.

 

[JingoFresh]

Pinch your vacuum gravel with your hand to slow the flow down.

That makes it so I don't end up picking up anything meaningful...

There has to be a better way?

 

[dustinkimpel]

Barebottom 4 lyfe. Lol

 

[Renzema]

Short answer..you don't.

Longer short answer. Get a CUC that will stir the top layer, and keep it clean. With just enough flow to prevent detritus from sitting on it.

Just my .02

 

[Sk8r]

If you have between a 30 and a 50 gallon tank, try one small fighting conch.

 

[Auston]

Use a gravel vacuum. There is a technique to it. You can watch how to on YouTube.

 

[jd371]

I have this sand. Get some Nassarius snails and a Conch to stir up the sand bed, and try and aim your PH's so that it just slightly stirs up the top layer without creating a storm. It took me a while but I got it to where there is enough flow to move detritus around without moving a lot of sand, and eventually the sand will settle down and won't move. There are two spots in the corners where it does build up, but I take care of it with a turkey baster, I also rake the sand to stir things up when I do the WC.

 

[McPuff]

Use a gravel vacuum. There is a technique to it. You can watch how to on YouTube.

This. You have to pinch and release a couple times for each siphon_full of sand. You'll end up pulling out some of the sand, but not much. I would then pour this small amount of sand into another container and every month or two put it back into the tank. How do you put it back into the tank?? Well, you use a funnel and piece of PVC. Extend pvc to the bottom of your tank, pour in the sand, and it leaves a very small amount of cloudiness because it doesn't touch much water on the way down. It's very effective.

 

[jstack]

I have very fine white sand.

Everything I have read about cleaning a tank says to siphon debris and such from the surface once a week.

If I even try that I get a sandstorm and pick up waaay more sand than I should.

What is the solution to clean very fine sand?

I have very fine aswell I went with a 1 1/2 inch sand bed that has ripples like a beach that shift very slowly thruout the day from flow. water is clear and the sand bed has stayed fairly well even looks like the top half really only move's. this has been going on a week now for those curious on how long with no bare spots

 

[sirclintler]

Does it help to rinse the sand before putting in the tank?

 

[T Haynes]

2 things...goby and CUC

 

[Koop]

SK8tr

How many conches would you put in a 120 gallon?

 

[BigCountry74]

Barebottom 4 lyfe. Lol

x2 :beer:

like others said certain stock and CUC will keep the top of sand clean, along with the right flow.

how deep is your sand bed? needs to be at least 4" in order for it to actually do something (far as filtration goes). anything less and its just a maintenance headache lol

 

[panhandler01]

Short answer..you don't.

Longer short answer. Get a CUC that will stir the top layer, and keep it clean. With just enough flow to prevent detritus from sitting on it.

Just my .02

+1. Nassarius snails.....lots of them.

 

[Kolkri]

I just stir mine before I do a water change. I still have not figured out how to vacuum it without losing way to much.