Substrate Vacuuming Trouble

[RobS83]

When I was setting up my tank I decided to go with a sand substrate. Now I find it difficult to vacuum without sucking the sand up with the water. Is there a trick to keeping the sand in the tank? Thanks
<br>
Newbie Rob

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

If you have a good CUC (clean up crew) there's no need to vacuum the sand. What type of siphon are you using?

 

[PRDubois]

dont vacume the sand

 

[baldomero]

i syphon my sandbed lightly on waterchange days but no matter how much u try to avoid sucking out a little sand a little always comes out in my opinion

 

[Nanook]

If a SSB, then I would definitely siphon the sandbed with water changes. The amount of detritus that comes out will blow your mind Not siphoning will lead to a huge nutrient sink over time, even with a cleanup crew.

 

[Aquarist007]

Re: Substrate Vacuuming Trouble

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14834084#post14834084 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RobS83
When I was setting up my tank I decided to go with a sand substrate. Now I find it difficult to vacuum without sucking the sand up with the water. Is there a trick to keeping the sand in the tank? Thanks
<br>
Newbie Rob

once a week take a turkey baster and lightly baste the surface of the sand bed only. While you are at it baste the reef rock too.
This gets all the detrius and organics back into the water column where they can be filtered off

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14834827#post14834827 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nanook
If a SSB, then I would definitely siphon the sandbed with water changes. The amount of detritus that comes out will blow your mind Not siphoning will lead to a huge nutrient sink over time, even with a cleanup crew.

Seem to be following you tonight about this.

I have to agree completely.

To the OP, what are you using to siphon the sand?

This is what I use. The other end is a smaller diameter tube which you can put your finger over, that way you can control the flow, and in turn less (( if any )) sand will actually be pulled out of the tank. If the sand starts to get pulled out, just put your finger all the way over the end and the sand will fall back into the tank.

 

[Nanook]

Todd helped me out on this very topic a while back. A while ago when I ran DSB's, I did not touch the sand, but with a SSB it makes sense to clean it.

 

[Superstretch18]

I agree that you should never vaccum a reef tank. Fish and inverts should be stirring your sand. Or manually as noted above.

In a more heavily populated tank with sand though, and you absolutely have to vaccum, you can use a siphon with a long chamber using a two handed technique:

- start the siphon
- One hand on vaccum, other goes on the tubing
- fill tube with sand
- crimp the tubing to stop the flow of water and pull vaccum out of the sand (still underwater)
- sand will settle and detritus will stay in solution
- release the tubing to clear the vaccum
- repeat steps 2-5 as necessary

It takes some practice, but can be done. You will probably still lose a small amount of sand, though minimal...

 

[sdc19982002]

That tube is half the length it should be. Thats why your getting all that sand .

 

[reefscape15]

I don't believe in vacuuming the sandbed at all. Just have a good CUC and/or fish that stir/filter your bed, and your good to go. You really don't want to disturb the lower parts of your sandbed as they complete the exchange of wastes into harmless nitrogen gasses. Just let your natural creatures do thier thing.