Fine sand suction cleaner

[testuser]

Is there a fine sand suction cleaner? Ideally something that is electric and can suck up the sand and return it back to the bed, removing detritus and other items from the sand. Does that exist? I can't seem to find a product other than for gravel.

 

[argiBK]

It’s manual, but a siphon with a ball valve to control flow will do you what you need. I use this for water changes:

hygger Bucket-Free Aquarium Water Change Kit Metal Faucet Connector Fish Tank Vacuum Siphon Gravel Cleaner with Long Hose 49FT Drain & Fill https://a.co/d/0R5pN7y

 

[testuser]

It’s manual, but a siphon with a ball valve to control flow will do you what you need. I use this for water changes:

Appreciate it, and it's a good suggestion as it explicitly says for fine sand. But unfortunately, I don't have a sink that I could connect to for this. Thank you for the suggestion though!

When you put it over the sand, does it just tumble the sand and only suck up the debris?

 

[argiBK]

Appreciate it, and it's a good suggestion as it explicitly says for fine sand. But unfortunately, I don't have a sink that I could connect to for this. Thank you for the suggestion though!

When you put it over the sand, does it just tumble the sand and only suck up the debris?

I don’t attach mine to a sink and just empty the waste water into a bucket (that I then pour into the toilet).

You don’t place this over the sand, but into the sand bed to tumble and remove waste; you adjust the valve to find the right amount of water flow to ensure that sand stays in the tank and waste is removed. When siphoning sand through any tube, it’s important adjust flow it as an entire block of sand can be pulled up before it breaks apart and falls back down.

 

[testuser]

I don’t attach mine to a sink and just empty the waste water into a bucket (that I then pour into the toilet).

You don’t place this over the sand, but into the sand bed to tumble and remove waste; you adjust the valve to find the right amount of water flow to ensure that sand stays in the tank and waste is removed. When siphoning sand through any tube, it’s important adjust flow it as an entire block of sand can be pulled up before it breaks apart and falls back down.

What is the difference between this and a typical syphon? It's still gravity fed, right? That's why I was thinking about an electric syphon.

 

[Grassy_Nole]

It’s manual, but a siphon with a ball valve to control flow will do you what you need. I use this for water changes:

Exact same way I handled sugar sand in my last tank

 

[Doctorgori]

I used to just angle my wide head siphon and move it backwards …works …

 

[argiBK]

What is the difference between this and a typical syphon? It's still gravity fed, right? That's why I was thinking about an electric syphon.

Same thing.

I doubt there are any electric siphons that adjust water flow to the grain size of sand. Maybe you could DIY one by using a small DC pump like the IM Mighty Jet, but then again, adjusting flow to grain size would be completely manual.