Have to get new sand cleaner..

[NicksMixedReef]

Been about 1.5 years since I've cleaned my sand bed, and I think it's time to start doing small sections at a time!

Problem is my old one is broke lol would the ones at petsmart suffice?

 

[nitroleviathan]

You mean a gravel vac? If so any one can work

 

[twilliard]

Cleaning sand is more difficult than any other substrate
Just make sure what you get that you can control the flow so you don't suck all the sand out

 

[NicksMixedReef]

Did such an extremely small part of the sand bed lol

 

[twilliard]

Nice job!

 

[NicksMixedReef]

I only poked the sucker in twice to the sand bed and the water was so dark I thought I'd just sit at those spots for a few minutes lol. Going to take me forever to clean it

 

[twilliard]

Ya I did a sand bed years ago but the maintenance was so high I changed it.
now I let my pistol shrimp keep my substrate turned over. Such a digger!

 

[NicksMixedReef]

I really want to go bottomless but my rocks would fall over probably lol next tank is definitely going to be bottomless or an extremely thin layer of sand that is super easy for inverts to clean themselves.

Unfortunately my pistol shrimp would be a goner in my tank thanks to my wrasses lol

 

[twilliard]

What wrasse do you have? I have a 6 line and don't want to put one in that will harm my shrimp!
well even though my watchman protects him pretty darn good

 

[NicksMixedReef]

I have a six line, mystery, and flashers. It's the mystery that will eat anything and everything lol

 

[cloak]

Instead of using that gravel-vac to clean your sand bed, you might want to use a small power head and use this to turn over your substrate. With that vacuum your kind of limited by the rocks, but with a power head you can go anywhere. You'll be amazed at how much crap can accumulate UNDER your rocks. Your not going to get all of it out, but just siphon out what you can and run some type of mechanical filtration for a few hours to polish the water as well. Also, you won't be removing any of that beneficial micro fauna that happen to inhabit your sand bed too. I've been doing this every month for the past 6 years or so on my tank and so far so good.
Just something to think about. GL.

 

[NicksMixedReef]

Im pretty sure my tank would crash if I did that right now, just the small part I changed has seemed to P.O. some of my acros lol

 

[twilliard]

I have a six line, mystery, and flashers. It's the mystery that will eat anything and everything lol

Thank you for the info!

 

[cloak]

Im pretty sure my tank would crash if I did that right now, just the small part I changed has seemed to P.O. some of my acros lol

Ahh, that sucks. It's too bad it's come down to that though.