What do you use to vacuum your sand?

[LeslieP]

My trusty 30 yr old siphon finally quit on me as I was doing a little bit of tidying up in the corners. What are you all using for your occasional touch up in your sand?

 

[Ron Reefman]

I may stir mine a little bit once in a long while, but I almost never vacuum it unless I see some cyano bacteria forming.

 

[LeslieP]

I’m getting a little cyano in the corners lately. I’ve ordered another pump to crank up the flow a bit but I would like to help it along. I’m not planning on doing any heavy cleaning.

 

[LesPoissons]

I use an old python hose and siphon head and gravity.

 

[TheHarold]

I mix it up with my hand, before a water change. Lol

 

[saltyhog]

This is what I use.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/pro-clean-gravel-wash-with-squeeze-starter-python.html

 

[MnFish1]

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/python-no-spill-water-change-system.html. (of course you cant use it for filling)

 

[SeaJay]

3 gobies, 2 sand dwelling wrasse and 2 horseshoe crabs.

 

[Anthony Kochevar]

Made my own vacuum for my small tank.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/easy-nano-pico-sand-vacuum.614079/#post-6170562

 

[Billdogg]

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/python-no-spill-water-change-system.html. (of course you cant use it for filling)

^^^This^^^

I cannot imagine not having one ready for use. And FWIW, you can use it to fill the tank if you disconnect it from the faucet and attach the end of the hose to a pump in your mixing barrel! Until I hard plumbed a line from my mixing station a few years back I did it that way for a very long time.

 

[fuelman]

i use the fluvial pro-vac it sucks up the gunk without removing any water from the tank so if you just want to touch up a few spots on the sand & not do a water change yet it's perfect for that. also kens fish is by far the cheapest place to get one & replacement filter packs.

 

[fuelman]

i also have a python & its great i would +1 on that, the pro-vac is just for in between water change.

 

[LeslieP]

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/python-no-spill-water-change-system.html. (of course you cant use it for filling)

Will these work well with sand if I don’t go too deep?

 

[LeslieP]

i use the fluvial pro-vac it sucks up the gunk without removing any water from the tank so if you just want to touch up a few spots on the sand & not do a water change yet it's perfect for that. also kens fish is by far the cheapest place to get one & replacement filter packs.

I’ll check this out, thanks!

 

[LeslieP]

i use the fluvial pro-vac it sucks up the gunk without removing any water from the tank so if you just want to touch up a few spots on the sand & not do a water change yet it's perfect for that. also kens fish is by far the cheapest place to get one & replacement filter packs.

I was worried that this would get gummed up when using on sand

 

[MnFish1]

Will these work well with sand if I don’t go too deep?

I use it with sand. You just take up a small area - than when the sand goes into the 'big tube' - if it seems like its going to start going to the sink (the small tube) pinch it so there is enough flow that 'small detritus' goes through - and the clean sand falls back into the tank

 

[SeaJay]

I was worried that this would get gummed up when using on sand

You can just vacuum into a filter sock, then change socks when you’re done, or add a second sock for the vacuuming if you want to spot vacuum without removing water.

 

[Hermie]

I attach a 5/8" hose to a pvc pipe with rubber bands and it works well enough...
could be better, but the basic premise is a "larger" diameter hose

 

[fuelman]

Will these work well with sand if I don’t go too deep?

yes i just skim mine across the sand & do a surface clean to get the poop or a small spot of algae. if you do happen to suck up too much sand & the filter pack really isn't shot yet (i have a few times) it's easy to slide it out & shake the sand off it & put it back in once you get the hang of it you can use it quite a few times before needing to replace the filter pack

 

[Phil D.]

I kept my Marineland Magnum HOT filter with a micron filter element and have a gravel vacuum adapter that goes on it, hang it on the side of the tank and vacuum the sand with it. Does a great job! Only drawback is cleaning the filter afterwards! Yuck!