# sand substrate: Vacuum Question



## jlm86 (Aug 24, 2002)

How do you vacuum the sand debris without sucking all the sand out of the tank
eventually?

Seems like a fine art to do that...


----------



## lovethatcichlid (Feb 24, 2011)

jlm86 said:


> How do you vacuum the sand debris without sucking all the sand out of the tank
> eventually?
> 
> Seems like a fine art to do that...


i use white aragonite sand in my tank and lightly sift through it with a vac. But it still gets a bit sucked up. 
the bigger the grains the less sand is lost is my opinion
:?...i could do with a different suggestion too.


----------



## 60gallon (Dec 14, 2010)

Just swirl above the sand and the poop should lift right off of the sand and into your vacuum.

I have a python that I use for water changes but I made a contraption to use to clean the sand with which is easier to use since my tank is kind of high. Its hard to use the gravel vac of the phython with a tall tank. To make it I used some scrap 3/4" PVC pipe with a 5" piece of 1/2" Eheim tubing to use as the vacuum tip with a piece of shrink tube over it so the tubing will be nice and tight. It can really get into corners and crevices. On the other end of the PVC pipe I used a 3/4" street elbow and pushed some 1/2" tubing into it and siliconed it to make it air tight. The other end of the tubing obviously goes into a bucket etc. to catch the poop.



















Also when I get impatient from the slooooow python I'll take the end of the 1/2" tube and connect it to the output of my maxijet 1200 and put the 3/4" street elbow in a bucket to quickly remove the water when doing a water change.


----------



## chmey (Apr 29, 2010)

Its certainly is a trick to clean. Much different than gravel. 
Just hover the hose end over the debris and it will work fine. 
You need to come to the realization that, Yes, you will suck some sand up. Its gonna happen. 
The more you do it, the less sand you suck up. I found it works best if you can remove the rocks, etc., let the debris settle a bit, then vacuum.


----------



## rgr4475 (Mar 19, 2008)

Here is a video http://www.cichlid-forum.com/videos/cleaning_sand.php


----------



## Guest (Mar 2, 2011)

most of the poo stays on top of the sand... but sometimes they move the sand around so it gets under it... i hold the tube in one hand and the gravel vac in the other and pinch the tube when the sand goes up too high and as soon as you pinch the tub the sand drops...


----------



## drexel187 (Dec 22, 2010)

I use the swirl method just above the sand and I put a bucket under my tap at the sink to catch any sand I might suck up, then I just toss the sand back in when I'm done.


----------



## Guest (Mar 2, 2011)

i put 50 lbs too much sand in my tank so if a lil gets sucked out its not a big deal.. and seriously barely any comes out anyways... the problem i find is if you have to catch a fish for whatever reason i always do it after *** vaccumed and the water is low... they all get scared and poo again all over the place... or even the next day theres poo everywhere...


----------



## lelandgray (Jan 19, 2011)

That was a great video!


----------



## snoskiur (Nov 10, 2010)

Here's the answer! I siphon using a gravel vac, but I either siphon with a Python or just attach the tube to a hose out the window into a bucket. That way, I can dig around the sand just like gravel and any sand that gets sucked up is waiting for me at the bottom of the bucket when I'm done. I just dump it right back in!


----------



## supadave1981 (Feb 2, 2011)

that was a great video "HEY JOEYA" lol loved it an since i am new to sand this looks to be fairly easy to do an will be something i take into consideration when i do my first cleaning.


----------

