New tank, new substrate, fewer residents. >:(

[Sarra]

I got sick of the problems that having aquarium gravel was causing. I have been over-feeding as well, and had too many animals in too small of a tank, so I decided to get a larger tank. No go, a 20L won't fit, not enough space in my room, and I ran out of money for a stand. So, I returned the tank and got a new 10 gallon tank.

I was preparing to move stuff over, I went to pick up the top from my existing 10 gallon, when the handle broke, and the glass fell right onto the fiddler crab I got like 3 days ago. The poor crab did not make it. :wall:

I did invest in a new substrate, sand. It was actually affordable at my LFS, and the stuff I got didn't cloud my water for more than 10 minutes (I've got a very fine layer in right now, not a lot of it). I also got new bubblers, one of the green wand things, and a new tank heater (both of my tanks have heaters now!).

I carefully moved my remaining crabs over to the new tank, Cakes and the unnamed RCC both came out to explore the sandy depths, and the gobies seem to love the sand more than the gravel, they actually play in it. I was also successful in acclimating a hermit crab to the brackish, and the little guy was playing king of the hill on the little bridge decoration thingy I have in the tank.

Question, how does one clean sand, opposed to gravel? Just suck the sand up and replace?

[Lupin]

Question, how does one clean sand, opposed to gravel? Just suck the sand up and replace?
Hover it a few inches above the substrate in a diagonal position to minimize suction power of the vacuum. The detritus should be visible just above the sand.

[Sarra]

Hover it a few inches above the substrate in a diagonal position to minimize suction power of the vacuum. The detritus should be visible just above the sand.

Thank you very much, simple and straightforward answer to a simple question. :)

I'll stir a little every now and then to minimize anaerobic areas in the sand.