cleaning sand

[susiejames101]

Hi
I have a deep sand substrate for my congo puffer , who also lives with a bristlenose pleco.
The sand is pale in colour and every day seems covered in fish poop which isn;t very pretty. I have been water changing every day recently as I had a few problems with cycling and have been lifting out the poop with the water change, my water seems to now be stabalising and i was hoping to do weekly clean ups, but the tank looks quite unsightly with a messy bottom, is this just a cosmetic issue and would i be doing more harm than good to keep removing this. I am wondering now if i have been over cleaning the sand and not allowing my bacterial cultures to stablise and maybe that is why thinbgs seem to have been taking so long!!
What do others do with a sand substrate in the tank?

 

[StreetCypher]

I find that if i don't penetrate the sand while cleaning it gets really dirty really fast. I used to just skim the surface with my python, but that didn't do the job.
My tank is a pretty heavily stocked at the moment though, which is probably causing the dirtiness.
Try lowering your filter intake closer to the sand, or somehow create more current so your filters can pick up more of the debris.

 

[soupdragon10]

I have an aquarium vacuum cleaner (mains operated) which allows me to pick up poop and other solids but returns the water to the tank. The solids are caught in a mesh bag which can be rinsed under the tap. It's great for cleaning out my plecos who can really produce poop in abundance, and for my bigger cichlids. Vacuuming is something I do in addition to the regular water changes. It just removes the pooh so it doesn't decompose in the tank.

 

[OrionGirl]

With sand, the best method I've found is to use a small diamter tubing, and sweep it a little bit above the sand. This pulls up the waste without getting the sand as well. Daily water changes should not impact the bacteria at all--they are not free-floating in the water column, but rather bound to objects within the tank--filter media, glass, plants, rocks, etc. If the water changes are causing a problem, review your method, and make sure you are properly treating the water for chlorine/chloramines.

Depending on the size of the sand, you can try putting in some powerheads to push the solid wastes into one area for easier cleaning, and to keep them in the water column longer for a power filter to pull them out.