How do you siphon the massive amount of pleco poop with a sand substrate?

[stunt 101]

I have a sand substrate in my 30 gallon malawi tank. This tank also contains a pleco that has a passion for pooping constantly. How do you clean up the bottom of the tank without sucking up all the sand with the poop? thanx

 

[SimonWoodstock]

The only method I can think of other than just syphoning it out as you would normally do would be to stir it all up and then just have the syphon about half way down in the tank and suck it out that way. Seems a little messy to me, but I have syphoned some of the bigger pieces and pieces of plants that may have been chewed off or whatever like that so it works to an extent.

 

[sguthrie]

Try just using the hose without the bigger tube part? I've used just the tube to suck out blue-green algae, and it works well. I'm not sure how well it will work with sand. It seems that pleco poop is only slightly negatively bouyant.

Sam

 

[StreetCypher]

If the logs are large enough you could use a turkey baster (i know some people here do that). If they're still small logs then i suggest Simons technique. Stir up the logs with your siphon and suck them up as they flost in the water.

 

[Cearbhaill]

I would just siphon them out with a hose and a very steady hand. A bit of practice and you won't lose more than a grain or two each time.

 

[OrionGirl]

I'm with Toni--much easier to just use a smaller diameter hose and a careful touch. I don't have any large plecos in with sand, but it works will with the smaller waste on sand, as well as the pleco waste in the tank with a light-weight substrate.

 

[stunt 101]

sounds good, thanx.

 

[Mark_b]

Just siphon up poop and sand and make sure you catch the sand in a bucket. Then clean the sand a bit and pop it back in again.

 

[Swimfins]

I just siphon,then pour off the dirty water into the toilet, there is always a lttile bit of sand siphoned out, (a half cup or so) and it stays at the bottom of the bucket. I leave it there, add fresh water to the bucket and dechlorinator, put back the clean water. Add back the little bit of clean sand at the end, sprinkling it around.

 

[Milky]

pinching technique

I used to have sand in my tank
and the trick with the vacuming i found
was to pinch the end a little when you
notice alot of sand going up instead of
poop,. The sand is heavier than the waste
and it will sink back down when you pinch
the tube a little but the flow will continue
and get most if not all of the waste ..