How to clean the substrate of a shellie tank

efors

efors

AC Members
Jun 17, 2008
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San Juan, Puerto Rico
Hi again, friends!
I'm thinking about this because I am not sure if I should just stir the substrate and siphon the wastes that come up or if it is better to vacuum the substrate. I feel afraid about vacuuming it, thinking that if there are eggs or fry in the tank, I can suction them out more easily without noticing it; what do you think?
I also know that once a month you should take the shells and turn them upside down in the water to remove the wastes inside them; but what if there are eggs or fry inside a shell without you knowing it? (Remember that I have a 20gal long with a N. multifasciatus colony).
Thanks in advance for your help!
 
I do mine weekly Efors hold the gravel vac at a 4pm angle so that you dont suck too much sand up and watch out for fry if eggs are inside the shells they will stick to the shell just don't take shell completely out of water.. rotate the shell under the water..
 
Thanks for sharing with me your experience with shellies, my dear Irish mucker and mentor!
 
Shouldn't need to stir the sand around much. I would think this would be the cause of the gas bubbles I've read about since you're stirring waste down into the sand while you're stirring it. I've always just vacuumed the surface debris and let the fish and snails bioturbate themselves.
 
Thats why i stay away from deep sand beds most of my tanks are at 1 to 2 inches mostly in the middle at 1 1/2 never any issues..
 
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