How to clean??

[spacemanspiff]

I have a 20 gallon tank with fine white sand as a substrate. I currently have 2 blue gouramis in there. I was wondering what would be the best way to clean up after them? I have trired one of those gravel vacums, where the water comes out too, but that sucks up the sand. I don't want all that fish poo sitting in the tank. Any fish or anything that could help?

Dan

 

[OrionGirl]

Use just the tubing, without the rigid plastic end, and sweep the end of the tube just over the sand. This pulls up the waste, but leaves the sand in place.

 

[spacemanspiff]

thats what I have done, I have just the round tube and still sucks the sand. Thanks though

 

[Harlock]

Wow, I have sand an use a python on full cold water power. I skim the surgace since the poo is lighter than the sand. If just skimming the tube slightly above the surface is pulling the sand first and poo second, I'd look into something like a hand pumped tube where you can control the relsease of a bulb for the sterngth of suction. If that doesn;t work then the sand you have is just too lioght. What kind of sand was this anyway?

 

[chinnp]

I have sand I use a regular old vacuum. I just put it over the surface of the sand instead of right down into it. It sucks up the crap and usually just a trace or so of sand that I can replace later.

 

[spacemanspiff]

thanks everyone, i'll try the skimming technic