I'm interested in using sand in my future 30gal tank instead of gravel and was wondering how you go about keeping it clean. Can you use a gravel vac or would that just suck the sand up?
keeping sand clean
- Thread starter sophiecat22
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Yeah, you just keep it a few inches off the sand and it will pick up detritus without picking up the sand. Takes a little practice, but once you figure out how far to keep it off the bottom it is actually easier to clean, nice and even...
Great!! Where can I find inexpenive sand that won't affect my water? I'm planning on having a pair of kribs, a school of 5-6 tetras or tiger or cherry barbs or maybe rasboras of some sort, a couple yoyo loaches and 2-3 otos.
Play sand from your local hardware store. About $2-3 for a 50 lb bag, cheapest substrate you can find 
I have it in my 75G and love it. If you want to have plants, I recommend a layer of flourite or something underneath the sand to give the plants enough nutrients.
I have it in my 75G and love it. If you want to have plants, I recommend a layer of flourite or something underneath the sand to give the plants enough nutrients.
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You can use cheap play sand from a hardware store if you want.
And if you swirl the gravel vac just above the sand the waste goes right up!
And if you swirl the gravel vac just above the sand the waste goes right up!
While you're swirling, if you angle the plastic pipe slightly any sand that does get hoovered will just fall back out.
Play sand: if you rinse it well, I do it 5 times in buckets in the tub, you won't have any problems with cloudiness. Backbreakin' work but well worth it all the way around!! Especially how it looks in the tank.
Play sand: if you rinse it well, I do it 5 times in buckets in the tub, you won't have any problems with cloudiness. Backbreakin' work but well worth it all the way around!! Especially how it looks in the tank.
$2-$3 for 50lbs!?! love it!!! :dance: So how often will I need to move it around to keep the anaerobic bacteria away? I read in one of the posts about a snail that will burrow into the sand and help with that, but I think that it may have been saltwater. Are there any freshwater snails or any other critters that will do that? oooo! What about freshwater clams??
Another thing, how thick should the layer of substrate be? How hard is it to keep artificial plants from coming up out of the sand? Could I use gravel in the bases of the plants to help weigh them down? Could I seed my new tank with gravel even though I'm using sand? Or how about a layer of gravel and then sand? Gosh I'm just full of questions today lol...I love you guys!! lol
Another thing, how thick should the layer of substrate be? How hard is it to keep artificial plants from coming up out of the sand? Could I use gravel in the bases of the plants to help weigh them down? Could I seed my new tank with gravel even though I'm using sand? Or how about a layer of gravel and then sand? Gosh I'm just full of questions today lol...I love you guys!! lol
How exactly do you manage rinsing the sand in buckets in the tub without getting any down the drain and clogging it up?
I have a layer of Flourish plant substrate under my tank and a few pieces have come up, I think it really adds to the natural look, so you could put gravel underneath if you want:
http://s88.photobucket.com/albums/k...urrent=318da470.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch6
as far as how think I have about and average of 2.5" total for my substrate. I have it a little thicker in the back and sides where the plants mostly are. You can take something and just poke around the sand every month or so to stir it up and prevent anaerobic pockets, I use one of the plant placers you can buy at the pet store to run through my sand periodically. Also, if you want to keep a critter to help burrow, spiny eels like peacock eels love to burrow. I have one in another tank and he digs in and around the substrate all day long.
http://s88.photobucket.com/albums/k...urrent=318da470.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch6
as far as how think I have about and average of 2.5" total for my substrate. I have it a little thicker in the back and sides where the plants mostly are. You can take something and just poke around the sand every month or so to stir it up and prevent anaerobic pockets, I use one of the plant placers you can buy at the pet store to run through my sand periodically
. Also, if you want to keep a critter to help burrow, spiny eels like peacock eels love to burrow. I have one in another tank and he digs in and around the substrate all day long.