pool sand and siphoning

crazycanuck

crazycanuck

The quitter never wins
Mar 10, 2008
352
0
0
ontario,canada
i have just one simple question,if i use pool filter sand in my tank,is it heavy enough not to be sucked right to the sink by my python?? if it is what i s an alternative that still looks like sand but is a little heavier??

ive found one called cichlid sand ( i think ) but its for africans so it raises ph and alkaline....

thanks :)
 
You should be fine by simply skimming the surface without the gravel vac attachment, and even if you do suck up a little the sand is cheap enough to add more.

Here's a vid on how to cleaning the sand from chichlidforum:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/videos/cleaning_sand.php
 
ya but its not the cost im worried about,its the hassle of constantly replacing it.. is there another sand i could use,in a south american tank,that has large enough grains to stop this?
 
With a long enough python tube you could probably vac it...Or turn the tap water dow so it doesn't suck as hard.
 
Also you can run the output of the python into a large cup(think the large plastic cups you get at jack or carls) or other container and let the water overflow the container so the sand settles on the bottom of that. Then you can rinse that and return to the tank.
 
And definately once you get the hang of it, you won't be sucking up that much sand to begin with. I hardly such up any sand now.
 
I have that sand in my tank and I can vacuum it just like gravel. obviously if you let the whole python get filled with sand with enough suction it will suck the sand out but if you are paying attention you can easily vacuum it.
However, as Reddog pointed out, you will probably not have to dig deep as the debris will stay on top of the sand anyway.
I usualy only dig deeper in places where the sand turns almost black, thats were the anaerobic bacteria produce gases that may be toxic to fish, and just try to suck those gas bubbles right out.
 
I used sand that they sell around here for setting patio pavers in place. It is coarser than play sand or pool filter sand and it is not uniform in size. I think it looks more natural with the size variation and it doesn't pull up off the bottom as easy when I vac it. It did take an awful lot of cleaning because it was never intended to be used in water but once I got it clean it has been a great substrate with no noticeable impact on my water chemistry. That was what I really worried about most.
 
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