Sand in New Tank

[SuperDodge]

Hi,

I am setting up my first cichlid tank (a 135 gallon Oceanic I picked up used for peanuts). I am using sand substrate (my first time). I have a few questions.

1) I am using play sand and two Fluvals 304s, what is the best means to protect the impeller from damage when sand is sucked up in the intake?

2) How many water changes can I expect it to take before I get rid of all the silt in this stuff?

3) When the cichlids dig is it just gonna keep the tank in a state of ever cloudiness?

Thanks for your answers, I've got no experience with sand..I've always been a low maintenance gravel kinda guy.

 

[Raskolnikov]

In the tanks I have that combine sand w/ HOB filters, I keep the intake a little higher off of the substrate than I would with gravel. No problems with sand in the impeller, but I have specifically avoid cichlids in sand-bottom tanks due most of them "customizing" their tanks. With canister filters, the sand would not reach the motor as it would have to go through all of the media first.
I've always rinsed my sand before putting it in the tank, so there's very little dust left. To get any remaining dust (or if you don't rinse it first) run your filter w/ nothing but lots of floss for 48 hours and dispose of it as it will collect any remaining silt/dust suspended in the tank very well. Once the silt/dust is gone, your fish can dig all they want and there will be no dust to stir up.

 

[StreetCypher]

what is the best means to protect the impeller from damage when sand is sucked up in the intake?

Prefilter you intake well, it will help reduce the amount of sand getting in the filter

 

[QCppg]

I found that the easiest and best way to wash out the sand is to fill a bucket with it and take it outside, and get a garden hose. Turn on the hose and push it all the way to the bottom of the bucket so the sand fluidizes (it'll look like a sand storm in the bucket). Move the hose all around the bottom of the bucket until the water coming up from under the sand is clear. You won't lose more than a little sand this way, and it gets ALL of the silt out of it.

 

[SuperDodge]

Thanks for the replies so far guys. I'll make sure and put something over the filter intake to ensure that it doesn't suck up big bits of sand. Unless there is a better way to prefilter than rubberbanding a piece of thin cloth over it?

And I'll be sure and try to wash my sand that way too.

It's weird, I feel like a newbie all over again. I've been doing basic tropical community tanks for a while, but I've never had the experience of anything quite this big (54 gallon corner tank was my biggest before this), anything with sand or any african cichlids.

THANKS!
Keep the replies comin.

 

[StreetCypher]

Unless there is a better way to prefilter than rubberbanding a piece of thin cloth over it?

You can buy a piece of bulk sponge from big als or somewhere and cut a square out. Cut a small slit in the square so you can slide it onto your intake. Cloth will get clogged too easy and impede flow