sandbed cleaning

by **t_pham** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 4:58 am

to make my wife happy, i put a sandbed in a freshwater setting. i really need help on how to go about and cleaning it. it has a lot of feces on the bed and i can't seem to be able to clean it causing my amonia level to rise. please help.

by **yasherkoach** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 5:02 am

if I am not mistaken, a sand bed is only for saltwater

others will correct me if I am wrong

by **t_pham** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 5:49 am

i had researched it online in which a sandbed in a freshwater tank is ok so don't know what to do now really.

by **Alasse** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:48 am

To clean it use a gravel syphon, but dont stick it into the sandbed, swirl it gently above the sand, debris will be picked up and minimal sand...with practice you'll grab less sand

by **lilcrum98** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:38 pm

yes alasse is wright if u go on youtube .com u can find some vidions but dont stick it down in the sand thike u would with gravel u just skim agross the top and it should get it

by **tapout24** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 7:40 pm

Whats a sandbed i have sand in my fish tank is it the samething

by **yasherkoach** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 7:44 pm

tapout, it appears the "sandbed" is the same thing as normal sand in the context of this forum...I have sand too and I find there is no need to vacuum lightly on top of the sand (the best way to clean the sand) for the white sand with debris on it the fish will nibble off the debris

but if you must vacuum, do not stick the siphon down into the sand just lightly hold it above the sand and the debris will be sucked up.......but then again, most on this forum know me, I prefer nature take care of nature and if you have bottom dwelling fish, they will clean the debris for you

by **Alasse** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 7:11 am

Sandbed is what its called wether its fresh or salt....a bed of sand. Just another way of saying substrate (term also used in fresh and salt). Its not just on this forum i have heard this, not widely used but still acorrect term.

No fish eats poo yasher...absolutely none. If you have many fish that poo alot you definately need to vacuum the sand, or you will have an ammonia problem, and it looks very unsightly.

by **yasherkoach** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:49 am

I have about one quarter of the tank with white sand...at first there was plenty debris, but the fish have nibbled it all away

as for the poo, I agree, no fish will eat poo...what I did type was debris (leftover food stuffs, extremely small bits of dead plant leaf, various types of microbes) fish will eat

only thing that will "eat" poo are live plants as a nutrient and the good bacteria (nitrosomonas or nitrospira species)

by **yasherkoach** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:53 am

course t_pham was asking about feces, so yes a vacuuming over the top of the sand will diminish such a thing...but unless it is so much feces that it creates ammonia problems, it is really no big deal to have feces in the tank if there are live plants and/or good bacteria

but I assume t_pham's tank is not established as ours are Alasse (a good 2 years = established tank), so if this fish keeper must, then yes, vacuum off the feces (((but you know me Alasse, I tend to let nature take care of nature - I have never vacuumed in over 2 years)

sandbed cleaning

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