# How do people usually clean sand substrates?



## Dave10910 (Nov 8, 2011)

Just curious how people usually go about vacuuming sand type substrates.

Is there a good method for getting the waste out without sucking up a bunch of the substrate material itself?


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## gy960 (Sep 10, 2011)

I think not many ppl actually vacuum the sand. Most of the time, the sand particles are closely packed together, thus little waste and detritus get into the layers of sand and waste just accumulate on the top. I think tats why ppl say sand is much 'cleaner'. Ppl normally just put the siphon above the sand, swirl the hose so that waste on the sand gets stirred up and sucked out.

Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-yUhK7U--o


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## touch of sky (Nov 1, 2011)

I have found it easier to use a gravel vac with a narrower tube on the sand substrate. It doesn't tend to suck up the sand as easily since the suction isn't as strong. Just gently go around on the surface to suck up the debris. Don't plunge it into the sand or around the plant roots.


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## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

Also depends on the density of the sand - there are many different types. IME, if you get the 'play' sand from the big box stores - yeah, you can't vac it well at all, even if you're careful to keep the vac head above the sand, without siphoning up a lot of it up.
But real pool filter sand (silica) obtained from a pool supply store is much denser, and you can vac right down to sand level (with most vacs) without siphoning any sand out.
Yes, it will climb up the vac head by an inch or two, but then drop right back down.


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## VeeSe (Apr 16, 2011)

touch of sky said:


> I have found it easier to use a gravel vac with a narrower tube on the sand substrate. It doesn't tend to suck up the sand as easily since the suction isn't as strong. Just gently go around on the surface to suck up the debris. Don't plunge it into the sand or around the plant roots.


You mean with a wider tube? Or do you actually mean the soft tubing on the end?


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## sajata (Aug 21, 2009)

VeeSe said:


> You mean with a wider tube? Or do you actually mean the soft tubing on the end?


 
yea i was wondering the same thing, the reason they have the larger tube on the suck end of a vack is to cut down on the suction so things can fall back down if the get sucked up...


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## narhay (Feb 28, 2007)

Dig into sand with syphon.

Tilt to a 45 degree angle to allow most of the sand to fall back

Pinch the hose as the sand gets too high in the syphon tube.


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## Daximus (Oct 19, 2011)

Shrimp + Cory Cats = Clean Sand :biggrin:


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## touch of sky (Nov 1, 2011)

Veese,
If you look at the various gravel cleaners available, there are some with the rigid tubes (the end that you stick in the gravel or sand) that are quite narrow in diameter, the one I have measures about 1" across. The flexible siphon tubes are narrow, too. I use one of these to go in between and around the plants in my planted tanks. The suction isn't very high, so it sucks up the debris, but not the sand and the narrow width makes it easy to go between plants.

When I want to clean the sand in front that isn't planted, I suck up a bit of then sand, and then close off the suction by crimping the hose or putting my finger over the end to stop the flow to allow the sand to drop back into the tank.


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

I use a standard gravel cleaner for maintenance cleans, swirling the tube around to kick up detrius and suck it up without disturbing the sand. For deep cleanings I use a DIY coke bottle siphon which I jam down deep, but since the suction isn't very strong in that one, it can't lift the sand high enough to remove it. And if I do end up sucking up sand at one point or another, I just spread it back in the tank with a soup ladel. Then you get a nice clean top layer of sand


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