need advice on how to clean gravel

mikebeasley · 11/27/2006, 05:26 PM

I bought one of those gravel cleaners but it drains alot of water while trying to pickup junk on the sandbed.Would it be a better idea to maybe point the powerheads towards the sandbed and make the debris lift up to get picked up by the filters? I know it's bad to leave stuff decaying on the sandbed but I don't like the idea of losing lots of water while trying to clean.Maybe I could drain the water into a bucket then try and return the same water while filtering out the junk? any advice would be cool

bertoni · 11/27/2006, 06:41 PM

You might be able to let the water settle and then dump most of it back into the tank, possible through a bit of aquarium filter floss. That's be my first shot.

tanker · 11/27/2006, 06:46 PM

I hang a HOT Magnum with a micron filter then "turkey base" tank.

Agu · 11/27/2006, 07:56 PM

I don't clean my substrate. Worms, pods, and hermit crabs recycle the waste for me.

beaniebeagle · 11/27/2006, 09:13 PM

here's a way i was planning to try to do it..when i get the stuff together

first, get a filter sock and put that on the end of your overflow piping in the sump, then get a few foot long tubing, say about 3/8". shove one end down through your overflow pipe down to your filter sock

once you get all the air out of it, with a syringe or even pushing the other end into the outflow from the return (it will push the air and water down the tubing) , then you will have some suction to suck off some debris

the water from suctioning goes through your filter sock and into the sump. so no need to drain into a bucket

make sense????? I hope so

drummereef · 11/27/2006, 09:27 PM

Are you guys advocating vacuuming the subrate? I thought that was a no-no.

Agu · 11/27/2006, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by drummereef
Are you guys advocating vacuuming the subrate? I thought that was a no-no.

Not me, I have live sand and clean up critters.

Pete1399 · 11/27/2006, 10:33 PM

You are more or less wasting your time cleaning/vacuuming up the substrate. Get a few more snails and crabs to do all the work for you. If your tank is new(er) you will have more problems with your substrate for awhile.

demonsp · 11/27/2006, 10:51 PM

A daimond goby would keep that sustrate like new in combination with other cleanup crew.I dont reccomend vacuming that sand .

mikebeasley · 11/27/2006, 10:52 PM

ah thank you.Yes it's a newer tank and I could definately stand for more clean up crew now that I think about it.Any suggestions for reef safe clean up crew? Any snails or hermit crabs I should not put in?

tkeracer619 · 11/27/2006, 11:02 PM

www.reeftopia.com has great clean up crews.

tanker · 11/28/2006, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by drummereef
Are you guys advocating vacuuming the subrate? I thought that was a no-no.

No... Not vacuum...Just blow debris off the sand.

11/27/2006, 05:26 PM	#1
mikebeasley Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tampa,Fl near USF Posts: 111	need advice on how to clean gravel I bought one of those gravel cleaners but it drains alot of water while trying to pickup junk on the sandbed.Would it be a better idea to maybe point the powerheads towards the sandbed and make the debris lift up to get picked up by the filters? I know it's bad to leave stuff decaying on the sandbed but I don't like the idea of losing lots of water while trying to clean.Maybe I could drain the water into a bucket then try and return the same water while filtering out the junk? any advice would be cool __________________ 90g rr tank, nova extreme lighting 2 x 54w t-5 10,000k HO and 2 actinics. Current Tank Info: 90g RR, 2 x 54w T-5 HO 10,000k bulbs ,2 actinics

11/27/2006, 06:41 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	You might be able to let the water settle and then dump most of it back into the tank, possible through a bit of aquarium filter floss. That's be my first shot. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

11/27/2006, 07:56 PM	#4
Agu Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 30,279	I don't clean my substrate. Worms, pods, and hermit crabs recycle the waste for me. __________________ Less technology , more biology . Current Tank Info: 30 gallon half cube and 5.5, both reef tanks

11/27/2006, 09:13 PM	#5
beaniebeagle Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: baltimore md Posts: 387	here's a way i was planning to try to do it..when i get the stuff together first, get a filter sock and put that on the end of your overflow piping in the sump, then get a few foot long tubing, say about 3/8". shove one end down through your overflow pipe down to your filter sock once you get all the air out of it, with a syringe or even pushing the other end into the outflow from the return (it will push the air and water down the tubing) , then you will have some suction to suck off some debris the water from suctioning goes through your filter sock and into the sump. so no need to drain into a bucket make sense????? I hope so __________________ stupid questions do not exist, just too many stupid people Current Tank Info: 120g,1260 eheim,reef octo skimmer,vortechs x2,tek 8X54w, 2 false percs,1 bartlett anthia, 1 baby mandarin, 2 purple firefish, 2 green gobies, 1 citron goby, 1 bengai cardinal

11/27/2006, 09:27 PM	#6
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	Are you guys advocating vacuuming the subrate? I thought that was a no-no. __________________ -Brett 180g Marineland Starfire In-Wall 278 gallon system

11/27/2006, 06:46 PM	#3
tanker Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: sf bay area Posts: 3,522	I hang a HOT Magnum with a micron filter then "turkey base" tank.

11/27/2006, 10:33 PM	#8
Pete1399 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Im right here Posts: 369	You are more or less wasting your time cleaning/vacuuming up the substrate. Get a few more snails and crabs to do all the work for you. If your tank is new(er) you will have more problems with your substrate for awhile. __________________ Pete Current Tank Info: 75g, CSS220 Skimmer, DIY CREE LEDs, DIY Canopy, DIY Stand, 29g sump/fuge, Tunze nanostreams

11/27/2006, 10:51 PM	#9
demonsp Moved On Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: el paso tx Posts: 7,634	A daimond goby would keep that sustrate like new in combination with other cleanup crew.I dont reccomend vacuming that sand .

11/27/2006, 10:52 PM	#10
mikebeasley Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tampa,Fl near USF Posts: 111	ah thank you.Yes it's a newer tank and I could definately stand for more clean up crew now that I think about it.Any suggestions for reef safe clean up crew? Any snails or hermit crabs I should not put in? __________________ 90g rr tank, nova extreme lighting 2 x 54w t-5 10,000k HO and 2 actinics. Current Tank Info: 90g RR, 2 x 54w T-5 HO 10,000k bulbs ,2 actinics

11/27/2006, 11:02 PM	#11
tkeracer619 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Westminster, CO Posts: 17,289	www.reeftopia.com has great clean up crews. __________________ Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k.