Cleaning Sand

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bigfatfish
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Cleaning Sand

Post by bigfatfish »

When I do water changes in a marine tank, should I be hoovering the sand/gravel or do I leave well alone?
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poopybarkflounder
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Re: Cleaning Sand

Post by poopybarkflounder »

If I were you I wouldn't do both water changes and tank cleaning on the same day. You don't want to eliminate too much of your tanks beneficial bacteria.
RTR
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Re: Cleaning Sand

Post by RTR »

Neither changing water not stirring sand remove beneficial bacteria. I do them together.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Cleaning Sand

Post by Pufferpunk »

For SW tanks, if you have LR then there are beneficial critters in your sand you don't want to disturb/remove. I have a black cucumber who does all my sand's vacuuming.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
bigfatfish
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GSPs "Flash" & "Lionel" - in a 55 UK Gallon Bow front Marine Tank with sump.
Location (country): United Kingdom
Location: Devon, UK

Re: Cleaning Sand

Post by bigfatfish »

Pufferpunk wrote:For SW tanks, if you have LR then there are beneficial critters in your sand you don't want to disturb/remove. I have a black cucumber who does all my sand's vacuuming.
I tend to just skim the surface as I take water out. I will look into getting a cucumber - but I want to make sure the tank is settled & balanced first before adding anything else.
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greenspottedlover
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Re: Cleaning Sand

Post by greenspottedlover »

Pufferpunk wrote:For SW tanks, if you have LR then there are beneficial critters in your sand you don't want to disturb/remove. I have a black cucumber who does all my sand's vacuuming.
I have a question then. I will be going full salt soon. Would a Sea Cucumber be safe with a GSP?
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Arny
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Re: Cleaning Sand

Post by Arny »

Pufferpunk wrote:For SW tanks, if you have LR then there are beneficial critters in your sand you don't want to disturb/remove. I have a black cucumber who does all my sand's vacuuming.
PP can you post a pic of your ''black cucumber'' I might get one to clean my sand to
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Cleaning Sand

Post by Pufferpunk »

http://www.scuba-equipment-usa.com/mari ... a_atra.jpg
I don't see why a GSP would bother one.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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poopybarkflounder
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Re: Cleaning Sand

Post by poopybarkflounder »

I must have been misinformed, my apologies!
solothedrunk
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Re: Cleaning Sand

Post by solothedrunk »

bigfatfish wrote:When I do water changes in a marine tank, should I be hoovering the sand/gravel or do I leave well alone?
Leave the sand alone and see if you can sneak some nassarius and dwarf ceriths in there. they may stay under the stand long enough for the GSP not to get to them.
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Arny
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Re: Cleaning Sand

Post by Arny »

Get yourself a Blue Cheak Goby, they sift the sand and eat any leftovers (mysis etc). Before I got one I was getting red and green hair algea growning from the sand, now the algea doesn't have long enough to grow as the Goby keeps turning the sand over.
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stangd1909
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Re: Cleaning Sand

Post by stangd1909 »

I thought when cucumbers died they would nuke the tank? Maybe it's just certin type of cucumber.
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Pufferpunk
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Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
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Re: Cleaning Sand

Post by Pufferpunk »

Sea Apples
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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