3 Tips for Clean Aquarium Sand
Tips, Tricks
3 Tips for Clean Aquarium Sand Cleaning Aquarium sand is easy, although some people do struggle. I have three easy tips to keeping your sand clean. 1. Water Flow Water flow is very important to all aquariums, but especially in ones with a sand substrate. To stop dirt from settling it is important to have a good flow around your aquarium. This can be done simply by using a filter properly rated to give enough flow for the size of your aquarium. Sometimes though, even this isn't enough flow, in this case use a filter rated over your aquarium size, or even use multiple filters or power heads if needed. You will sometimes get areas of dirt buildup (mulm) called dead spots, these are areas where the flow isn't strong enough. Disrupt these areas by moving the direction of your water flow or add a second power head. 2. Livestock Bottom dwelling fish are ideal candidates when adding to a sand substrate aquarium. They will swim and root around in the sand disturbing the top layers. This will turn the sand over to stop algae growth and also re agitate any dirt which has settled so that it is picked up by the filter. Ideal candidates to add are catfish such as Corydoras, Synodontis and Ancistrus; loaches are also an excellent choice as they will dig into sand giving excellent disturbance. Make sure to pick the correct species for your aquarium size as many catfish and loaches become quite large. Malaysian trumpet snails (MTS) are a favorite of mine for sand substrate aquariums, especially ones with live plants. MTS are burrowing snails which scavenge for food and also eat algae. While they burrow they will move the sand around, rotating it as would happen in the wild. This is great as it also means that nutrients will be delivered to middle and bottom layers of the sand which is great for aquarium plants which root feed. They will also disturb and buildup of toxic gases caused by rotting organic matter in the sand. MTS can become a pest if they are given too much food as they are prolific breeders, but so long as they are not fed too much they will rarely be seen and are an excellent addition. 3. Manual removal When you get a buildup of dirt and mulm in an aquarium, such as that caused in dead spots; the only way to remove it is manually. This is easy to do and can be done during your regular water change. Simply use a small hose to siphon the mulm off the surface of the sand. Be careful to not get to close to the sand, other wise you will be removing your substrate as well. You can see how to do this in the video at the top of the page. Thanks for watching! SUPPORT ME ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/EverydayAquarist Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EverydayAquaristBlog Twitter: https://twitter.com/EAquariums ================================================ If you enjoy my videos please like / favorite them and SUBSCRIBE to my channel. There are more to come full of useful tips and tricks for new and experienced fishkeepers. ================================================ http://youtu.be/0PFxZ6XIr7c
Comments
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just remove that driftwood ?
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I'm crying....Harry Potter is teaching me about Aquascaping
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are you farhan hasif?
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This was very informative and helpful. Thank you.
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the hose works takes less water more debre
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what is the long fish you have looks like a eel
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The problem with the Malaysian snails is that by burrowing they unsettle your rockscape and put your fish in danger. Also, the synadontis will eat eggs and fry of cichlids. Last cichlids don't like strong water movement and the movement should remain at the top of the tank.
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You sucked up a snail
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your sand isnt pristine
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What is that fish that is swimming around?
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nice video I watch all of them
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deep sand bed or sallow ??
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can u pls tell me the how to design the aquarium by using the sand plants stones
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Can those snails be used in an African Cichlid tank ?
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A tip for you, use a net to scoop out the plant material Before making a water change and thus making your water change easer.
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What's the name/brand if the sand are you using?
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can't find any sand for my aquarium in my area , is it ok to use playsand from home depot ?
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Nice dragon fish. I have learned a lot.
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Nice aquarium.
I like the simple design. The natural look is best... sand, driftwood... live plants. Good combination.
Going for the same make with my 55 gallon tank. Aiming to fill it with 6-8 corydoras (peppered probably), a red tail shark and perhaps some livebearers. -
Another question: If I use this sand in my aquarium will it clog the 2 HOB filters I have?
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