Loaches Online Forum

Hi yaa'l,

So my loaches are enjoying their new 3M colorquartz sand.

I just want to make sure I'm doing my vacuum cleaning correctly.

My understanding (which could be off) is that after turning off all filters and powerheads, basically vacuum the sand by keeping the head of the vacuum just above the sand, moving back and forth over the "grid?"

So I don't actually go into the sand like I did when I had gravel?

Thanks, DL

You got it right.

I suck it out , say 20-40% a time taking off the top and keeping it moving and flowing, then I go outside and use a water wand in the bucket floating all the gook away and add it back. I have a rotating stock in a bucket as to not have to haul it out and clean the sand everytime at the same time as the water change. But to make life simple I clean it some other time and dry it. Then I have clean and dry ready to go by the next change to replace what I remove.

This method removes the crud from your tank. Lets you clean it outside your tank then return it clean to the system as opposed to cleaning it in your tank and further fouling the water. It is actually much faster and simpler than slowly siphoning like gravel and as I actually have several buckets of dry ready to go, that way I can reduce my workload and spread things out some.

Tinman, that sounds like a lot of work. I don't know if I'm visualizing it correctly, but wouldn't that process risk sudden temperature changes?

I use the regular old gravel vacuum siphon, and just keep one finger on the tubing in a way that creates a kink - so I can regulate the amount of suction produced. I can get around plants and make sure that I'm not sucking up fish or shrimp - or substrate.

I usually use a Wet/Dry Shop-Vac Pump with a PVC attachment to clean any debris that's on top of the sand. I also sometimes stir the sand with a PVC rake attachment that I made.

Stirring the sand will keep gas pockets from forming and get at any buried debris. I don't rake all my tanks with sand though, just the ones where the sand depth is 1+ inches.

The sand and guck that gets sucked up through the shop-vac gets strained out and then thrown into the garbage. I usually only lose about a handful of sand each month.

Otherwise, I just use a Python. There is a strainer in my sink to catch any sand or debris to keep it from going down the drain.


I do like Tinmans method alot.

You are right on a small tank Mark but I exchange my tanks water so fast that a small amount of sand has no effect on 1200 plus gallons and I do siphon off top water and fill the bucket,then drain that water when I add the sand to temper it some and keep it from floating.I keep less than 1/2" to 2" over approximently 35 square feet of bottom as half or more of my tanks are still substrate free. I have approx 75 -135 pounds in my tanks at any given point with 50 pounds "on standby". I also only have sand on part of the bottom as high flow rates moves it around like sand dunes.
My smaller tank I remove it for weeks until almost none is left then add it back with a water change, tempering it with the cleaner water I siphon off the tank. Good Point Mark, I forget how to handle baby tanks sometimes. Still removing it as oppposed to cleaning it inside the tank is better fer the fish IMHO

Thanks CK.

Use the gravel vac to get down deeper into the substrate until the plant roots are holding it together. Then do not disturb the plant roots. Plant roots have some oxygen exchange, and can actually add O2 to the root zone, so the chance of anaerobic pockets forming in a well planted tank is less.
As stated above be ready to slow or stop the flow when the large part of the GV gets too much substrate in it.
In a larger tank you might deep vacuum 1/2 or 1/3 weekly, and skim the rest.

Interesting--just to make sure I understand--it is okay with the vac or a rake to stir up the sand? The reason I ask is--in my sw tanks, this is a giant no no and crashes the tank.

Tin, I have to admit I'm a lttle slow today, so not sure what to make of your thoughts--specifically, do they apply to a tank my size (75 gallons with probably 1 1/2 " of sand).
Thanks all for the input.

Tinman wrote:You are right on a small tank Mark but I exchange my tanks water so fast that a small amount of sand has no effect on 1200 plus gallons and I do siphon off top water and fill the bucket,then drain that water when I add the sand to temper it some and keep it from floating.I keep less than 1/2" to 2" over approximently 35 square feet of bottom as half or more of my tanks are still substrate free. I have approx 75 -135 pounds in my tanks at any given point with 50 pounds "on standby". I also only have sand on part of the bottom as high flow rates moves it around like sand dunes.
My smaller tank I remove it for weeks until almost none is left then add it back with a water change, tempering it with the cleaner water I siphon off the tank. Good Point Mark, I forget how to handle baby tanks sometimes. Still removing it as oppposed to cleaning it inside the tank is better fer the fish IMHO

Thanks CK.

I presume you don't have plants actually rooted in the substrate, then? Or am I still missing something?

And how do you cope with most loaches' tendency to wig out when the decor changes?

In a freshwater tank it is better to disturb the sand. Anaerobic areas can develop which are bad in a freshwater tank. If I understand, a marine set up makes use of anaebobic bacteria to denitrify. While the concept is valid (there are also fresh water anaerobes that will denitrify) the side effects are toxic to the fish, so anaerobic areas are discouraged in fresh water tanks.