Vaccum your tank

[phatcatty]

What is the best method or products used to vaccum your tank (sand )? For those of you that do this are you also removing water at the same time?

[Scott Riemer]

What is the best method or products used to vaccum your tank (sand )? For those of you that do this are you also removing water at the same time?

Occasionally while doing a water change, I'll carefully siphon some of the top layer of sand. I try not to actually remove sand but let it fall back out of the siphon.

[jejenkins]

When doing WC on my BC14 I shut down the pumps, hang a HOT Magnum filter on the tank with the micron filter in it. Then use a turkey baster to blow off rocks and then use the tip to "stir" the top layer and the dertius gets kicked up and sucked into the HOT filter. BTW, this worked well for cyano too, as I would suck up the cyano and then squirt it into the intake of the filter. Made it quick and easy.

[phatcatty]

I also use a turkey baster however the mechanical filteration of my tank (stock 24g dx) IMO is sub par at best . Much of what I stir up just settles back down to the sand. I was looking into adding a supplemental filter such as the Hot Magnum filter or possible a internal filter (this would also add some flow). I have added a koralia nano, which is nice for added current but doesn't help with removing debris. Most of the internal filters I've looked at are fairly cheap (Duetto's, Fluval ect). Do you think that would be sufficent or would the extra money for something like the Hot Magnum be the better choice?

[Scott Riemer]

I wouldn't use a traditional "canister" filter if that's what you're referring to.

 

Using a HOT filter while doing water changes like jejenkins mentioned would be a better choice, IMO.

[WhiteShark]

Black and Decker wet/dry vac works very well.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kidding DO NOT do this...

[IMaNoob]

just use the turkey baster right before a water change. wont get it all, but better than nothing....