Removing detritus behind rocks without removing critters behind rocks?

[Tired]

I have some built-up detritus I'd like to remove. I don't currently have a fish in the tank, he's in QT, so I figure now is a great time to do that. I also have a lot of microfauna living in among the detritus, which I don't want to remove. Copepods, munnid isopods, and so on. I add clove oil to my removed water change water, to spare any sucked-up microfauna the trouble of dying in the tap water down the drain, but I want to keep as many as possible in the tank. 

 

Any tips? My current plan is to shut off all the pumps and use a turkey baster to stir up the sand and gunk behind the rocks. I figure the critters will all make their way back to the rockwork pretty quickly, whereas the detritus will probably stay out for longer. I thought about putting some sort of filter on the end of the siphon, but that seems like it'd catch the detritus just as much as the critters. 

[seabass]

1 hour ago, Tired said:

My current plan is to shut off all the pumps and use a turkey baster to stir up the sand and gunk behind the rocks. I figure the critters will all make their way back to the rockwork pretty quickly, whereas the detritus will probably stay out for longer.

Sounds good.  I think you could even leave your pumps on.

[Tired]

I might actually use the pump as the thing to stir up the detritus. Since it's not actually a pump, it's a canister filter, with no media inside. Adds a bit of extra water volume, and means I don't have to worry about if the vibrations of the pump are stressful for the critters. I could always just stick the outflow tube behind the rocks and stir everything up. I need to clean out the filter anyway; it's all lined with live sponges. 

 

Basically, I'm trying to do a big spring(ish) cleaning before my new little goby goes in the tank. I don't want to have to go messing around in there for awhile. He's going to have all sorts of snacks; the tank's been fallow for over two months, and all the microfauna is having a party.

[Toomanymatts]

6 hours ago, Tired said:

I have some built-up detritus I'd like to remove. I don't currently have a fish in the tank, he's in QT, so I figure now is a great time to do that. I also have a lot of microfauna living in among the detritus, which I don't want to remove. Copepods, munnid isopods, and so on. I add clove oil to my removed water change water, to spare any sucked-up microfauna the trouble of dying in the tap water down the drain, but I want to keep as many as possible in the tank. 

 

Any tips? My current plan is to shut off all the pumps and use a turkey baster to stir up the sand and gunk behind the rocks. I figure the critters will all make their way back to the rockwork pretty quickly, whereas the detritus will probably stay out for longer. I thought about putting some sort of filter on the end of the siphon, but that seems like it'd catch the detritus just as much as the critters. 

I use a small pump to add new water from the bucket.  I take the hose and blast down in hard to reach places to push the crud around a bit.  This is after the turkey baster does its' part.  I know its after I've removed water, but I figure it is better than nothing.