Keeping aquarium sand clean - any good solutions?

[Art]

After so many years, trials and tribulations with algae, I feel confident that I can win most algae blooms. However, for the life of me, I can't keep my decorative white sand clean.

What started out nice and clean:

IMG_2450.jpeg

• Art
• Oct 20, 2024

Has turned into a dark gray mess that I'm at the point of removing completely:


Does anyone have any good tips, recommendations or solutions for this dilemma? Happy to commiserate also!

Thank you!

 

[Koan]

Maybe try mystery snails?



Haven't tried them on sand yet.. or rather I did briefly try a few juveniles, which my pygmy loaches thought was just the coolest thing

But I have found the adults to be voracious, speedy, relatively adorable, very slow breeders and keep my farm tank spotless

 

[Kwyet]

I’m looking for a better solution too. The sand in my 125 gallon has also browned. You can’t really tell unless you dig down to the bottom and see how light that part is. I stir it up a lot during every water change to get a lot of the debris out, but the color doesn’t improve. I think Mystery Snails are cool, but I think my fish would pick on them. I’ve ordered a long 1-inch wide siphon to attach to the Python, hoping that will let me deep-clean it better, but I don’t think it’s going lighten the color back to the original.

 

[Phish Tank]

I solved it by switching to gravel. Not that helpful to you, but know that you aren't the only one that struggles with it.
I didn't realize how much the grungy sand was bothering me til I changed to gravel. Additionally I find thorough cleaning with my python much easier to do with gravel. With sand i was always worried about too much sand ending up going down the drain.

I like @Koan 's mystery snail idea, but mainly because the are so friggin fascinating and cute!

 

[Kwyet]

That’s what I did in the past, switched it all out for gravel. I think the sand is easier on the bellies of the catfish though, so I’m looking for a different solution this time around. If nothing else, I suppose down the road I can just switch the old sand out for new. Can you bleach sand, like a bit at a time, soak it in Prime and then put it back in?

 

[Art]

I suppose down the road I can just switch the old sand out for new

This was my first thought but it has proven difficult to execute. My bottom has tight areas that make getting a cup to scoop out very difficult. I can't use my Python for fear of clogging the plumbing.

If I don't find a natural, in-tank solution, I will need to find a large trash can and use the small hose idea to see if I can slowly suck out the sand that way...

 

[SingAlongWithTsing]

This was my first thought but it has proven difficult to execute. My bottom has tight areas that make getting a cup to scoop out very difficult. I can't use my Python for fear of clogging the plumbing.

If I don't find a natural, in-tank solution, I will need to find a large trash can and use the small hose idea to see if I can slowly suck out the sand that way...

might have to stick a filter between the pump and hose like this:


think he used a 50 micron filter in there

 

[Kwyet]

That looks interesting! I had to laugh though, that after all that he rinsed out the filter in the sink anyway.

 

[Koan]

My bottom has tight areas that make getting a cup to scoop out very difficult

If you cup scoop the bulk of it, a good shop vac will do the tight areas

 

[Pepere]

Keep an extra bag of sand…. Remove the dirty layer from time to time, and add new…

Once you have enough pulled out you can bleach it and then dechlorinate it…


Or you can go with BDBS that always looks good…

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

Having a thicker layer of sand definitely helps. When you siphon with the gravel vac, it stirs up the bottom layer where the “white” sand is and the dirty layer gets buried. When you are ready to do maintence again just repeat the process. You can top off if you need to but this works for me and I have a lot of cosmetic sand around my island

 

[Kwyet]

What do you do to keep from siphoning sand out? Is a longer, narrower tube going to help?

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

What do you do to keep from siphoning sand out? Is a longer, narrower tube going to help?

I have a 2” diameter Aqueon tube but I can’t remember the hose size attached, maybe 1/2”? Anyway is slow enough suction to disturb the sand but not fast enough to suck it right out. If you hold it long enough it will, but you push it down deep. Let it overturn in the tub and pull back and it’ll release. Some sand gets through but you can easily control how much actually gets siphoned out, the plume of detritus that leaves is very satisfying.

 

[Kwyet]

I have a 2” diameter Aqueon tube but I can’t remember the hose size attached, maybe 1/2”? Anyway is slow enough suction to disturb the sand but not fast enough to suck it right out. If you hold it long enough it will, but you push it down deep. Let it overturn in the tub and pull back and it’ll release. Some sand gets through but you can easily control how much actually gets siphoned out, the plume of detritus that leaves is very satisfying.

Thanks! I’m going to experiment with that.

 

[Art]

If you cup scoop the bulk of it, a good shop vac will do the tight areas

This was what I was thinking too. The effectiveness was much less than what I expected. That, and my SAE's taking turns charging at my hand. Never got to the shop vac stage.

Will have a re-think on this when I get home. Anniversary weekend away at the moment.

 

[Art]

Keep an extra bag of sand…. Remove the dirty layer from time to time, and add new…

Once you have enough pulled out you can bleach it and then dechlorinate it…


Or you can go with BDBS that always looks good…

Yes, I think this is what most people have recommended over the years and it works well depending on your setup. For me, it doesn't because of the difficulty in remove the dirty layer.

BDBS is certainly an option but I think I'm done with decorative substrate. Likely going to go bare-bottom.

Having a thicker layer of sand definitely helps. When you siphon with the gravel vac, it stirs up the bottom layer where the “white” sand is and the dirty layer gets buried. When you are ready to do maintence again just repeat the process. You can top off if you need to but this works for me and I have a lot of cosmetic sand around my island

Yes, this works well, also. I didn't want a deep layer for my cosmetic sand because I thought it would be easier to maintain. Easier to clean via vac, etc.

The reality is that the sand gets algae on it and, along with the natural detritus, turns it an ugly brown color. Siphoning will not clean that. Really, it needs to be bleached or replaced.

Too much work for the time I have available and my current level of desire.

 

[Pepere]

BDBS is certainly an option but I think I'm done with decorative substrate. Likely going to go bare bottom.

I tried bare bottom once. It never stays bare for long…. Constantly having to vacuum up bits of crud…. I didnt keep it long…

BDBS has been the least amount of work of anything I have tried. At least it has been since I made sure to put anything underneath it in mesh bags so it doesnt get pulled up when uprooting plants and have to then meticulously pull stuff off the surface…

Black is the only color that Algae is mostly not visible on…

 

[Pepere]

Too much work for the time I have available and my current level of desire.

You could of course just have a nice photograph of an aquarium…. Then you only have to dust it….

 

[Kwyet]

I’m going to try a paint strainer in the sink, and using the long Python siphon. I won’t be able to reach everywhere, and it won’t take care of the staining of the sand, but if it works for cleaning and I stay on it then that’ll be good enough for now.

 

[Pepere]

I’m going to try a paint strainer in the sink, and using the long Python siphon. I won’t be able to reach everywhere, and it won’t take care of the staining of the sand, but if it works for cleaning and I stay on it then that’ll be good enough for now.

I should think if you simply place a siphon in to a bucket and vacuum up the sand the sand will mostly settle in the bottom of the bucket…. You can pour off a fair amount of the water and continue vacuuming…