View Single Post
  #10  
Old 03-19-2014, 10:58 PM
Myka's Avatar
Myka Myka is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Saskatoon, SK.
Posts: 11,268
Myka will become famous soon enough
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aquattro View Post
Ok, so according to the highly controversial poll on vacuuming sand, we have almost 2 to 1 in favour of it.

So question - How is it done in your tank? Siphon? In tank vacuum? Spatula?
I use a gravel vacuum and vacuum all the sand to its full depth on all waterchanges. The sand is only 1/2" deep.

If your sand is more than 1/2" deep and you do not regularly vacuum it you do risk exposing black anaerobic areas and releasing hydrogen sulphide. So if you haven't vacuumed, but you want to, you have to start slowly by only going through the top 1/2" of the sand, and continually going a bit deeper on each waterchange. I've had tanks with up to 6" sand beds that I vacuumed to their full depth, but it was done regularly and no anaerobic areas were allowed to form.
__________________
~ Mindy

SPS fanatic.

Reply With Quote