Overturning sand

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
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NCStateFisher

Polypterus
MFK Member
Sep 27, 2010
3,814
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NC
So a few months back I started getting brown algae buildups in my 75, i do 50% Wcs and nitrates always came out around 15-20. Reduced lighting, lowered stock, adding more filter pads, adding phosphate removers, the works. Well it kept coming and coming. And then I realized that I had never overturned my sand after reading a post about it. This may sound stupid but I had never even thought of it honestly. So I'm currently taking everything out, and overturned the sand. Brown tank, eureka. My media is in a bucket with a dirty sponge and airstone and my stock is in a tote with all my plants (which i'm very happy with the growth of their root systems) but as i drain the last bits of brown water out and prepare to re-fill the tank, I have to ask. How do you all keep your sand overturned without having to go through this kind of hellacious ordeal? Are there any alternatives to geophagus? Please share your experiences with maintenence on sand bottom tanks. I'm just glad I found the source of my issues at this point. Thanks.
 
Would like to know as well, have sand, kinda tired of it.. maybe if i understood how to clean it a little more, it could prevent me from switching to fine gravel..
 
tellin you man it was hell... im getting close to being finished it took over 2 hours and im still scraping the brown algae off of my driftwood to try and reduce the chance of a repeat lol.. dunno why im putting in so much effort the 75 is soon to be the Flowerhorn's tank anyways >_<
 
I clean my sand with a gravel vac the same as I used to with gravel with every WC but I have no live plants to worry about.
 
Do regular gravel vac, but do not let the sand raise as high as normal gravel would.
 
Spiritofthesoul;5119055; said:
Do regular gravel vac, but do not let the sand raise as high as normal gravel would.
Click to expand...

That's what I do....When the sand gets to the top, I put my thumb over the end of the hose. The smaller particles stay suspended while the sand sinks back down.
 
never woulda guessed just regular gravel vaccing, thought that was one of the benefits of sand lol, but ill definitely try it as my tank finally looks crisp and clean again after cleaning it for close to 4 hours... >_<
 
Piscine;5119084; said:
That's what I do....When the sand gets to the top, I put my thumb over the end of the hose. The smaller particles stay suspended while the sand sinks back down.
Click to expand...
If you tip it 45 degrees the sand comes out the bottom quicker and the mess goes uo because it's lighter.
 
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