When you buy new aquarium sand or gravel it is highly recommended that you rinse it first, unless it is live sand for your reef. Even if it says it was pre-washed, it will still carry some dirt which can cause a cloudy mess in your water. However, even afteryou get it in the aquarium it’s not over, the substrate will accumulate detritus, decomposing organics and more. So here are a few tips on how to clean sand or gravel to keepa pristine aquarium.
How to clean new substrate:
Cut the bag of sand open and fill a 5 gallon bucket about 1/3 full with sand. Place the bucket under the faucet and turn it on full so that it vigorously jets into the sand. Move your fingers through the sand, stirring it and lifting into the water jet as you do so. When the bucket is full, turn off the water, run your fingers through the sand some more, then pour the dirty water away (being careful not to pour the sand down the drain) and repeat. It may take 10 or more goes until the water remains clear. Pour the clean sand into the bare, new tank, and fill the bucket with the second third of sand. Repeat, and repeat again with the last third. You may also do this process outside with a garden hose. If you are rinsing sand for a reed tank I recommend doing your final rinse with RODI water.
Cleaning substrate in an established aquarium:
One of the most trusted methods is to use agravel cleaner like an Aquaeon Siphon Vacuum or Python Pro-Clean to siphon out detritusinto a bucket. You may also use a larger system such asan Aqueon Water Changer or Python No Spill Clean and Fillwhich connects to your faucet to siphon the water. Once a siphon is achieved, hover the wide open end of the vacuum over the substrate so that it travels a few inches up the tube and releases the detritus from within it. Slowly move the vacuum upwards and gravity should drop the sand or gravel back down, otherwise the flow may be controlled by simply pinching the soft tubing; the detritus should be all that ends up in the bucket. Repeat this, moving the gravel vacuum back to front, left to right, until a sufficient amount of the substrate has been cleaned.
If you don’t have a gravel vacuum, routinely run your fingers, a plastic rod, or a JBJ Aquascraper 4-in-1 Cleaning Kitthrough the gravel to dislodge debris. Let the filter remove the dirt from the water via mechanical filtration, then clean the filter or swap filter socks to export the dirt and nutrients from your system.
Lastly, use livestock to help clean the substrate. For freshwater use Corydoras catfish, Loaches or Geophagus cichlids to sift the substrate for food, cleaning it as they do so. Tanks containing Corydoras always have cleaner substrates. For nano freshwater tanks, shrimp do a great job. For a reef cleanup crewuse Nassarius snails, sand sifting starfish, fighting conchs, or sand sifting gobies to clean the sand.
FAQs
Clean sand thoroughly before you place it in the aquarium. New sand can turn the water cloudy, so rinse in a bucket for adding it. Use a thin layer. Sandbeds over 2.5cm deep are more prone to compacting and turning anaerobic.
Do you need to wash sand before an aquarium? ›
Clean sand thoroughly before you place it in the aquarium. New sand can turn the water cloudy, so rinse in a bucket for adding it. Use a thin layer. Sandbeds over 2.5cm deep are more prone to compacting and turning anaerobic.
Can you clean fish tank gravel with vinegar? ›
These work by sucking up the gravel and thereby removing any debris and algae, while a filter prevents the gravel itself from actually getting sucked up. Avoid using bleach or vinegar at all costs, as mentioned above, and be sure that you don't remove any more than 50 percent of the water in your tank.
Should you wash gravel before putting in fish tank? ›
Yes, you should remove the gravel from the bag and place it in a clean bucket. Run water over the gravel several times to remove any dust that may be on it. Then hold the gravel in place and empty the water from the bucket. A household colander can help speed the process.
Does bacteria grow on aquarium sand? ›
Beneficial bacteria can easier settle on it- if your freshwater tank is fully cycled, the bacteria colonization will be more effective on sandy substrates than gravel ones.
What do you clean a fish tank with before use? ›
You should simply clean the aquarium with hot water. If you wish, you can mix some non-iodized salt in the water you are using to clean the tank. You may want to use a clean razor blade to scrape off any algae or calcium clusters which you can't remove from the glass with water alone.
Is aquarium sand hard to maintain? ›
Sand is an aesthetically pleasing, affordable and practical substrate. It's especially useful when you've got bottom-feeding or burrowing inhabitants in your tank. And, contrary to popular belief, cleaning aquarium sand isn't difficult. All you need is a gravel siphon, and you're good to go.
Can you use sand from the beach in an aquarium? ›
Yes, BUT, you must absolutely wash in fresh water to remove all the salt in it (NO SOAP) and sterilize it with bleach and tripple rinse it in fresh water again (three times). If you don't wash and sterilize it, you risk killing your fish with contamination.
How to remove algae from sand in an aquarium? ›
Green algae are photosynthetic and need light to grow and take time to grow. If you turn the sand over regularly, any algae that grow will become buried and be starved of light. Nassarius snails and Sand-sifting gobies can really help in this case or just physically stir the sand over on a weekly basis with a siphon.
How do I get rid of fish poop in my tank? ›
Vacuum the Gravel Fish feces, shed scales, uneaten food, dead bits of plants, and other debris will settle to the bottom of your tank. Vacuuming the gravel every week will remove much of this debris and refresh the tank, brightening the gravel and keeping the tank healthier.
If you're trying to keep boundaries between gravel and sand, the best way I've found is a mesh net to scoop up the gravel and sand and then shaking it out like you're panning for gold.
How do you purify water with sand and gravel? ›
Cover the gravel with a fine cloth and fill the container with washed, coarse sand to about 10cm below the tap. Cover the sand with a second fine cloth. Make a cover for the container, with a hole in it to pour water through. Cover the hole when not in use to stop insects entering the filter.
How to clean dust from sand? ›
To rinse away unwanted particles, fill a bucket halfway with fresh water. Gradually stir your beach sand into the water, continue to mix it for a few minutes, then slowly dump out the water. Drain the water slowly to avoid pouring out too much sand with it.
