Q&A for How to Clean a Fish Tank With Sand

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Can I vacuum the sand at the bottom of my tank?

Aaron Bernard
Fish & Aquarium Specialist
Aaron Bernard is an Aquarium Specialist and the Owner of Limited Edition Corals in Phoenix, Arizona. With over ten years of experience, Aaron specializes in aquarium maintenance, custom design, manufacture, installation, and moving. Aaron holds a BS in Biochemistry from Arizona State University, where he studied the effects of climate change on coral reefs and began to propagate his corals.

Aaron Bernard

Fish & Aquarium Specialist

Expert Answer

You shouldn't vacuum the sand, as this could cause unhealthy bacteria and nitrates to be released into the water.

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Question

Would the fish eat the snails?

Community Answer

It depends on what breed of fish you have. African Dwarf Frogs are able to eat a few small-sized snails, and Betta fish (more territorial/aggressive types of fish like Flower Horns) may think you're feeding them a snack.

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Question

I have two Axolotl and very fine sand in my aquarium. Will the gravel siphon work for that, too?

Community Answer

No. The sand will suck through, and you'll have a bucket of sand. I'd recommend moving the sand with your hand (one day a week will help prevent toxic gas buildup). You can use a syphon, but it does need to be at leas 3" above the top of the sand.

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Can I use all kind of plants for my fish tank?

Community Answer

You can use both live or 'fake' plants depending on the other details of your tank. You will want to consider what plants work well with your fish. You will also want to consider the requirements of the plants in terms of care and cleaning.

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What if I have live plants in the tank?

Grace Brown

Community Answer

You could either take them out or siphon around them.

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Question

My tank is sand and pebbles for a turtle, and it got nasty. What can I do to keep it cleaner? Seems like the filter don't handle the job well.

Community Answer

Take out the sand and pebbles. Buy a water vacuum so you don't have to let the filters do all the work.

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How can I get the sand out of the bottom of tank?

Community Answer

You should not need to remove the sand from your tank. Most weekly or bi-weekly cleanings will simply require that you siphon off the dirty sand, leaving most of the substrate behind. If you would like to replace the sand it is better to do that on a schedule and on a partial basis.

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Question

I've got fine sand with substrate underneath for the plants roots, how would I go about siphoning it without disturbing the substrate at the bottom?

Community Answer

Try siphoning it an inch or so high to suck up the fish waste without moving the sand around.

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