sebek18 Posted January 26, 2013 Report Share Posted January 26, 2013 Not really an emergency but since my nitrate and nitrite levels are still kinda high I am wondering how to properly clean sand substrate in my African Cichlid tank. I keep on vacuuming it but it seems no waste is being sucked up. I always had gravel and it seemed to suck all the poop and leftover food. Please help. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperGuppyGirl Posted January 26, 2013 Report Share Posted January 26, 2013 Check the filter/screen area where the hose meets the tube, amazing how this can clog quick without you realizing it. I vacuum my sand pretty much almost touching the top layer, you pick up some sand but get the poop. Since the sand I have tends to stay on the bottom of the bucket if you pour it carefully can put back in tank after. Other question are you using the standard size gravel vacuum or a smaller version ? Most tend to have an opening around 2" diameter. Just a quick few problems I have run into when I switched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayba Posted January 26, 2013 Report Share Posted January 26, 2013 (edited) If you have nitrite it sounds like a cycle problem. Your readings should be 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and some number for nitrate. This would indicate a fully cycled tank working properly. How long has the tank been running? I use a 50 foot clear hose I bought in bulk from Princess Auto with a 1/2 inch diameter. I then have slid it inside of 2.5 foot rigid clear lift tube to keep it straight and rigid. I hold it about an inch away from the sand and any dirt within a 3x3 inch area gets pulled in. When I deep clean the sand simply suck up a ton of sand, pinch off the hose to greatly reduce the flow and the dirt goes up and the sand falls out then move to a new spot. Water off into the toilet or down the floor drain. The end. Edited January 26, 2013 by Jayba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebek18 Posted January 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2013 Thanks for the replies. Tank has been basically running since December 15th. Ammonia is zero but nitrite and Nitrate levels are a little over 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Znaika Posted January 28, 2013 Report Share Posted January 28, 2013 Some (low) nitrite 6 weeks after the tank start is a bit on slow side of things, but is not completely unusual. What filter and filter media do you have and did you tamper with it since Dec 15? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orion Posted January 28, 2013 Report Share Posted January 28, 2013 If you're concerned with nitrite and your fish can handle it, add a tiny bit of salt (1 tsp of salt provides enough chloride to inhibit nitrite uptake in fish hemoglobin for ~200 gallons). Not actually sure what the natural concentration of chloride is in Edmonton, might even be enough (looking for about 5ppm). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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