*Do you have any tips for cleaning sand?* Comment below to share your experiences, and subscribe if you want to see more videos like this! goo.gl/4q2idY
@@Thomas-nc9fz Yes! I've seen tanks like that where the filters are strong enough to suck up detritus that gets stirred up by the animals. So far I haven't run a high current tank but I'd love to try one someday!
@@GirlTalksFish I'm so glad I found this! I was stressing about switching from gravel to sand cause I'm getting loaches. So imagination petco black sand is fine for khuli loaches? Prime time aquatics also said you can rake through the sand with your fingers to remove any debri underneath. :)
Thanks for this, I’ve sand subtrait and had no idea of the dangers untill I checked out how to clean it, and I panicked until I saw this video, phew what a relief my little tetras won’t get poisoned to death you’re a star
I've been thinking of changing to sand for about a year, but, yeah, been a little worried about exactly this! So pleased to have found this, and you! Really great advice, thank you, fish shopping here I go again! 😍
Thank you so much for this. After 25 years of using gravel, I finally had an issue with color bleeding, and had to remove it. My betta is in quarantine healing nicely from popeye. I am taking the time to add sand to the bottom instead of going bare bottom. The water is just now settled and clear, continuing to cycle with my old filter cartridge and I will be using some of his old plants (all artificial) that are soft enough. Not sure if it had something to do with water quality, or damage so covering all the bases. I have been scared to death to attempt a partial water change for fear of stirring up the sand. I use the petco brand sand, so even more helpful!
Awww, thank you so much! I'm so honored to have you as one of my regular viewers. Definitely let me know if there are any topics you'd like to see me cover in the future. :)
Place a small fish net at the bottom of the siphon, it will decrease the amount of sand you pull up, and also eliminate any babies from getting sucked into the tube. that way you don't have to be on high alert looking for babies and also sometimes you just want to siphon water you're not worrying about gravel vacuum and you can just leave it in there if you use a little clamp for the top of the net onto the hose. If you position the hose just at the right height then you don't even have to watch it.
Oh that's a great idea! I forgot about putting a mesh on for cleaning tanks with babies. My problem is finding the right size mesh where it can still suck up detritus but not baby shrimp... 😅
Thank goodness for this video. I recently had to replace my old substrate and chose fine, dark sand and completely lacked the research or knowledge I actually needed! Now I have a cloudy tank, and need to make sure I know how to clean it properly!
2 other techniques to use. 1. Buy a cheap valve throw it on the siphon tube and then u can manually control the water flow rate, this works great for finer sands. 2. Just suck up the water into a bucket and just re-add the sand back into the tank after you dump the water off😬. If you have shrimp dump the water through a net to catch any shrimp u may have sucked up. I combined these 2 techniques for my old brackish tank that had very fine aragonite sand. I had a 25foot tube outlet set into the bucket and it overflowed into my tub, and the sand settled at the bottom of the bucket.
*Holy cow, this is genius!* I have never thought of adding a valve for a siphon tube to permanently lessen the flow. Most innovative thing for fish keeping that I've heard about in a while!
This is super helpful. I'm about to switch from gravel to sand because I don't like the look of gravel and never have. Ive just recently gotten a huge tank along with a huge fish so I'm doing my best to do what's best for my fish.
I know I’m 4 years late on this, but the black diamond blasting sand at tractor supply is cheap ($10 for 50lbs), it looks great also. The worst part of it is you have to clean it real good before using it. Been using it in my turtle tank for over a year and still looks great.
I heard about it too but I'm not sure how it would be for Kuhli loaches. They are sensitive to substrate being too rough. (I'm not saying it isn't for them, I honestly don't know and I'm a newbie)
Love your videos! They are much appreciated. Your tank cycle experiments, specifically the part where 4ppm of ammonia being processed is a tall order, saved me so much time and frustration! Thank you!
It took me a lot of practice to get the hang of not losing my sand when cleaning out. I now have mostly 'bottomless tanks' although I am going to be switching back again in the future to sand. And I must agree your black ssnd and matching background makes those fish pop! Looks great! Really enjoyed your video as always! Take care! 🐡💙🌟🌈
@@GirlTalksFish I like your idea of putting a kink in the siphon pipe, and always found that helps slow down the water flow and strength, so you don't lose a great deal of the finer sand. I also found placing a fish net on the pipe catches any escaping substrate quite nicely too! Practice sure does make perfect when it comes to it! 😁👍
Thx for making this video. It seems that you are making all the videos i am searching for on youtube,it seems that you read in my mind😂 Keep up the good work👍
I squeeze the tube to temporarily stop the suction to let the sand fall back. I also do this to generally get a weaker suction cause it’s way too strong sometimes.
I put two 50 pound bags of pool sand in there. Some areas are more than 3" thick, and I'm letting the fish and filters move the sand around for now. I need to learn how to clean the sand. Should I remove some of the sand because its too thick? right now I have a brand new tank with 10 fish in it - its a 75 gallon tank.
This video is just at the right time! I'm adding sand into my aquarium for the first time, and I was looking up videos on how to clean it(was a bit scared because i heard it was hard to clean/captures gases!)- yours was the most helpful! Now i can prevent the sand getting dirty + it holding gases ! Thank you! :D ( haha the shrimp... 3:58 x)
I use a little aquarium salt, can this be used on plants safely? It's barely 1/2 tsp per gallon. Also I love that I use gladware containers for plants. And could I maybe use that filter sponge at the mouth of the vacuum to keep the sand out?
I just realized last night that my biggest problem when vacuuming the sand in my tank is that a bunch of my shrimp DO NOT CARE about moving away from the vacuum unless I literally push them away so I have to stop it when they get sucked in. Luckily, it's usually relatively large ones and not those tiniest babies that I could miss.
I always thought having fish would mean a quiet pet in my bedroom. Little did I know my khuli loaches would be throwing all my gravel around and making as much noise as they can while I sleep haha 😂
Of course some tanks it’s not desirable to have a decent amount of water flow but the combination of sand and sufficient water movement makes for substrate that may not even need to be vacuumed.
Hi thanks for the video! Can you share what is the reddish green plant you have on the far left corner of your tank at 5:40 mark, and again the close up at 5:55 mark? I have the same plant but I don’t know what it is called!! Thanks so much!
I wondered this too because she has Kuhli loaches but the link she provided, I thought the sand looked kind of sharp? Idk I mean it is still sand. I was considering carib sea super naturals river peace because it is a heavier sand but I would prefer a dark color. I wonder if up close if it looks like the Petco one she suggested.
Personally I wonder how people with heavily planted tanks keep it clean. What if food/fish poop gets into/under the more dense plant growth? Also do you recommend removing fish for deep cleanings and then returning them to their now clean homes?
I actually have a long, skinnier siphon ( amzn.to/2LwvYUU ) that I like using for poking in heavily planted tanks. For really dense foliage, some people even use airline tubing tied to a chopstick or something. And other people just leave the detritus as organic material for the plants to consume, but I haven't really tried that method yet. I personally never remove my fish during cleanings because I think I'd stress out my fish more by chasing them around a tank with a net and putting them in an unfamiliar holding area. 😅
I have a question. Do you have to remove all the water to place sand, it’s just recently did a water change and am planning to buy sand and part of me doesn’t want to waste a lot of water in a short amount of time
@agamerswife thank you so much for taking the time to make these videos every week! Im sure juggling life family and youchube can be very tough. Just wanted to thank you for the amazing, basically free content you provide for us fish nerds. The videography & quality of the video is top notch and your voice is so melodious 🎶☺️. If time would allow it a pod cast? Maybe have you and the hubby talk about the hobby together. Or just whatever you guys wanna talk about. Any content is from you good content! Keep up the awesome work!!
Thank you so much! I put a root tab directly under every major group of plants, and then maybe every 4-5 inches for carpeting plants. I just look to see when my plants stop making new leaves as often and go, "Oh yeah, looks like it's about time." Seachem's website recommends every 3-4 months, but I might have to go more often for heavy root feeders.
Omg thank you so much for this!! I definitely will be getting a larger siphon and had no idea that it was my mini siphon that was the problem sucking up all my sand haha 😅😅 my fish thank you ☺️
Hi, your tank looks really lovely! Just a quick question regarding the sand particle size. Is the size similar to black diamond blasting sand 12/40 grit? thanks~
Thank you so much! Haha, I don't know - who else likes that phrase? I say it because I had a friend with the last name "Pease" and we used that phrase around him a lot.
I kinda regret going with regular pool filter sand cause it was cheap as hell just cause it's not black and the fish waste is just constantly on display. I also have this issue with some of the fish poop, i think it comes from my like 7 or 8 inch common pleco, where his poop is just so dense my siphon wont pull it out, it stays down like the sand does. I'm still trying to work out a proper routine for it all
I love black sand. Wish my mother would've convinced me to change to natural brown. I had black in first. You're right it makes everything pop. I will be using it in my 10. Great information. I ended up getting the long python tube works great. Love your videos!❤🙂🥇
@@GirlTalksFish I just got some rummy noses, black kahului, loaches and reticulated hill stream. After they go through quarantine I'm going to put the smaller fish in the 10. And loaches, oranda and my fat patties will be left in the 20. I did get some amano shrimp too. But I'm worried that loaches will eat them. Something I don't know about.
@@wyomingadventures That sounds great! I would love to have hillstream loaches some day. No idea about the loaches vs. amano shrimp, but my amano shrimp got huge and didn't let anyone mess with them. ;)
Nice video. I installed a 4in substrate with a plenum in order to grow anoxic beneficial bacteria. The substrate does not get anaerobic ( no oxygen) due to plenum and the anoxic bacteria converts nitrate to nitrogen gas (n2) reducing or almost eliminating water changes. Inventor of the technique is Dr Kevin Novak...I created two videos in my channel in case you want to know more. Thanks for the video I always whatch my phone looking for one of you new videos. 👍
Very cool! I hadn't heard about plenums before and did some light reading about it. Sounds like it would be fun to experiment with. Glad that you're enjoying my videos; let me know if there any topics you'd like to see me cover!
Yes, for sure! I like to use a siphon, which is a relatively cheap tube attached to a hose. My favorite brand is Python (amzn.to/2l9DYza ) because the hose is very pliable and doesn't get twisted or kinked easily. If you'd like to learn how to use it, I have a video on how to clean my betta tank, but the same principles apply: th-cam.com/video/W3VV_c69CyQ/w-d-xo.html. I love my siphon; it's such a time saver and totally revolutionized my aquarium hobby. :)
Ooo, I actually don't know that answer, but check out the channel The Turtle Girl because she has some great videos about that: th-cam.com/video/8aHNVkb6AZQ/w-d-xo.html
Nice video! Anybody have any tips for siphoning sand that are soil caps? I put a mesh net on my siphon, but That does hinder its capability to suck out larger debris
Oh man, great question. I haven't had much luck with using mesh on my siphon for that very reason. All I can think of is to try a mesh with larger holes in it. Let me know what you find out!
I was looking for tips on how to get rid of these little Detritus worms that live in the substrate. My filter is not that strong. I will clear the whole tank and wash the substrate with salt water. If someone has tips on it let me know, thank you.
Sorry, I should've explained! They are fertilizer tablets or pills that you insert into the substrate of a planted tank to feed rooted plants. You typically only need them if you're using an inert substrate (like sand) that comes with no nutrients, or if your substrate's nutrients have all been used up and need refreshing. amzn.to/2Sirr95
Great question! I usually use a water test kit to determine the level of nitrates I get each week. I personally aim for 20 ppm or less, so that determines how often I do water changes and how much water I remove. :)
Hi, do you know why it’s unavailable on amazon the Petco brand black sand (on the link you gave there)? and I keep looking anywhere I just can’t find one and I can only find Flourite Black Sand.
Oh, it's Amazon frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum). I really enjoy the plant for its coin-like round leaves, ability to prevent algae by sucking up excess nutrients, how easy it is to remove if you don't want it anymore, and the long fluffy roots. Unfortunately the roots break off very easily, even accidentally during water changes, but totally worth trying, in my opinion!
I do believe hydrogen sulfite bubbles killed my fish and I had 2 inch deep sand. Everything was well for 15 months, then I disturbed a large substrate area and my fish all fell ill and died. They were my 3 favorite fish. Since then I poke my substrate all the time so bubbles would have absolutely no chance to accumulate and thereby reach toxic levels.
@@ArunG273 They would also mix my layer of fertilizer with my substrate so no thanks. I switched to coarser substrate instead that doesn't have this issue, except in my shrimp tank where I only keep a very thin layer.
*Do you have any tips for cleaning sand?* Comment below to share your experiences, and subscribe if you want to see more videos like this! goo.gl/4q2idY
@@Thomas-nc9fz Yes! I've seen tanks like that where the filters are strong enough to suck up detritus that gets stirred up by the animals. So far I haven't run a high current tank but I'd love to try one someday!
@@Thomas-nc9fz Yes! Total dream of mine. 😍
@@GirlTalksFish I'm so glad I found this! I was stressing about switching from gravel to sand cause I'm getting loaches. So imagination petco black sand is fine for khuli loaches? Prime time aquatics also said you can rake through the sand with your fingers to remove any debri underneath. :)
Are you using a pump siphon or powered?
When you first showed the siphon I thought you sucked up a whole fish... but it was a leaf
I was about to comment that lol
Same lol
I use that vac and clamp technique too! I learned it from one of Cory’s videos.
Haha, ditto on getting it from Aquarium Co-Op!
Same here
Thanks for this, I’ve sand subtrait and had no idea of the dangers untill I checked out how to clean it, and I panicked until I saw this video, phew what a relief my little tetras won’t get poisoned to death you’re a star
I've been thinking of changing to sand for about a year, but, yeah, been a little worried about exactly this! So pleased to have found this, and you! Really great advice, thank you, fish shopping here I go again! 😍
Thank you so much for this. After 25 years of using gravel, I finally had an issue with color bleeding, and had to remove it. My betta is in quarantine healing nicely from popeye. I am taking the time to add sand to the bottom instead of going bare bottom. The water is just now settled and clear, continuing to cycle with my old filter cartridge and I will be using some of his old plants (all artificial) that are soft enough. Not sure if it had something to do with water quality, or damage so covering all the bases. I have been scared to death to attempt a partial water change for fear of stirring up the sand. I use the petco brand sand, so even more helpful!
Wow! I just love you so much! Your info is always spot on and the videos are GREAT! You need millions of subs. You are amazing!
Awww, thank you so much! I'm so honored to have you as one of my regular viewers. Definitely let me know if there are any topics you'd like to see me cover in the future. :)
Your video is clean to watch. Simple. Straight to the point. Really good video. Keep up the good work!
Thanks! I was really unsure what I was going to use on my next tank. This video really helped.
Thank you, keep those videos coming!
Thank you so much! Best of luck with your new tank, and definitely let me know if there are any topics you'd like to see me cover in the future. :)
Place a small fish net at the bottom of the siphon, it will decrease the amount of sand you pull up, and also eliminate any babies from getting sucked into the tube. that way you don't have to be on high alert looking for babies and also sometimes you just want to siphon water you're not worrying about gravel vacuum and you can just leave it in there if you use a little clamp for the top of the net onto the hose. If you position the hose just at the right height then you don't even have to watch it.
Oh that's a great idea! I forgot about putting a mesh on for cleaning tanks with babies. My problem is finding the right size mesh where it can still suck up detritus but not baby shrimp... 😅
Thank goodness for this video. I recently had to replace my old substrate and chose fine, dark sand and completely lacked the research or knowledge I actually needed! Now I have a cloudy tank, and need to make sure I know how to clean it properly!
2 other techniques to use.
1. Buy a cheap valve throw it on the siphon tube and then u can manually control the water flow rate, this works great for finer sands.
2. Just suck up the water into a bucket and just re-add the sand back into the tank after you dump the water off😬. If you have shrimp dump the water through a net to catch any shrimp u may have sucked up.
I combined these 2 techniques for my old brackish tank that had very fine aragonite sand. I had a 25foot tube outlet set into the bucket and it overflowed into my tub, and the sand settled at the bottom of the bucket.
*Holy cow, this is genius!* I have never thought of adding a valve for a siphon tube to permanently lessen the flow. Most innovative thing for fish keeping that I've heard about in a while!
A Gamer's Wife I would love to take credit but some siphon vacuums are sold with them built in XD
@@probablynotabigtoe9407 Ohhhh, clever manufacturers!
Omg I thought she vacuumed gourami :)) had to rewind and watch again with my eyes wide open :))
your voice is like a slice of heaven
You explain and demonstrate the best, thank you
Vac vac, pinch...great tip. I love shrimp on black sand, that seems to be the substrate that really makes their color pop!
👍💕👍
Yes! It's my favorite, at least for red cherry shrimp. :)
This is super helpful. I'm about to switch from gravel to sand because I don't like the look of gravel and never have. Ive just recently gotten a huge tank along with a huge fish so I'm doing my best to do what's best for my fish.
I know I’m 4 years late on this, but the black diamond blasting sand at tractor supply is cheap ($10 for 50lbs), it looks great also. The worst part of it is you have to clean it real good before using it. Been using it in my turtle tank for over a year and still looks great.
I heard about it too but I'm not sure how it would be for Kuhli loaches. They are sensitive to substrate being too rough.
(I'm not saying it isn't for them, I honestly don't know and I'm a newbie)
Thanks! I’m using sand for the first time and this was so helpful
Love your videos! They are much appreciated. Your tank cycle experiments, specifically the part where 4ppm of ammonia being processed is a tall order, saved me so much time and frustration! Thank you!
It took me a lot of practice to get the hang of not losing my sand when cleaning out.
I now have mostly 'bottomless tanks' although I am going to be switching back again in the future to sand. And I must agree your black ssnd and matching background makes those fish pop! Looks great!
Really enjoyed your video as always! Take care! 🐡💙🌟🌈
Yay for black sand! Any tips to share with beginners on how you clean sand without sucking it all up?
@@GirlTalksFish I like your idea of putting a kink in the siphon pipe, and always found that helps slow down the water flow and strength, so you don't lose a great deal of the finer sand.
I also found placing a fish net on the pipe catches any escaping substrate quite nicely too! Practice sure does make perfect when it comes to it! 😁👍
I love listening to your videos! Well done
Thank you so much! I always feel so honored to see your comments on my videos; they totally make my day.
@@GirlTalksFish That's so kind of you! I really appreciate it
Thanks! Just bought some sand, calmed my worries about it. I'll have to get a cheap filter cover though, lol.
Thx for making this video.
It seems that you are making all the videos i am searching for on youtube,it seems that you read in my mind😂
Keep up the good work👍
I squeeze the tube to temporarily stop the suction to let the sand fall back. I also do this to generally get a weaker suction cause it’s way too strong sometimes.
Cool I maybe I’ll get the siphon and the sand
thank you so much! this was very helpful
I put two 50 pound bags of pool sand in there. Some areas are more than 3" thick, and I'm letting the fish and filters move the sand around for now. I need to learn how to clean the sand. Should I remove some of the sand because its too thick? right now I have a brand new tank with 10 fish in it - its a 75 gallon tank.
How often should I clean my tank? I was thinking of getting a 10 or 15 gallon tank for a betta and perhaps 6 ember tetra.
I loved all your aquarium setups, would love to share my 10 gallon with you
That pinch technique works with pea puffers as well.
I can imagine - they're such curious creatures!
Rachael O'Learys vid "Why Haven't I Had this for Years!!" Great little product... thanks great vid here.
This video is just at the right time! I'm adding sand into my aquarium for the first time, and I was looking up videos on how to clean it(was a bit scared because i heard it was hard to clean/captures gases!)- yours was the most helpful! Now i can prevent the sand getting dirty + it holding gases ! Thank you! :D
( haha the shrimp... 3:58 x)
I'm so glad I could help!
Thanks again for another great video. Keep them coming. Cheers.
My pleasure! Always feels good when I can quickly turnaround a video that people are asking for in the comments. :)
Just the information I was looking for, thanks!
I use a little aquarium salt, can this be used on plants safely? It's barely 1/2 tsp per gallon.
Also I love that I use gladware containers for plants. And could I maybe use that filter sponge at the mouth of the vacuum to keep the sand out?
I just realized last night that my biggest problem when vacuuming the sand in my tank is that a bunch of my shrimp DO NOT CARE about moving away from the vacuum unless I literally push them away so I have to stop it when they get sucked in. Luckily, it's usually relatively large ones and not those tiniest babies that I could miss.
I always thought having fish would mean a quiet pet in my bedroom. Little did I know my khuli loaches would be throwing all my gravel around and making as much noise as they can while I sleep haha 😂
Of course some tanks it’s not desirable to have a decent amount of water flow but the combination of sand and sufficient water movement makes for substrate that may not even need to be vacuumed.
Hi thanks for the video! Can you share what is the reddish green plant you have on the far left corner of your tank at 5:40 mark, and again the close up at 5:55 mark? I have the same plant but I don’t know what it is called!! Thanks so much!
Would this heavier sand be okay for an axolotl tank? Or is there risk of impaction with it? Thanks so much for all of your videos!
Thank you
Do Corydoras do ok on the Petco sand? I would like to get some corys and looking for something smooth that won't hurt their barbels.
I wondered this too because she has Kuhli loaches but the link she provided, I thought the sand looked kind of sharp? Idk
I mean it is still sand.
I was considering carib sea super naturals river peace because it is a heavier sand but I would prefer a dark color. I wonder if up close if it looks like the Petco one she suggested.
Thanks
Personally I wonder how people with heavily planted tanks keep it clean. What if food/fish poop gets into/under the more dense plant growth?
Also do you recommend removing fish for deep cleanings and then returning them to their now clean homes?
I actually have a long, skinnier siphon ( amzn.to/2LwvYUU ) that I like using for poking in heavily planted tanks. For really dense foliage, some people even use airline tubing tied to a chopstick or something. And other people just leave the detritus as organic material for the plants to consume, but I haven't really tried that method yet. I personally never remove my fish during cleanings because I think I'd stress out my fish more by chasing them around a tank with a net and putting them in an unfamiliar holding area. 😅
@@GirlTalksFish thanks 💖🧝♀️☯️🌈🌟
Thanks 🌈☯️🧝♀️💖
I have a question.
Do you have to remove all the water to place sand, it’s just recently did a water change and am planning to buy sand and part of me doesn’t want to waste a lot of water in a short amount of time
Great video!!
Thank you so much!
Can you use coarse sand for pygmy corydoras or will it hurt their barbells?
Thank you! Super helpful
@agamerswife thank you so much for taking the time to make these videos every week! Im sure juggling life family and youchube can be very tough. Just wanted to thank you for the amazing, basically free content you provide for us fish nerds. The videography & quality of the video is top notch and your voice is so melodious 🎶☺️.
If time would allow it a pod cast? Maybe have you and the hubby talk about the hobby together. Or just whatever you guys wanna talk about. Any content is from you good content! Keep up the awesome work!!
Thank you so much! Hah, a podcast with my hubby would be so much fun. He's such a character but he doesn't show up on my videos very much.
That 20g is looking so good! How many root tabs and how often?
Thank you so much! I put a root tab directly under every major group of plants, and then maybe every 4-5 inches for carpeting plants. I just look to see when my plants stop making new leaves as often and go, "Oh yeah, looks like it's about time." Seachem's website recommends every 3-4 months, but I might have to go more often for heavy root feeders.
It was really a good video and a treat for eyes to watch. I m ur 16 yrs old boy fan from INDIA 😁😂
Glad you enjoyed it!
Omg thank you so much for this!! I definitely will be getting a larger siphon and had no idea that it was my mini siphon that was the problem sucking up all my sand haha 😅😅 my fish thank you ☺️
Does you’re new setup still have fluorite sand and imagitarium sand or just imagitarium sand?
Hi, your tank looks really lovely! Just a quick question regarding the sand particle size. Is the size similar to black diamond blasting sand 12/40 grit? thanks~
You are the best!
Good basic tips video! I’m always sucking up a little sand. No big deal though.
Come on girl! I need these tips!!
You have a great channel. Keep it up👍
hey if u see this could u please link me the syphon/gravel vac ur using?
I just changed the gravel in my goldfish tank to play sand. Not sure how often I should clean it since you can see the poo
awesome vids
Nice and concise, good job!
Huh, easy peasy, who else says that a lot......hmm 🤨
Thanks
Thank you so much! Haha, I don't know - who else likes that phrase? I say it because I had a friend with the last name "Pease" and we used that phrase around him a lot.
Super
I really like your videos 😊
I g it the petco sand too o think I just us t need a taller syphon
I loved your video 😭♥️
Anyone know where/if you can get the Petco black sand in the UK? My black sand is small so this stuff looks like a nice compromise.
Does this apply the same for soil substrate (fluval)
Heyy it’s me again😂😂😇😇😍. Gr8 video . I had this quality, u solved it
Thank you so much for watching! Glad you enjoyed the video. :)
I enjoy all ur videos 👌🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻😇😍
I kinda regret going with regular pool filter sand cause it was cheap as hell just cause it's not black and the fish waste is just constantly on display. I also have this issue with some of the fish poop, i think it comes from my like 7 or 8 inch common pleco, where his poop is just so dense my siphon wont pull it out, it stays down like the sand does. I'm still trying to work out a proper routine for it all
I have sand straight from the beach is it okay for my aquarium and do I have to clean it before putting it in my tank?
I love black sand. Wish my mother would've convinced me to change to natural brown. I had black in first. You're right it makes everything pop. I will be using it in my 10. Great information. I ended up getting the long python tube works great. Love your videos!❤🙂🥇
So glad you enjoyed the video! Ooo, what kind of fish/animals do you think you'll keep in the 10-gallon?
@@GirlTalksFish I just got some rummy noses, black kahului, loaches and reticulated hill stream. After they go through quarantine I'm going to put the smaller fish in the 10. And loaches, oranda and my fat patties will be left in the 20. I did get some amano shrimp too. But I'm worried that loaches will eat them. Something I don't know about.
@@wyomingadventures That sounds great! I would love to have hillstream loaches some day. No idea about the loaches vs. amano shrimp, but my amano shrimp got huge and didn't let anyone mess with them. ;)
Tiny fry stress me out too!
Wish I'd watched your video before doing the new 10-gal in gravel! I'll have to experiment with the larger sand when V2 happens ;-)
If you have turtles get small particle sand. Just to let y'all know :) if they swallow bigger pieces than that it can really hurt their belly systems
Nice video. I installed a 4in substrate with a plenum in order to grow anoxic beneficial bacteria. The substrate does not get anaerobic ( no oxygen) due to plenum and the anoxic bacteria converts nitrate to nitrogen gas (n2) reducing or almost eliminating water changes. Inventor of the technique is Dr Kevin Novak...I created two videos in my channel in case you want to know more. Thanks for the video I always whatch my phone looking for one of you new videos. 👍
Very cool! I hadn't heard about plenums before and did some light reading about it. Sounds like it would be fun to experiment with. Glad that you're enjoying my videos; let me know if there any topics you'd like to see me cover!
Can I know what was that tool you used to suck up the dirt? I'm new in this kind of hobby so I wanna know thanks.
Yes, for sure! I like to use a siphon, which is a relatively cheap tube attached to a hose. My favorite brand is Python (amzn.to/2l9DYza ) because the hose is very pliable and doesn't get twisted or kinked easily. If you'd like to learn how to use it, I have a video on how to clean my betta tank, but the same principles apply: th-cam.com/video/W3VV_c69CyQ/w-d-xo.html. I love my siphon; it's such a time saver and totally revolutionized my aquarium hobby. :)
Hey how did you add water to the tank with the python ??? I’m so confused
Python
can turtles be ok with sand or would it cause impaction
Ooo, I actually don't know that answer, but check out the channel The Turtle Girl because she has some great videos about that: th-cam.com/video/8aHNVkb6AZQ/w-d-xo.html
Okay what size are those catfish?
Nice video! Anybody have any tips for siphoning sand that are soil caps?
I put a mesh net on my siphon, but That does hinder its capability to suck out larger debris
Oh man, great question. I haven't had much luck with using mesh on my siphon for that very reason. All I can think of is to try a mesh with larger holes in it. Let me know what you find out!
I was looking for tips on how to get rid of these little Detritus worms that live in the substrate. My filter is not that strong. I will clear the whole tank and wash the substrate with salt water.
If someone has tips on it let me know, thank you.
i wish this stuff would work for me but my pleco is so big and his poop is so big it wont come out and it drives me insane >.
Shrimp tank seems very hard to vacuum lol
Any UK sources to get the petco stuff?
Hmm, they do sell it on Amazon but not sure if you have access to it: amzn.to/2LoztwC
What are root tabs???
Sorry, I should've explained! They are fertilizer tablets or pills that you insert into the substrate of a planted tank to feed rooted plants. You typically only need them if you're using an inert substrate (like sand) that comes with no nutrients, or if your substrate's nutrients have all been used up and need refreshing. amzn.to/2Sirr95
How many times do i need to change tank water in a month? Tnx!!!
Change 15 percent of the tank's water every week
Great question! I usually use a water test kit to determine the level of nitrates I get each week. I personally aim for 20 ppm or less, so that determines how often I do water changes and how much water I remove. :)
Thanks 😊
Hi, do you know why it’s unavailable on amazon the Petco brand black sand (on the link you gave there)? and I keep looking anywhere I just can’t find one and I can only find Flourite Black Sand.
the link is in the desc. it's in materials
What is that plant that's on the surface with the roots suspended in the water?
Oh, it's Amazon frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum). I really enjoy the plant for its coin-like round leaves, ability to prevent algae by sucking up excess nutrients, how easy it is to remove if you don't want it anymore, and the long fluffy roots. Unfortunately the roots break off very easily, even accidentally during water changes, but totally worth trying, in my opinion!
A Gamer's Wife Thank you very much
@@Darktoktz1 My pleasure!
does anyone know how to clean sand without a Siphon?
Thats what i want to know too
I do believe hydrogen sulfite bubbles killed my fish and I had 2 inch deep sand. Everything was well for 15 months, then I disturbed a large substrate area and my fish all fell ill and died. They were my 3 favorite fish. Since then I poke my substrate all the time so bubbles would have absolutely no chance to accumulate and thereby reach toxic levels.
Holy cow, good to know! I'm definitely going to be more proactive about disturbing the substrate more when I do water changes.
If your have MTS, it would constantly disturb the substrate and prevent bubble build up.
@@ArunG273 They would also mix my layer of fertilizer with my substrate so no thanks. I switched to coarser substrate instead that doesn't have this issue, except in my shrimp tank where I only keep a very thin layer.
@@ArunG273 Yes, I was going to mention Malaysian trumpet snails in the video but totally forgot! Thanks for adding it in the comments.
Help my water conditioner is run out and my parent house tank and it look horrible.
What?
Amazon.com to the rescue! Prime is one of my favorite water conditioners. amzn.to/2jJld56
Rudy's! You in TX? lol
Yes, I'm originally from Texas and I looove Rudy's BBQ. Luckily they have a few places in Colorado now.
@@GirlTalksFish hahaaa, that's awesome!
LET THE SNAILS DO IT! ;D
Haha, true!
What happened to under
gravel filters?
I have no idea! They were totally a thing, and then I guess people didn't like doing maintenance on them or found other filters to be easier to use?
Whoever u are girl that talks fish , just know i like u
I always accidentally siphon my danios eggs
👍😃
This is called gravel, not sand.