Cleaning Onyx Sand

Celura · 03-03-2004, 02:03 PM

I have a 10g planted tank with Onyx sand as the substrate. I have 5 dwarf puffers and 3 Ottos in this tank. I am supposed to do 50% water changes weekly for the puffers, but am curious how I am supposed to clean some of the nasties out of the sand or if I am to leave it be.

I occasionally feed algae wafers to my Ottos and that sometimes leaves an icky mess behind, which I can usually get with a turkey baster. However, sometimes it's not that easy as some is left behind.

Am I supposed to leave it alone for "mulm" or spot-clean the sand with a siphon like you would a gravel-filled tank? Is there a special siphon you can use for such sandy substrates?

Ideas? Suggestions?

aquaverde · 03-03-2004, 05:06 PM

The mulm in a planted tank supplies the plants with food. I don't keep puffers, so if they are particularly messy to where you have stuff building up, you can siphon just above the surface with a small bore siphon to pick up the loose stuff.

Here's a thread with pics of my Onyx tank. I might siphon clean it some as described every few months. Or not. The snails and plants process pretty much everything. (With puffers, you don't have snails

)

http://www.plantedtank.net/forum/vie...c&start=30

BobbyDrake · 03-03-2004, 07:59 PM

Get some shrimp. Since I got shrimp in my tank, 4 ghost shrimp, 2 amanos and 1 bamboo shrimp, my 20 gallon has been spotless. Sometimes pufffers will kill your shrimp, sometimes not. Buy some cheap ghost shrimp (usually 3/$1.00) and test it out. If the puffers leave them alone, pick up an amano or two.

Daemonfly · 03-03-2004, 11:56 PM

I clean mine out once in a while. I usually feed in the same bare spots, so about once a month, I'll vac those areas out.

My puffers don't even consider my ghost shrimp as food, so they clean the tank pretty well. Of course ,the shrimp I have are 3x as big as the puffers

Anonymous · 03-05-2004, 06:12 PM

I have about 8 ghost shrimp in there now, and they seemed to have cleaned up a lot of the mess. Thanks everyone!

Celura · 03-05-2004, 06:13 PM

I have about 8 ghost shrimp in there now, and they seemed to have cleaned up a lot of the mess. Thanks everyone!

03-03-2004, 02:03 PM	#1
Celura Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 52	I have a 10g planted tank with Onyx sand as the substrate. I have 5 dwarf puffers and 3 Ottos in this tank. I am supposed to do 50% water changes weekly for the puffers, but am curious how I am supposed to clean some of the nasties out of the sand or if I am to leave it be. I occasionally feed algae wafers to my Ottos and that sometimes leaves an icky mess behind, which I can usually get with a turkey baster. However, sometimes it's not that easy as some is left behind. Am I supposed to leave it alone for "mulm" or spot-clean the sand with a siphon like you would a gravel-filled tank? Is there a special siphon you can use for such sandy substrates? Ideas? Suggestions? __________________ Jenny http://www.celura.net Beautiful Bettas The Forum for the Betta Enthusiast Moderator - www.dwarfpuffers.com

03-03-2004, 05:06 PM	#2
aquaverde Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (4/100%) Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Mid-Hudson Valley, New York Posts: 1,409	The mulm in a planted tank supplies the plants with food. I don't keep puffers, so if they are particularly messy to where you have stuff building up, you can siphon just above the surface with a small bore siphon to pick up the loose stuff. Here's a thread with pics of my Onyx tank. I might siphon clean it some as described every few months. Or not. The snails and plants process pretty much everything. (With puffers, you don't have snails ) http://www.plantedtank.net/forum/vie...c&start=30 __________________ James

03-05-2004, 06:13 PM	#6
Celura Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 52	I have about 8 ghost shrimp in there now, and they seemed to have cleaned up a lot of the mess. Thanks everyone! __________________ Jenny http://www.celura.net Beautiful Bettas The Forum for the Betta Enthusiast Moderator - www.dwarfpuffers.com

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03-03-2004, 07:59 PM	#3
BobbyDrake Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Canisteo, NY Posts: 61	Get some shrimp. Since I got shrimp in my tank, 4 ghost shrimp, 2 amanos and 1 bamboo shrimp, my 20 gallon has been spotless. Sometimes pufffers will kill your shrimp, sometimes not. Buy some cheap ghost shrimp (usually 3/$1.00) and test it out. If the puffers leave them alone, pick up an amano or two.

03-03-2004, 11:56 PM	#4
Daemonfly Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 355	I clean mine out once in a while. I usually feed in the same bare spots, so about once a month, I'll vac those areas out. My puffers don't even consider my ghost shrimp as food, so they clean the tank pretty well. Of course ,the shrimp I have are 3x as big as the puffers

03-05-2004, 06:12 PM	#5
Anonymous Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 251	I have about 8 ghost shrimp in there now, and they seemed to have cleaned up a lot of the mess. Thanks everyone!