Sand Substrate [How to Care for, Maintain and Vacuum a Sand Substrate the Right Way] - This Works!

[@BenOchart]

Thank you for watching! For more fish keeping videos with tricks, tips and hacks, check out these playlists: For "My Best Fish Keeping Tips" click here: kzbin.info/aero/PLr8ew8o8WXoDLeItfzOiRG8DV-1W9qNX4 For tips and tricks with Fluval FX canister filters go here: kzbin.info/aero/PLr8ew8o8WXoC8gSuqdG1c4nOzlAMFTmiD For tips and tricks with SunSun canister filters go here: kzbin.info/aero/PLr8ew8o8WXoCiMWEpBFJFJGxTqJH_MdMg For videos on water changes and controlling nitrates, click here: kzbin.info/aero/PLr8ew8o8WXoCdEYkD0rQa0OWejFk5-bHD For videos on general canister filter maintenance, click here: kzbin.info/aero/PLr8ew8o8WXoA-6pu7lFTc_D6idLKGCE2j My Top 10 most popular videos of all time: kzbin.info/aero/PLr8ew8o8WXoBdSWOkNg1Roe2M47dP9Mva

[@sethbryant6598]

Everything I look up how to info on my tank your videos always show up and, are always very helpful. Thank you!

[@BenOchart]

Thank you. I'm very glad you find them helpful!

[@A_o7_]

Very helpful! I'm switching my tank from glass pebbles to sand. The pebbles are smaller than gravel & smooth but I think my corys would love sand more

[@Lflower1Stars]

My Smiley Ben ☺....the way you do it is how I do it ! I have half gravel and sand...just love it !

[@BenOchart]

Hello Lflower1 Stars! Does your stand and gravel somewhat separated or have they become totally mixed up?

[@NORIaquaCh]

I highly recommend using a turkey baster to disturb the substrate and keep the syphoning tube high off the substrate. That way the malm and organics will suspended and is syphoned. Once you're done syphoning, you may use an old plastic card, you can turn your substrate so it appears to be 'fresh'.

[@mattphillips6714]

As you put it Ben I only ever suck debris off the surface of my sand, I have 3 large Horseface loaches that sift and move my sand bed so all I do during water changes is spend 30 mins levelling my sand evenly and leave it to move around again I’ve had gravel, fine gravel, Aqua-soils and now sand and at this point in my hobby I don’t think I’ll ever change from sand I find it always looks great and it looks like every fish I have really thrives with it too... take care my friend and stay safe.

[@BenOchart]

Hello Matt, You don't see them too often but horseface loaches are pretty awesome. A great sand caretaker team for sure! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@raysander5159]

I bought a NICREW electric vacuum and love it. It has a dial to regulate suction. As it filters and returns the water to the tank you can do it anytime you like.

[@BenOchart]

I’ve thought about a touch system like that. I was considering the Eheim but the reviews were not that great.

[@Ricovette]

Awesome upload! Thumbs up from me as usual... Stay safe... Rico

[@dorothyharrison2765]

Thank you for the info, Ben. I've had tanks for about 3 years but have yet to do a sand substrate, always gravel. I think I'm going to start my first planted tank now. Appreciate all the tips.

[@derTaktgeber]

Hey Ben, to prevent scratches near the bottom, i use a plastic card to clean the inside of my tanks. doing so for years now. you have to be very careful with any type of sponge and sand. with the card there are no scratches. removes green and brown alge as well. i may add i have glass tanks only.

[@jeffreyconnors8782]

Great video ! Love it thank you !!

[@BenOchart]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@AquaWorldBGA]

Correct ;) Best Regards

[@meonly1226]

Thumbs 👍 of course! Thanks for the tips! It's much appreciated! From Indiana!

[@thepenetrator2006]

Or get a blenny if its a marine tank lol :) glad u are all set up again

[@docyusuf258]

I have sand in my aquarium and I never have to do vacuuming. Let me explain. I use a WaveMaker directed parallel to the sand bed and set at about 6 inches above the bottom (Just high enough so that sand is not blown away). Wave maker blows water above the sand bed and it also blows away any waste that has settled on the sand. The waste then ends up in the aquarium sump through the overflow. Just clean the sponge in the sump once in about 2 weeks. I have to run the WaveMaker for about 1 hr everyday. You can run it for longer as needed or put it on timer also.

[@whorable]

i got a wave maker for my 10 gal and it flew one of my fish around and not swimming correctly now.. hoping they won’t die.. and will probably never get a wave maker until i get a bigger tank

[@HalfManHalfCichlid]

In my 500, 200 and 340 I have not done a gravel or sand vacuuming in at least 3 years. These 2 biggest tanks are 36 - 40 inches deep, so the depth forced me to look at other ways to keep the bottom clean. I have a simulated bottom mat (Aquacecor), and black sand, spread around the bottom from 0 - 3/4 inch thick. Then I have filter returns and powerheads that will not allow anything to settle on the bottom before being removed in the water column by overflows or filter inlets. Essentially very little area for substrate to develop beneficial bacteria so you need to make sure the beneficial bacteria have other areas to expand their numbers. I do this with sumps and sponges in my filters, HOB's and cannisters. I do not miss gravel vacuuming, it has cut my water change time in half and eliminated on lot of spillage in my fish room.

[@danieljeffries6430]

Great Video, New to the Hobby and I did the unthinkable and added fish 🐠 to a Sand Substrate, The water 💦 is just getting a little Clear. Thanks 🙏 keep up the good work

[@paulbowen2774]

Love your Videos Ben, keep them coming 😀👍

[@BenOchart]

Thank you Paul, much appreciated!

[@adamfrankel9857]

Thank you very much I was wondering exactly how to vacuum and clean with the sand just set up a tank with sand for the first time carib sea Thank you so much Ben

[@eo5623]

I love the artificial plants and wood you use-they look more realistic than a lot of the ones out there. Can you please post links to where to find them?

[@trungqkhau4270]

Check out petco and petsmart

[@leo2o915]

Amazing video like always! Ps you right about the placidochromis jalo reef these little guy are amazing after the first few hours they started exploring looking for food

[@BenOchart]

...and they get better and better. Some days the colors are unbelievable.

[@leo2o915]

@@BenOchart awesome can’t wait this 5 juvi are already spontaneous same day I got them 3 hours laters they where searching for food

[@PULAG]

Simple, easy and to the point. Thanks man. Good info.

[@naegwut]

This was relaxing

[@aquariumtreasures1054]

Great video.🙏🐟🌿👍😊

[@Jeffdoeswhat]

Great tips.

[@rickmay4261]

I embrace the fact that if you're going to vacuum sand, you're going to suck it up. I intentionally suck up the sand at least once a month, I then rinse the sand I capture in the bucket and return it to the tank. It's worth it to me knowing the sand is clean and doesn't have anaerobic areas. During normal water changes in sand tanks, I don't vacuum the sand at all, only change the water.

[@11bdave]

Rick I’ve just set up my first sand bottom tank. When you Vacuum the sand once a month, do you go deep into the sand? I’ve always have for my gravel tanks. Just new to sand

[@jameswhitejr5291]

The Python is one of the best investments you can make. After I vacuum the sand. I use my hand to turn the sand over. Sometimes I find air pockets in the substrate.

[@BenOchart]

Couldn’t agree more, especially filling from the tap. Those buckets were killing my back.

[@RaulsAquaticsandReptiles]

Appreciate the video 👍🏼

[@BenOchart]

Thanks for watching!

[@josiereyna864]

Thank you 🙏

[@user-kb5ox4zl1f]

I'll be getting a new tank today for a Betta with new sand! I'll be getting prime water conditioner as well today with it all! And in couple more days I have live plants for my new Betta tank coming in! Which I'm happy about I appreciate your video I couldn't be happier with it! Is there a way to help me figure out how to transfer him to his new tank from his old tank? Thanks I appreciate it

[@frankiefingerz8047]

They do sell a siphon made for vacuuming sand

[@sillywillycoco]

What is the name?

[@Evolution8R]

that dempsey gonna be a little badass,,, #prediction

[@fishandfloral]

Vacuuming sand does have a learning curve versus gravel. I’m trying to find the best way to vac without sucking up my tiny baby snails. I’ve tried a filter media bag, cloth and pantyhose material secured over the tip of the tube, which protects the babies, but doesn’t allow detritus to be picked up.

[@catsailor8621]

Yep...the snails can be a minor inconvenience. They (Mystery Snails) will always clog my python and I have to reverse the suction to pop them them back out. And due to a shallow sink bowl, I can’t place any sort of filter over the tube as I need to suction fairly quickly before the bowl fills and virtually stops the suction.

[@robertjohnston25]

Fish i keep tend to be okay with flow so i have a wavemaker in my tanks. Wavemaker eliminates the need to "vacuum" the sand. Can't imagine doing it any other way.

[@BenOchart]

Wavemakers are great. The white sand (CaribSea Naturals) is so light I’m afraid it too much would get suspended and sucked into the filter. The heavier aragonite substrate in the AC tank would work perfectly with a Powerhead.

[@robertjohnston25]

@@BenOchart yeah that def became a problem with the fine sand I had as the fish got larger so I switched it out for a coarser sand. 👌

[@drironman2002]

Any tips on what brand of sand you recommend,plan to change my substrate from gravel to sand, have 55 gal tank btw, how many sand do i need,thanks

[@ilcancelliere6010]

Great video as always Ben! The Python looks great but doesn’t a lot of water from the faucets get wasted to create the siphon?

[@BenOchart]

You don’t need to keep the faucet running unless your tanks are low (not higher than the faucet)

[@ilcancelliere6010]

@@BenOchart Thanks a lot for clarifying Ben 😊

[@carolinejt3544]

I love seeing our Cory catfish dig about in the sand. Great to have sand and a planted tank but how would you put more sand in your tank?

[@BenOchart]

Run it down a siphon tube or in a covered water filled container that you gently open near the bottom of the tank (so sand doesn’t cloud your tank and go into the filter).

[@carolinejt3544]

Thanks for the reply

[@KnowingGodExplorers]

What you failed to mention (my current problems) methane bubbles at the bottom, trapped between glass and sand. At some point one has to do a deep cleaning..i have listened to people on KZbin saying just lightly clean the top of sand. And now i am dealing with areas of my sand turning black at the bottom. Which has fouled my tank. You have to release any trapped bubbles. And deep clean sooner or later. ? So now i have to toss out my substrate and start over..(this time with gravel) unless anyone has any suggestions.

[@rajadey4919]

Coarse Sand like JBL River sand would be easier to Siphon?

[@gargos669]

If I vacuum sand with the siphon, shit does not float, it has the same density as my sansibar sand. The dirt goes up the siphon, and down again. I have to use the raw tube and stir it to suck the dirt. Anyway, every time I reach my 30% water change the sand isn't crystal clear.

[@zyprexza]

You sound like a very nice man! 😌

[@BenOchart]

Thank you

[@davidadkins8805]

I push down in the sand and pinch the hose to let the sand drop out.

[@BenOchart]

I had to pinch a few times during the video but I don’t push into the sand.

[@CLifemusic]

How do you add San back in without dirty ingredients the water?

[@BenOchart]

I’ve added sand using a siphon tube with very little clouding.

[@hannahviolet927]

I clogged my siphon ball lol it’s just filled with sand now and I can’t use it anymore

[@BenOchart]

You can disassemble and clean it out

[@HotPockets88]

This may be a dumb question but I have a 125 african cichlid tank with aragonite sand and honestly I was thinking about switching away from the sand the fish constantly blow sand all over the tank and it's constantly dirty and sand is getting constantly sucked up into my filters. Is there another substrate that would be good from them like the sand but not the sand? Lol.. thank u

[@CookieMonster-oh7pm]

Is it okay to mix gravel and sand?

[@elliea9557]

Hi, thank you for the video. I've seen some people mention that sand can be dangerous for Bettas and they will eat it. My betta does like to graze at the bottom of the tank. I've set up a new tank with sand for him and now I'm doubtful. Can anyone help?

[@BenOchart]

I’ve never heard that about Betta🤷🏼‍♂️

[@ranjanty]

I don't clean my sand, I want the poop to decompose a long with any food that may be on the bottom. If it works in the garden bed why not the bed of the aquarium?

[@BenOchart]

Planted tank!

[@booonooom]

Hello, what is the fish that you have in the tank you vacuum ? @2:38

[@amondragon1504]

What is that fish in the tank? TIA

[@BenOchart]

Near the beginning of the video there's a stripped earth eater (geophagus) and further along there an electric blue jack dempsey.

[@krissarni6074]

@Benochart why is the site Elite down, where you get your plants etc?

[@BenOchart]

They had a death in the family and hope to be up and running again soon.

[@richarddowning9878]

When finished vacuuming my substrate I always have detritus come back..what am I doing wrong

[@NORIaquaCh]

Please review your filtration. Good biological filtration needs to be matched and suited to your tank gallon/litre volume.

[@gqwarrior6694]

@@NORIaquaCh biological filtration isn't what's required. Mechanical filtration may help if the current mechanical filtration is inadequate but the best solve is larger or more frequent vacuuming of the substrate & cleaning of decor & glass.

[@MikeVieira]

If it's glass, shouldn't you use a razor?

[@BenOchart]

Not always. A blue scrubber pad can get the job done.

[@MikeVieira]

@@BenOchart yes. I agree but then you wouldn't have to worry about sand getting into that scrubber!

[@ryangoff5715]

Really? No suck up the sand. Plug the other end and the sand falls back out

[@BenOchart]

No need. I want what’s under the surface to stay there and become rich in beneficial bacteria. Sand substrate is your best “media”😀👍🏻

[@russellturner579]

Ben I been subscriber for long time I have reached out to several big ciclids dealers for biger chipped up star sapphire I liked buy two I lost mine after 4 years if u could help me I would really appreciate it and would give us good donation to ur channel if u could help I would be grateful I been looking for 3 months pulling my hair out

[@BenOchart]

Who have you already checked?

[@russellturner579]

South East cilids he has them offerd 120 pieace said no the ciclid shack didn't have any on website Vegas Valley ciclids dont have any snake river dont have any im look good size ones with chips on them allso looked wonder of ciclids been looking all most two month I figured with ur connections u could find me two good sized males chipped up

[@DoctorBiscuit]

Ben, I like your channel and the information but this video has been done numerous times and doesn't show much value.

[@BenOchart]

I’m sending you a full refund

[@davidadkins8805]

I don’t mind watching Ben do this video again. I’m glad he doesn’t do betta videos. Lol 😂

[@davidriddick4905]

I always appreciate Ben’s insights. Thanks, Ben!

[@catsailor8621]

The “value,” Dr Biscuit...is for those fishkeepers who are new to fishkeeping and may be new to Ben’s channel. And to be an expert at anything you have a passion for, requires repetition and training. I’ve watched this channel for over a year and have never tired of hearing tips, tricks and hacks repeated. I always learn something from each and everyone of them...as do most folks. Just saying. 🤝😊