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Using an Aquarium Gravel Cleaner
By Janet Ashby
In a marine aquarium the decor is particularly important and eye-catching. Using white coral sand as the substrate looks particularly attractive but over time debris will accumulate on the sand and cause the sand to look dirty and off-white. Dirt particles will also lead to the growth of algae. So you need to regularly clean out the dirt and using a gravel cleaner is an easy way to do it. You could use a simple tube as a syphon but a purchased gravel cleaner has some advantages over a tube. It will have a means to start the syphoning and often a filter to remove the debris so that the water can be returned to the tank. Some are self starting and some use a small pump to assist the starting and vacuuming process. Use the gravel cleaner during routine water changes. Start the cleaner and slowly go over the sand to remove the debris. Loose algae on the surface of the sand will also be removed. Around rocks or other obstacles gently stir the sand to release the debris and then suck it up with the cleaner. Take care not to remove any of the sand but if some is accidentally removed it can be replaced by after rinsing well. Once the amount of water that needs to be replaced has been removed stop the cleaner and continue with the water exchange. The whole of the sand bed may not have been cleaned but this can be finished next time you do a water change. In this way the sand bed will be cleaned regularly enough to keep it clean. When Not to Use a Gravel Cleaner A gravel cleaner should not be used if you are using a deep sand bed or a raised sand bed. The sand used in these setups is fine and will be sucked up by the cleaner. In addition disturbing the sand will prevent their proper functioning.
This intel first appeared on: http://getaquariums.com/2008/10/12/using-an-aquarium-gravel-cleaner/
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The copyright for this content entitled "Using an Aquarium Gravel Cleaner" has been specified by the contributor as:
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This content may not be copied, distributed or adapted by anyone under any circumstances.
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This intel was contributed by janetra
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May, 2012
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