vacuuming sand

Water change day, again.
First I turn off all the pumps and filters.
Then I use a "modified turkey baster" to blast behind my rocks to blow as much of the crud as I can out of there.
Vacuum, then blast again, and vacuum again. My modification is just putting the bulb on the end of some 1/2 inch pvc. You can find long basters, but I'm cheap

After getting behind the rocks, give everything a couple of minutes to settle.
Hold the siphon hose just far enough off the sand that you don't suck alot of it up. A little missing sand never hurt, cheap to replace a bit here and there. In the vid I'm using a hose with an attachment on it, just a straight tube. Keeps me from having to stick my whole arm in there.
If the pooh doesn't want to come up, just swirl the hose around a bit, it will cause a small tornado and lift the poo off the sand making it easier to remove.


After cleaning everything, stir the sand around to release any gas bubbles that may build up.

Great info. Thanks.