how do you care for a sand tank?

[CichlidOwner]

i want to change my rock tank into a sand tank. how do you maintain a sand tank and clean it?
Dan

[Lisachromis]

Well, you don't want too thick a layer of sand as that can build up some pretty good nasties under the sand pretty quick. You can supposedly just carefully vacuum over the top of the sand to clean it, but I find you always tend to pick up some of the sand. If some of my fish didn't prefer the sand, I don't think I'd get it again. I find it to be a pain. But that's a personal preference of mine!

[CichlidOwner]

ok, cool. yeah i have 2 firemouths and some texas red devil mix. and i heard that the firemouths like real plants and sand. i want them to bread so i thought that by doing that, that it might encourage them to breed. the texas red devils are realy small compared to the firemouths so they pose no threat to them.

[Willy]

:D Hi,
Well,i don't know what you mean exactly by a sand-tank,but i think,its a tank for fishes same like for Lake Tanganjika or Lake Malawi.
When you put sand inside its very natural,and same like any other tank the dirt will come down to the ground.
Just use a hose(about 1 m) to such up the dirt every week! with refreshening minimum 25% of the water.
Like other people said,it is impossible to keep it 100% clean,but the waterchange will surely help!
I myself change every week 50% of mo the water in my 20 fishtanks.
the fish will surely appreciate it!
Lots of succes,Willy Bijker