Habitat - Indoor :: Debris IN the sand

[marboo]

Hi,
I would like some help please - I've already read the Sand FAQ....
The debris in Res's case does not stay on top, since Res digs all the time. The only way to get rid of poop or other debris (his scales this period) is to remove it immediately, otherwise he digs and buries everything. Moreover, poop disintegrates, as a result the sand gets dirtier, right? So, how can I clean buried debris?.....
Thank you!

[sflemin2]

I am also having trouble with cleaning sand.. there wasn't any info in that whole thread!

[happycamper]

I think it depends on how course your sand is, but I am able to siphon the sand. It goes about halfway up the larger part of the tub, and then just falls back down. For me it was all about finding the perfect distance where I clean debris without the sand ending up in the bucket.

[sflemin2]

I think my siphon is too long...but its what I need! I guess can try a shorter one and see if I can reach still

[VeipaCray]

You can put some filter floss on the intake of your filter (rubber band it on). Stir up some of the sand and the gunk will re-suspend in the water column where your filter will grab it. Filter floss is aka poly fill aka pillow stuffing. It's available at your local pet store or for really cheap at your local wallyworld / target / etc. The filter floss will prevent the sand particles from entering your filter and messing up the motor. Even if you are using a siphon (not sure why you would ever siphon sand) you should run filter floss. Sand particles can destroy the magnetic motor in a hurry if they get in there.

[marboo]

happycamper, my sand is very thin, it reminds me of sugar. So would siphoning work for me?



VeipaCray, maybe my filter is small but I don't think it can uptake debris from the other side of the tank. It's a 1000 l/h Magic-Jet in a 10 gallon tank. What do you think?
Thanks again!

[sflemin2]

If you don't use a siphon, what do you use? I have all sortsa debris sitting right on top of my sand. I am not sure how much of it is from turtle eggs..I have never seen it before. It looks like dark green lettuce that has been sitting out and gone bad (haha sorry word the strange description). Very small pieces but a ton of it. Its not lettuce because I don't feed them lettuce.. I feed them water sprites and it looks completely different. it floats around just above the sand.

My filter isnt powerful enough.. I have a Fluval 305 in a 150 gallon tank with a turtle that refuses to lay eggs anywhere but in the water. I have a Rena XP4 that needs hoses and attachments (but I am broke). The intake is up too high in my opinion but the guy I bought it from already cut the hoses.

I already have the floss

[VeipaCray]

Yeah it's a tiny filter, but it's also a tiny 10gal tank so it shouldn't have any problem. You're making me think here... filter spec in metric and tank volume in imperial. heh. So a 1000 l/ hour filter = 265 gallons per hour. You're turning your tank volume over 26.5 times per hour if that filter rating is correct. You should have a SPOTLESS tank if that filter is any good.

Sugar fine sand is a pain with turtles. The larger particle sand is much easier to keep clean as it stays put on the bottom and the gunk sits on top. The turtles can really agitate the sugar fine sand easily and stir the gunk into it.

[sflemin2]

Marboo, when you do a tank upgrade..you should look into the Fluvals..those puppies rock (well.. mine doesnt now because its too small for me tank). I had my last one for years and loved it

[VeipaCray]

If you don't use a siphon, what do you use? I have all sortsa debris sitting right on top of my sand. I am not sure how much of it is from turtle eggs..I have never seen it before. It looks like dark green lettuce that has been sitting out and gone bad (haha sorry word the strange description). Very small pieces but a ton of it. Its not lettuce because I don't feed them lettuce.. I feed them water sprites and it looks completely different. it floats around just above the sand.

My filter isnt powerful enough.. I have a Fluval 305 in a 150 gallon tank with a turtle that refuses to lay eggs anywhere but in the water. I have a Rena XP4 that needs hoses and attachments (but I am broke). The intake is up too high in my opinion but the guy I bought it from already cut the hoses.

I already have the floss

Your filter is WAY undersized. A 305 is rated for a 70 gallon tank (a 70 gallon FISH tank). Turtles produce a much greater bio load than a community fish tank. The rule of thumb is to divide your filter's tank size rating by 3 for a turtle environment. You've got enough filter for a 23 gallon setup

The XP4 is also a bit small for that sized tank. It's rated for a 260 gallon tank (260/3=87) Yeah you definitely want the intake as low as possible without messing up the sand. Turtle gunk sits low in the water column. A single XP4 should handle about a 100Gallon turtle tank.

The Fluval FX5 is rated up to 400 gallons. 400/3 = 133. This is a little conservative. A single FX5 should handle a 150 gallon turtle setup.

The other single filter that can handle a 150 gal turtle tank by itself is the large eheim pro III. Very good filter very $$$ though

What do I use? A FX5 on my 75 gal setup. see the link in my signature. No siphoning... my turtle stirs up any gunk on the bottom and the filter grabs it.

[sflemin2]

Its all I have right now Money is extremely tight thanks to gas prices.. But I will be running both filters together when I get the hoses for the Rena. I will order that on Monday (payday). I had to make the tank itself and the basking area priority. I have the Fluval F5x on my wish list.. but I really need to get out of debt first haha. I think the Rena and the Fluval I have together will be OK for a while. I will just have to clean the filters more often and continue to net out what I can until I can save up for the other filter.

Marboo..your tank is so pretty! Does your baby leave those plants alone?

[marboo]

Marboo..your tank is so pretty! Does your baby leave those plants alone?

Thanks sflemin2! Res seems to love it, specially after the little upgrade changes last week -sand and turtle dock! The plants are plastic, and NO he does not leave them alone! If I take photos every 2 hours, the plants are in a different place every time. I had to glue the bigger one (which you see "behind" him) on his dwelling rock, so he can't move it!

You should have a SPOTLESS tank if that filter is any good.

VeipaCray you are right in your calculations (I count 36 liters of water in a 54 liters tank) and, since it does look spotless, could it be that it's not so much the digging that hides debris, as the filter that cleans it?? You can see the filter here (only mine is the 1000 l/h one), and I paid almost double price in Greece - 40 euros. I already added a floss cover to the filter sponge.

Reading the forum here, and searching on the internet, I can say that it is difficult to find in Europe the same products you have in the US, such as the Fluvals. Of course I can order them and get them shipped, but indeed money is tight right now, and for every order I give, I pay at least 35 euros just for shipping.

[happycamper]

You can put some filter floss on the intake of your filter (rubber band it on). Stir up some of the sand and the gunk will re-suspend in the water column where your filter will grab it. Filter floss is aka poly fill aka pillow stuffing. It's available at your local pet store or for really cheap at your local wallyworld / target / etc. The filter floss will prevent the sand particles from entering your filter and messing up the motor. Even if you are using a siphon (not sure why you would ever siphon sand) you should run filter floss. Sand particles can destroy the magnetic motor in a hurry if they get in there.

The siphon is perfect for sand! I hold it about an inch from the sand and it gets all the crap from the top. If there is some mixing that occurred (like poo IN the sand) then I just put it down a little closer so it picks the sand up, then drops it back down clean as could be.

[sflemin2]

Marboo, I loved watching mine when I added the sand..they were like"Mom...awesome!" haha! I am with you on the money dept . These guys cost a lot to set up a habitat. I think we are working with what we got though. At least we are trying! I have a friend with 2 full grown turtles in a 20 gallon ( he adores them but he is taking care of a diabled parent on his own..the economy is just to hard right now)

Happycamper, thats what I thought too..mine does OK except for the eggshell .. I think it has to far to go up since te egg shell is so heavy. It pulls a ton of lighter stuff up though when I use it like you are saying

[marboo]

Marboo, I loved watching mine when I added the sand..they were like"Mom...awesome!"

Exactly the same here, sflemin2 I even thought he is playing hide-and-seek with me! He had double water to swim in, and I find myself watching him for much longer than before.

I changed my signature, so you can have an idea how tight money can get right now - and you probably heard about the financial state Greece is in lately. The animals have to eat twice everyday, they know nothing about crises and banks!