Good way to remove organic waste / detritus

[Nigel95]

Thought I should post it here as in my journal I don't reach everyone.

IMO this is a very simple, cheap but effective method to keep the tank clean as possible. To much can organic waste can trigger algae like BBA (which we all hate don't we).

Items needed:
Turkey baster
Hose (I use a 9/12 hose but any can work tbh)
Zip ties (to connect the turkey baster to the hose)

See the video how it works

[torque6]

Hello, you actually do not need a turkey baster.

You can just use a eheim 12/16mm (etc) hard pipe, connect to hose. Siphon as per normal. When you want to blow up the organic waste / detritus, just cap the outlet tubing (which is in the pail) with your thumb abruptly and this will force water back out thru the eheim inlet, blowing up the detritus and you can release your thumb and it will siphon these organic waste in back in. It's physics...

[Nigel95]

Hello, you actually do not need a turkey baster.

You can just use a eheim 12/16mm (etc) hard pipe, connect to hose. Siphon as per normal. When you want to blow up the organic waste / detritus, just cap the outlet tubing (which is in the pail) with your thumb abruptly and this will force water back out thru the eheim inlet, blowing up the detritus and you can release your thumb and it will siphon these organic waste in back in. It's physics...

There are multiple ways to do this. Personally I prefer the turkey baster. Great tool

[Goalkeeper]

The blue on your tetras are strikingly nice! Are these cardinal tetras?

[Nigel95]

The blue on your tetras are strikingly nice! Are these cardinal tetras?

Hi thank you.

This are green neon tetras

[tetrakid]

There are multiple ways to do this. Personally I prefer the turkey baster. Great tool

@Nigel95

I must say I like your method very much as it is both ingenious and practical, especially for your type of substrate setup. Nice thoughtful design! ��

For my own setup, which is largely without substrate (for goldfish), I use my own contraption by connecting an air-tubing to a stiff plastic tubing and siphoning up all the visible stuff at the tank bottom. Due to the small size of the tubing, I only need to top up the water a bit after siphoning.

[jackychun]

Hello, you actually do not need a turkey baster.

You can just use a eheim 12/16mm (etc) hard pipe, connect to hose. Siphon as per normal. When you want to blow up the organic waste / detritus, just cap the outlet tubing (which is in the pail) with your thumb abruptly and this will force water back out thru the eheim inlet, blowing up the detritus and you can release your thumb and it will siphon these organic waste in back in. It's physics...

Yes, I have the same practice like you. Cap the outlet and the water forced back to blow the detrius then release the cap for it to be sucked out.

Nigel method is also a creative way to deal with this issue.

I also use the wave maker sometimes to blow all the detrius up and siphon the things out. After few times repeated, the tank is clean out mostly. And fish, got motion sickness I guess.

[greenie]

I used to have minimal detritus because I had hundreds of malayan trumpet snails I got for free in the roots of plants bought at the defunct Teo Aquatic farm.
They help to clear any detritus during lights out due to their nocturnal nature. You cannot find them during the day and that's a good thing for aquascapes.
They also helps to turn the substrate similar to what earthworm does.
I'm looking for some now as it is not sold in shops as it is deem a pest. But actually it's something of the opposite.
Anyone have and can spare me some?

[greenie]

Manage to get 10pcs. Wow, as "pest" to some, quite expensive at $1 for 1cm size.
If their population explode, I can sell to aquarist here cheaply.
They are the best at clearing detritus.