edc_aquarium
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I’ve always noticed that my sand bed is just a little dirty and it’s really not that big of a deal in my eyes but do sand beds need to be cleaned?
Do sand beds really need to be cleaned?
- Thread starter edc_aquarium
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tdileo
Valuable Member
The problem is that detritus builds up underneath over the years and when it finally starts breaking down, it can cause nutrient issues. So it’s easier to keep it suspended and remove by mechanical filtration. I don’t siphon my sand but rather have things like nassarius snails, wrasses, bristleworms, and other things that will keep it stirred up and cleaner.
U
User1
Guest
Lots of thread across many forums on this. I really don't have an answer other than our home aquariums do not have the animation or wave patterns found in the Ocean. So what happens with Mother Nature (storms, tides, etc) can't really be replicated by fancy power heads no matter how we try thus leaving us to manually adapt and turn it over. I always have a deep sandbed because it seems natural, and is what I see has a active scuba diver. Having said that there is a concern, like noted above, that over time stuff builds up in there from worms and other micro fauna life that needs to be exported - their waste or whatever.
So we have a food chain in our aquaria but I do not know how low below the upper layer is managed. So I typically grab a long stick or similar device and stir it up. Increase the flow of my gyres and let the overflow remove what it can. What I notice is that my corals will start to expand a bit - food I guess or flipping me off, not sure which, and overall the sand looks good or better. I've also seen things in there that I thought died over the years (clams for example).
So we have a food chain in our aquaria but I do not know how low below the upper layer is managed. So I typically grab a long stick or similar device and stir it up. Increase the flow of my gyres and let the overflow remove what it can. What I notice is that my corals will start to expand a bit - food I guess or flipping me off, not sure which, and overall the sand looks good or better. I've also seen things in there that I thought died over the years (clams for example).
i would say you should def. clean it.. my 68g tank had just a kole and a maroon clown for close to 2yrs.. i slacked off alot.. and when i did W/Cs would not touch the sand.. im talking 1 w/c per month for months on end and not touching the sand..
the sand soaked up so much kole poo over the months/years.. and then massive cyano, unbeatable cyano..
i just recently removed the sand because the cyano was so outta control.. it thick and like black..
so sand is now gone, kole is gone.. getting back on track.... tank is better now..
i have always run GFO/GAC , from day one.. starting back in 2015... never really had major algae issues.. just cyano here and there.. over the years.. i used chemicals in the past to clear it up, always came back.. but the last cyano outbreak was it.. i had to get off my butt and do something.. ive read countless threads about cyano being related to nitrates and phosphates.. i firmly believe cyano is from not cleaning sand and letting fish waste accumulate in the sand.
theres so many threads claiming "i have close to zero nitrates and phosphates but still have cyano"
sandbeds are just a sewer and if you dont clean that poo out im sure you will get cyano in time.. then one might use chemiclean or whatever.. itll be gone, then 4months later comeback..
the sand soaked up so much kole poo over the months/years.. and then massive cyano, unbeatable cyano..
i just recently removed the sand because the cyano was so outta control.. it thick and like black..
so sand is now gone, kole is gone.. getting back on track.... tank is better now..
i have always run GFO/GAC , from day one.. starting back in 2015... never really had major algae issues.. just cyano here and there.. over the years.. i used chemicals in the past to clear it up, always came back.. but the last cyano outbreak was it.. i had to get off my butt and do something.. ive read countless threads about cyano being related to nitrates and phosphates.. i firmly believe cyano is from not cleaning sand and letting fish waste accumulate in the sand.
theres so many threads claiming "i have close to zero nitrates and phosphates but still have cyano"
sandbeds are just a sewer and if you dont clean that poo out im sure you will get cyano in time.. then one might use chemiclean or whatever.. itll be gone, then 4months later comeback..
