DO YOU GUYS VACUUM YOUR SANDBED??

[BanjoBandito]

My pistol shrimp keeps stuff pretty stirred up in there, occasionally before a water change I'll go in and agitate about 30% of the sand. I've been told numerous times on here that a sand bed is a "RECIPE FOR DISASTER" down the road without proper maintenance.

 

[old salt reefer]

I vacuumed all my sandbeds out years ago(went barebottom). You would not believe the amount of detritus I suck out every day of these barebottom tanks. To think that detritus would just build up in the sandbeds I used to have--WOW. Since I've gone barebottom I've had way less problems with my tanks than I used too.

 

[MohrReefs]

No I have a diamond goby.

 

[Reef.]

No right or wrong answer to cleaning sand.

Just keep in mind, if you plan on having corals on the sandbed will make it tricky to clean.

I clean mine, in a larger tank I feel you can get away with not cleaning a little more, but for a small tank, I feel a clean sand bed looks much better.

 

[KIKe]

Hey guys so I started the hobby 7mos ago and ever since then every week when I do my waterchange I ALWAYS siphon my sandbed. I watched a video from Fragbox last night and there saying to never vacuume it. I don't really understand why? In my head I would think you NEED to vacuume it to remove waste and detritus that has settled. Please let me know what you guys think.

Yes but it is always better to set up a good water circulation to let the pump do the thing. My rock blocks the way which water carries wastes to the backside so I have to vacuum my sand bed once a week XD

 

[chaostactics]

I should more often but don't much anymore

 

[malacoda]

It has been a raging debate for years. And you'll find tanks of all ages that look great owned by people who do clean it ... and who never clean it.

I run about 2-4 inches of sand in my tanks. I've never bothered to siphon them. The top of my sand always stay white and clean ... the larger particles become coraline encrusted ... but the only surface areas that have ever gotten a little dirty or a touch discolored are in the corners where there isn't enough flow.

IMHO, the better reason to occasionally siphon ... or replace sections of sand ... is that sediment build up and/or insufficient stirring by sand bed CUC can lead to the subtrate becoming hard like cement do to a variety of processes such as the formation of magnesium calcite.

For that reason, every other year ... I will replace small sections of sand over the course of several months.

 

[Keywest99]

Hey guys so I started the hobby 7mos ago and ever since then every week when I do my waterchange I ALWAYS siphon my sandbed. I watched a video from Fragbox last night and there saying to never vacuume it. I don't really understand why? In my head I would think you NEED to vacuume it to remove waste and detritus that has settled. Please let me know what you guys think.

 

[Keywest99]

I should more often but don't much anymore

I talked to a couple that I know that have a LFS, but 75% of their business is setting up and maintaining large commercial and residential marine tanks. When they do a water change they always vacuum the substrate all the way down. Just letting you know their maintenance, just passing it along.

 

[Tcook]

I never do. That's why I have nassarius snails and conchs.

 

[Reefen]

I have a deep sand bed for the anemone. I vacuum all the way down every 2 to 3 weeks with water change or I get cyano

 

[jopo4343]

I use the turkey blaster on mine twice a week in my e170