Do you stir your sand bed?

ShawnSaucier · Dec 16, 2012

Do you find this helps or hurts?:nerd:

Downbeach · Dec 16, 2012

This will depend somewhat, on the depth of the SB, as well as what you used for substrate. If it's shallow, and/or you used a crushed coral (coarse) type substrate, it would be prudent to use a siphoning tube to clean it. I would use a gravel tube type head on this, so you are not pulling the substrate along with the waste that's in it. I have a 6" DSB made up of oolitic sugar sized sand, and I don't touch it.

ShawnSaucier · Dec 16, 2012

I have a mix of oolitic and crushed coral. I use a turkey baster to blow off the rocks, decided it might be good to turn the sand a bit. The substrate has only been in for about 3 months. Wanting to see how else does this and if there is any positive or negative side effects. Sandbed is 3-4 inches..

Alabamareef · Dec 16, 2012

My sand bed is 2" and in some places deeper. I siphon it with a gravel vaccumn every other week. My sand bed always looks good

Budman's Corals · Dec 16, 2012

I use to but no need to if you have a good CUC , especially the goby always working for me...

KoleTang · Dec 16, 2012

I have a 1" Sandbed. CaribSea Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand. I stir once a week. I prefer to not let anything build up in my tank, that's why I don't like deep sand beds as they can be a ticking time bomb. If you stir it regularly no nutrients will build up in it and the skimmer will be able to catch it out of the water column. (Skimmers are there for a reason, why not use them).

WARNING: Do not stir an established sandbed if you have never stirred it before. It will be packed with nutrients and if you stir it it could crash your tank. If you want to start stirring it, then make sure to start slow. Only stir small spots here and there every so often.

It's best just to start this off the bat in a new tank. (That is if you want to go with this method of sandbeds)

Nemoose · Dec 16, 2012

i have a 3" bed of sugar size sand for my Melanurus wrasse. When I clean the tank I vacuum the surface but I never stir very deeply. I let the wrasse and nassarius snails do that.

reefin101 · Dec 16, 2012

1" SSB stir it weekly or everyother week. Vac with WC's. Nice and white!!

revhtree · Dec 16, 2012

I need to start doing this!

seamonkey84 · Dec 16, 2012

reefin101 said:
1" SSB stir it weekly or everyother week. Vac with WC's. Nice and white!!

+1
Anything between 1-3 inches of sand should be stirred and "gravel" vac at least every other week. To have the benifet a of a dsb you need at least 4 inch of aragonite to get the different layers of bacteria. You also need to introduce the micro fauna to maintain the sand for you. Adding live sand activator or diversity pack (live rock rock rubble works well too) once a year to maintain diversity is also key. Avoid sand sifting predators like starfish and horse crabs as they will eat all the critters that actually do the work.