Sand bed vacuuming

[Myka]

I vacuum. Just before every water change I stir the sand everywhere I can get to it. I use the vacuum tube without the hose attached, and use a 1/2" acrylic tube to get in the tight places. Do the water change, then change the filter pads/socks after the water clears. Once a month I actually vacuum the sand, siphoning the gunk out. I've replaced several sand beds over the years, and it's not a big deal as long as you do it carefully.

 

[CastAway]

Wow!

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I would vacuum regularly if there were a better piece of "equipment" that made it easier and more effective. I don't really like anything on the market that I know of.

 

[hejjo]

I would vacuum regularly if there were a better piece of "equipment" that made it easier and more effective. I don't really like anything on the market that I know of.

Agreed.

 

[CastAway]

Agreed.

I second this.

My sand bed is thin. My attempts to vacuum seem most effective when the end of the tube is very close to flush with the bottom glass, and the velocity of water increases and really stirs the gravel - maximum ditritus removal with minimal water removal. Some enhanced design of the tube, perhaps with a transition to a square base, and perhaps with some very thin slots so as to make this high velocity stirring effect more easily achieved , would be nice. Because the power of the syphon will vary with height and other dynamics, perhaps a proportionately sized pump would result in a more effective vacuum device.

 

[RMS18]

I do it every week during water changes.

 

[mardoon]

I vacuum sand bed 1 week and next week vacuum sump because i have fish like to play in sand lol.

 

[MJC]

TUSI I know the thought of a full teardown could be a little overwhelming to say the least,but I did this before when I went bare bottom and if you should make the decision to do a full tear down and need a pair of helping hands and some extra brut buckets,heaters,power heads ect.
I'm available just let me know friend

 

[TUSI]

TUSI I know the thought of a full teardown could be a little overwhelming to say the least,but I did this before when I went bare bottom and if you should make the decision to do a full tear down and need a pair of helping hands and some extra brut buckets,heaters,power heads ect.
I'm available just let me know friend

Thank you my friend , that means a lot to me. Thinking about it to be honest Mike but don't know if I have it in me. The tank is doing great but my nitrates are giving me a little problem. I'm waiting for some new test kits and double check everything cause it's impossible for a tank to thrive with these levels colors and all. I'm more worried about the fish than the corals.

 

[Mike W]

This same question has puzzled me. I heard yes you have to vaccum the sand bed but last summer I stopped in at Marineland in Florida and spoke to the head maintenance supervisor about this topic and he told me never mess with the sand bed. In his words, "why would you mess with the good bacteria you worked so hard to achieve". Needless to say, I have not touched my sand bed in almost a year and have had no problems. I do frequent water changes, use a lot of activated charcoal in my filters and have clams, sand shifter star fish and snails that clean the bed. "What is your thoughts".?

 

[LuckyEd]

I vacuum most of my sandbed every 10 days when I do my 10% water change. I was told the live sand should be changed every 2 yrs, but I don't see why.

 

[van7271]

Yes. If I don't I notice my nitrate levels escalate.

 

[TUSI]

This same question has puzzled me. I heard yes you have to vaccum the sand bed but last summer I stopped in at Marineland in Florida and spoke to the head maintenance supervisor about this topic and he told me never mess with the sand bed. In his words, "why would you mess with the good bacteria you worked so hard to achieve". Needless to say, I have not touched my sand bed in almost a year and have had no problems. I do frequent water changes, use a lot of activated charcoal in my filters and have clams, sand shifter star fish and snails that clean the bed. "What is your thoughts".?

My theory was always one nassarius snail per gal. They turn the sand bed and also kept it clean. Never had a problem and still not having a problem after all these years. I always wondered myself the same thing

 

[Bob Escher]

Why would you rinse of brand new Caribsea live sand? I know dry sand yes but why don't you just put it in the tank and let it sets? Didn't take my 120 lbs of sand to settle and clear the water if you do it right

 

[MJC]

 

[Sabellafella]

I had a shallow sand bed on a few of my tanks, after a little over a year usually around once or twice a month i would clean large sections ruthlessly pulling waste and some sand out. Every 3-8 months (more like when i felt like it or when i acually started to get balb spots) i would add a couple cups of dry sand soaked in saltwater to compensate. Ive always done this, otherwise i would just go bare bottom lol. But if you where going to start siphoning, i would most deffinitly do very little top layer sections at a time. 8 years is a LONG time lol

 

[Michael pugh]

I do it every water change. But i also use a turkey baster to get alot of the waste out under rocks. I blast my rocks with the baster every couple days also. I dont have a sump on neather one of my tanks currently because im all nano tanks

 

[DurocShark]

Some Aqueon gravel vacs have a valve. I use one of those on my fine black sand since I can dial it down to just get the sand tumbling in the tube, but the detritus still gets sucked out.

 

[brandon429]

http://reef2reef.com/threads/the-of...ead-aka-one-against-many.230281/#post-2681445


That will cover all bacteria questions


Cleaning time
I'm about to take apart my whole reef (ten yrs old) in the exact steps above and rinse my sb with tap water right now, 100% new clean run...change water is heating up to 78 as we speak.
Just quick pass tap, final rinse is sw and the sand remains viable filter, this does not sterilize. Everybody has tap water that pumps out live bacteria, in spite of chlor...and that's from the plant fed report...pipe scum and o ring pass by adds lots more bacteria to your cup of lemonade, search this out to see.


The CFU report from your local water supply annual reports shows the bacteria colony approximations coming to your tap
Translated into sandbed work, it means you have a dwell time such that five mins rinse harms nothing.

After parted out rinse I'll then put back together and skip cycle. The reef is tiny so this is easy, I do it 2-3 times a year so I can feed heavy



Altering the bac takes meds or desiccation not any rinsing we do or short air exposure.

The biology is the same regardless of tank size...just more work for large tankers and they have fish to isolate

Pics coming

I don't even put my corals in water they sit on the counter on a dinner plate. Live rock too, takes about 15 mins then they go back in.



**some people have remote refugiums or special setups where you don't rinse. If your sandbed is one of those, don't rinse lol

 

[sbash]

This is an interesting read. I am still on the fence regarding my current sand bed (2" in a 220) and am certainly glad to see all the input about this.

I had a 65 for a few years, and did not maintain the sandbed aside from using a decent clean up crew. When I moved it (when I moved houses), there was very little nastiness to it. Very little smell, nothing unpleasant to deal with, easy to clean out, etc...

Recently, I acquired another full 65 gallon system, the only clean up crew in it was a very large astrea (seriously, it is huge), two other unidentified snails and a cleaner shrimp. The tank had been up for three years, and the sandbed was super wrank. It stunk up his basement then my car and finally my basement for two days while I cleaned everything up!

I am not trying to imply any conclusions here, but it was interesting to see the difference. It was also interesting to see what a foul sandbed is like to deal with. Definitely something I want to avoid! Also, that 65 gallon is currently bare bottom, and it is amazing to see how much detritus builds up!