Cleaning the sand bed around my aqua scape

[Guiids]

I just use a small freshwater aquascaping tool and stir the substrate up around the rock....then vac the rest of the tank. They do sell small detail siphons though if that hasn't already been mentioned.

I read another post that someone kicking up their substrate released something that killed their fish. Any concern there?

 

[Waters]

I read another post that someone kicking up their substrate released something that killed their fish. Any concern there?

No.......that is when you disturb an untouched deep sand bed which can release hydrogen sulfide gas. If you stir regularly and keep it relatively shallow (mine is around 1-2" deep) there are no problems. I have been stirring mine weekly for years in all of my tanks. Using the gravel cleaning siphons are stirring up the substrate as well.

 

[Baylott224]

Get a diamond Goby sand sifter keeps the sand bed stirred . Some people say smaller tanks need a lot o fauna in substrate to feed them. but mine is in a biocube 32 eats mysis And pellets. throw pellets in and he goes through all the sand looking for them.

 

[blazn]

I vacuum my sand bed basically every water change and areas I can't reach with the vacuum, I use a turkey baster and get all the hard to reach areas, forcing the detritus into the water column, where it's much more likely to get picked up by filtration.