Do you vacuum your sandbed? If so, what’s your method?

[mistergray]

They handle the top inch or so where the sediment builds I imagine. Every 3 months or so I very carefully run a plastic scraper blade along the outer edge to clean up the algae. But that's it. It is a very light load tank. Total water volume maybe 55 gallons and I have 3 damsels and a clown. That's it. Feeding is once every evening and I only add what doesn't hit the sand bed. I also have a reefwave25 running at 40% on alternating directs that really keeps stuff from settling in that tank.

Sounds like you have a perfect sandbed maintenance system.

Note to self: plastic scraper blade

 

[mistergray]

nope .. I have a massive cuc that takes care of it...

What size tank? What do you have? How many of each (if countable)?

 

[mistergray]

What I do is take a turkey baster (oxo brand is good) and blast the sand all over to stir it up and the small particles go into the overflow into a sock. It is a lot easier then siphoning imo and the filter feeders also get a meal.

Can filter socks be used on any aquarium? I can't find anything specifically for my type of tank. I have a 32g biocube.

 

[Poof No Eyebrows]

It depends on you plumbing. Do you have a foem of overflow that you could direct the incoming tank water through the sock?

 

[mistergray]

It depends on you plumbing. Do you have a foem of overflow that you could direct the incoming tank water through the sock?

There’s 2 vents the water goes into the back chamber through. One low and one high and I can see where the low vent won’t send water through the filter sock.

 

[mistergray]

I’d like to thank everyone for all the tips and tricks. My first sandbed cleaning went perfectly. There’s a lot of gems in this thread that I can try out in the future!

 

[anthonygf]

Can filter socks be used on any aquarium? I can't find anything specifically for my type of tank. I have a 32g biocube.

I don't use socks any more. I made my own filter box out of cereal containers 3 stacked together and use filter pad cut to fit. So easy, remove pad and install new one. I am using 10 gallon tank with no baffles, skimmate is draining into filter compartment, UV is pumped/looped within sump and then return pump. I have several holes in top container for when filter starts to plug up will drain out of container. The closed container helps with noise reduction.

 

[mistergray]

I don't use socks any more. I made my own filter box out of cereal containers 3 stacked together and use filter pad cut to fit. So easy, remove pad and install new one. I am using 10 gallon tank with no baffles, skimmate is draining into filter compartment, UV is pumped/looped within sump and then return pump. I have several holes in top container for when filter starts to plug up will drain out of container. The closed container helps with noise reduction.

Uber creative! Nice!

 

[IslandLifeReef]

If you pick up a handful of sand in your tank and then let it fall, do you get a cloud? If so, check out @brandon429 sand rinse thread. I would recommend getting the sand perfectly clean before you get to far into stocking your tank.

 

[anthonygf]

Uber creative! Nice!

Thanks. When I upgraded to 75 from 46 bowfront I was in too much of a rush, I had the 75 full of water, new sand and fish then rocks/corals then realized I cannot get my 30 gallon sump into cabinet, needs to go through the top. So I had a ten gallon glass tank and used that and there you go, and gave my sump to a fellow reefer.

 

[Tamberav]

Can filter socks be used on any aquarium? I can't find anything specifically for my type of tank. I have a 32g biocube.

You can use floss on a media basket, same concept except you throw the floss away.

 

[mike550]

@mistergray I vacuum about 1/3 of my sand bed as part of my water change.

 

[CavalierReef]

Newbie alert! Lol! What is that? Will it grow too large for a 32g?

I have the cleanest sand bed I've had in 30+ years of keeping saltwater aquariums. I led a half dozen nassarius snails, a tiger pistol shrimp and a tiger conch keep it clean for me in my 32 gallon Biocube, I think one conch is plenty for your tank mistergray.

 

[CavalierReef]

Can filter socks be used on any aquarium? I can't find anything specifically for my type of tank. I have a 32g biocube.

mistergray, I see you already have the In-tank media basket. The filter floss pads on top followed whatever media you prefer (I use Chemi-pure Elite) pretty much takes care of your mechanical and chemical filtration. No need for filter socks. Just change your filter pads every few days are as needed.

 

[mistergray]

mistergray, I see you already have the In-tank media basket. The filter floss pads on top followed whatever media you prefer (I use Chemi-pure Elite) pretty much takes care of your mechanical and chemical filtration. No need for filter socks. Just change your filter pads every few days are as needed.

Thx!

 

[FizxVix3n]

I use a cordless dental flosser with brush on tip, got the idea from a member here. I blow off the rocks in and around my corals and sand bed in different areas every two weeks. Let the water flow through the sand, I no longer vacuum the sand bed. While doing this I have a polishing filter running in the tank to quickly clear the water and then remove filter when water is clear. Works well for me 6 months now. The tube on the vacuum can hurt inverts in the sand, IMO.

Forgive me, but can you please elaborate on the flosser? Do you submerge the entire thing and brush the rock and glass or is this a water pik with the little hose that shoots water (intended for gum care I guess?)? I am super intrigued, have a dirty bottom that I can never get white and would greatly appreciate more detail. Thank you for your time and indulgence!

 

[anthonygf]

Forgive me, but can you please elaborate on the flosser? Do you submerge the entire thing and brush the rock and glass or is this a water pik with the little hose that shoots water (intended for gum care I guess?)? I am super intrigued, have a dirty bottom that I can never get white and would greatly appreciate more detail. Thank you for your time and indulgence!

I submerge the entire flosser, there is a water reservoir on the bottom that you do not need. It has several tips, I use the tip with the brush so I don't damage my coral. Rechargeable of course, I blow of the rocks and stick the tip in the substrate and mix it up on occasion. I have like 300 assorted snails in my 75, most of them are tiny at 1/8 of an inch and keep the sand pretty clean. At night my glass is covered with them, during the day most of them are buried in the sand. The snails do most of the work for me. Also, when I blast the rocks and sand the water gets very cloudy, so I use an internal polishing filter to help filter out all the detritus and makes the water clear faster and removes the stuff from the aquarium. The PF is not left in tank, when the water is clear I remove the filter, clean and save for next treatment.

 

[mindme]

I have a diamond goby and some conchs. Pretty much stays clean that way.

 

[mistergray]

I have a diamond goby and some conchs. Pretty much stays clean that way.

I have 2 conchs now. The diamond goby seems to get a little long for my 32g with having 4 fish already.

I submerge the entire flosser, there is a water reservoir on the bottom that you do not need. It has several tips, I use the tip with the brush so I don't damage my coral. Rechargeable of course, I blow of the rocks and stick the tip in the substrate and mix it up on occasion. I have like 300 assorted snails in my 75, most of them are tiny at 1/8 of an inch and keep the sand pretty clean. At night my glass is covered with them, during the day most of them are buried in the sand. The snails do most of the work for me. Also, when I blast the rocks and sand the water gets very cloudy, so I use an internal polishing filter to help filter out all the detritus and makes the water clear faster and removes the stuff from the aquarium. The PF is not left in tank, when the water is clear I remove the filter, clean and save for next treatment.

What types of snails do you have in your sandbed?

 

[anthonygf]

I have 2 conchs now. The diamond goby seems to get a little long for my 32g with having 4 fish already.

What types of snails do you have in your sandbed?

100+ Zig Zag Periwinkles, 6 Limpets, 100+ Dwarf Ceriths, 6 Trochus Snails very small, 10 Nerite Snails, 8 Marginella Snails, 3 assorted smaller Conch's, 3 fuzzy Chitons, 12 Nassarius Vibex snails, and a Brittle Star. Seems like a lot but most are small and some do not survive. I must have a couple hundred snail eggs on the back glass, some have hatched. The zigzags are .15 cents each, Dwarf Ceriths are .17 cents each. I get them at ReefCleaners.com, they are great.

Almost forgot, NO crabs!