How often do you vacuum your sandbed and how old is your aquarium.

[guylaga]

With every water change (every one to two weeks) I stir up each end of the bed.

Since I run two Gyres most of my sand tends to slowly drift and accumulate at the ends of the tank by the time I do a water change.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Once a month vac with water change. 2 conchs, 8-10 hermits, 1- sand-sifting starfish, 15 Turbos. Sand is always clean and white.

 

[Rjmul]

Never. Tank is over a year old

 

[ReefRxSWFL]

Simply put, how often are you vacuuming your sandbed and how old is your aquarium. What are your reasons for your method. Tank photos would be awesome!

Never clean. 9 years old. 4-5 inches deep.

 

[WRB]

Under-gravel filters for 30 plus years. Water change and vacuum every 5-6 weeks. May go to every 4 weeks since my bio-load increased recently.

 

[pseudorand]

With every water change every two to three weeks. Tank is 1.5 years old. I also have a rfug.

But corals other than euphilia, zoas and xenia don't seem to do well, so my tank isn't anything to emulator (yet).

 

[jeffrey750750]

My vacuum is my orange spot goby, he sifts every bit of sand.

 

[ApoIsland]

Simply put, how often are you vacuuming your sandbed and how old is your aquarium. What are your reasons for your method. Tank photos would be awesome!

120 gallon tank is 10 years old and I try to never touch the sandbed unless I am moving the tank. Which seems to happen every 2-3 years...

 

[green behind the ears]

Roughly every 2 weeks on a water change I alternate cleaning the sand at the front of the display and other week leave alone , I feel it’s good to do but not so much as to disturb the natural balance

 

[Dan_P]

Simply put, how often are you vacuuming your sandbed and how old is your aquarium. What are your reasons for your method. Tank photos would be awesome!

I vacuum up only the very top layer of sand in those areas where there is a blush of color that I am tired of seeing in my several year old fish only system. The sand is washed in tank water, stirred with a power drill with a paint mixer attached. The cleaned sand is returned to the tank. This aggressive “power washing” removes organic matter and microorganisms. If I perform this wash in tap water, it kills the nitrification capability of the washed sand. I would only do this if I wanted to eradicate a nuisance microorganism.

 

[tigre44]

I generally do a 10% water change each week depending on my nitrate level. If zero or close to it no water change. I vacuum the substrate each time I know I don't get all the dentritus (sp) but I make a dent in it.

 

[Mike konesky]

I used to vac weekly with water change. Was becoming too much work. Now I just baste the entire sand bed at least once a week. 6 foot tank and can easily see through to the other side just after mixing it up. "If you mess with your sandbed, mess with your sandbed. If you don't mess with your sandbed, don't mess with your sandbed." Words from a wise man.

 

[ScottB]

I used to vac weekly with water change. Was becoming too much work. Now I just baste the entire sand bed at least once a week. 6 foot tank and can easily see through to the other side just after mixing it up. "If you mess with your sandbed, mess with your sandbed. If you don't mess with your sandbed, don't mess with your sandbed." Words from a wise man.

Solid advice.

 

[fishybizzness]

Go big or go home!

 

[Poof No Eyebrows]

No set schedule and I am very careful with my sand beds. I run about 5" deep. The bottom 2 inches is a crushed coral, and the remainder is a fine sand. I will vacuum the top 1/2 or so every now and then while doing a water change and I only do about a 8 inch square section a time. Usually just a little clean up around the rocks.

 

[Reefjnky]

Never. I used to vacuum my 57g but then my diamond goby and conch took care of it. Now I have a 32 biocube and i dont have anything to clean it but it isnt bad.
I figure natural sand has its bacteria so it cant be that bad. My sand is also 7 years old so it is pretty well established. If i was to disturb it now i would cause a lot of issues.