sand bed?

[whip1]

how many of you here vaccuum your sand bed periodically like every 2 weeks when doing water changes.
what bennifits have you found?
whats the negatives?

 

[Surf&turf]

I do. Helps keep the sand clean, free of diatoms.

 

[whip1]

it seems like a major pain to up root all the corals and clams on the sand bed to vaccuum every two weeks.
I was always told to leave the sand bed alone until now.
I just wonder how many people really do this?
I have diatoms right now because of what I went through with the tank but I planned to just let it run its course..

 

[Surf&turf]

Add a few more Hermits, I had diatoms bad in the 90 and they took care of them in a couple days.

I usually don't move the corals, I have a small vacuum, 1/2 inch diameter, I use to vacuum around things.

 

[Paul_N]

I never touched my sand bed. I broke down my 75 a few months back and it had a 6 year old dsb in it. I never cleaned,siphoned or stirred unless I was re-aquascaping my tank. IMO if you have the right critters and fish in your tank you should never have to touch it.

 

[Pizzapro83]

I vacum once a month and replace half my sand every 6 months to a year

 

[Troylee]

never... i have 3 sand sifting stars a hundred or so nassirus snails and a blenny they move the sand around enough.....