Stocked tank cleaning?

[Joey Vagneur]

Wanted to ask how people are cleaning their sand/bare bottom tanks when you SPS cover everything?? Tanks packed used to vacuum sand but now all I can do is rely on my water movement. What are others doing?

 

[mcarroll]

First, lots of flow should have most crud ending up down in the sump. If you have lots of detritus settling in the display tank instead, you might have to think about more/better flow.

Wave action from many of Tunze's pumps should be enough.

Lots of folks will take something like a MJ1200 powerhead and blast the rocks and coral every week or so.

Toothbrush?

 

[Joey Vagneur]

What I have been doing, just been wondering if the sand bed that's been there is now a sink for nutrients.. with the growth of my coral I can no longer vacuum it as I once did. Thought of going bare bottom of very shallow sand bed. But wanted to see if anyone was doing something I was not doing.

 

[Joey Vagneur]

Thanks for the reply!

 

[jenreefer]

If you are worried about the sand and want to keep it, you may try sand sifters or stirring inverts. I have several nassarius snails that do a great job keeping the sand in good shape. I still keep an eye on it and vacuum it from time to time, but not much really.