Water changes - how often do you clean the sand bed?

[Biff0rz]

I'm planning out a water change system for large changes (not awc) which involves pumping fresh sw from my storage to the tank and also removing water from the tank to the drain. Currently I've been vacuuming my sanded which honestly is a pain and I haven't been as regular with changes because of that. I feel like if I make water changes a lot easier I'll do them more frequently. As corals grow in (acros) vacuuming will become increasingly difficult. With that I was wondering if folks mostly just stir the bed with a tool while changing out the water and then replace it or are people mostly vacuuming each time?

Also, I have an awc, that's not the question. I also like a sand bed and have sand bed creatures so bare bottom isn't an option. Oh and I prefer to do water changes, my tank tends to benefit from it.

 

[Lavey29]

I am wall to wall corals so reaching my sandbed is nearly impossible. I just turkey baste it once or twice a week to get detritus into the water column for filtration removal.

 

[twentyleagues]

Depends on tank I think. There are many ways to get around vacuuming the sand bed. Sand sifting creatures, cerith snails nassarius snails, gobies, can help. If you have a lot of fish and accumulate a lot of detritus might be more of an issue. Adding flow to help keep detritus suspended is also a possibility.

 

[Troylee]

Diamond goby… he does it all day everyday and keeps my sand bone white in a 300 gallon tank lol… water change day I use my scraper to flatten out the mountains he makes and he goes back to work after giving me a big sigh…

 

[Icryhard]

Diamond goby… he does it all day everyday and keeps my sand bone white in a 300 gallon tank lol… water change day I use my scraper to flatten out the mountains he makes and he goes back to work after giving me a big sigh…

Exactly the same. They keep my sandbed white as hell, but sometimes lose their minds and start going mental on making mountains.

 

[Troylee]

Exactly the same. They keep my sandbed white as hell, but sometimes lose their minds and start going mental on making mountains.

Some of It I leave like this huge rock about 20 pounds or so he lives under.. he buried the entire thing but it gives the tank a more natural look and I actually like it.

 

[EricR]

Having researched this before my speculation is that most people stir their sandbed over vacuuming it for various reasons. (Could be wrong though).

Personally, I vacuum as my water change but have considered switching to stirring.

 

[Icryhard]

Some of It I leave like this huge rock about 20 pounds or so he lives under.. he buried the entire thing but it gives the tank a more natural look and I actually like it.

Absolutely and it looks amazing. It just becomes less amazing when it's the corals he's throwing sand over.

 

[Troylee]

Absolutely and it looks amazing. It just becomes less amazing when it's the corals he's throwing sand over.

That’s why I place a random rocks in my sand bed even shelf rock and he just digs under them.. haven’t had any problems with my corals.. that one rock he lives under so he likes to bury it and leaves the rest alone… super cool creature and puts in more work than other fish you’ll ever buy for a purpose lol..

 

[Biff0rz]

Thanks for the advice everyone - looks like I'll proceed with my plans but also add a Diamond goby to that! I have some sand conchs and the typical clean up crew but they are slow with such large tank. It sounds like the goby would be more aggressive with it . And I'll stir the sanded more regularly. Thanks!

Open to more discussion and options!

 

[nothing_fancy]

I actually had some issues in the past with stirring the bed too much in hopes to make it look "Clean". Nowadays I use this coral feeder thing. Its just a huge syringe. I lightly blow off the top surface of the sand if needed.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Thanks for the advice everyone - looks like I'll proceed with my plans but also add a Diamond goby to that! I have some sand conchs and the typical clean up crew but they are slow with such large tank. It sounds like the goby would be more aggressive with it . And I'll stir the sanded more regularly. Thanks!

Open to more discussion and options!

Best of luck with the new goby!

 

[Troylee]

Thanks for the advice everyone - looks like I'll proceed with my plans but also add a Diamond goby to that! I have some sand conchs and the typical clean up crew but they are slow with such large tank. It sounds like the goby would be more aggressive with it . And I'll stir the sanded more regularly. Thanks!

Open to more discussion and options!

Just a heads up when you put that diamond goby in, your tank will be a little hazy for a month or so as he sifts the sand and the dust starts to get in the water column.. lots of people hate them for that reason but after a few weeks the sand is so clean you won’t have any particulate matter flying around.. and avoid corals directly on the sand bed or he might bury them.. I use small rocks and place my corals up top as he digs under them they sink to the bottom and all is well..

 

[kevgib67]

I never vacuum, I leave it to my team, 4 nassarius snails, 2 tiger conchs , 6 cerith snails and my hardest worker my diamond watchman goby. As @Troylee said, my sandbed is always white and clean.

 

[Biff0rz]

Just a heads up when you put that diamond goby in, your tank will be a little hazy for a month or so as he sifts the sand and the dust starts to get in the water column.. lots of people hate them for that reason but after a few weeks the sand is so clean you won’t have any particulate matter flying around.. and avoid corals directly on the sand bed or he might bury them.. I use small rocks and place my corals up top as he digs under them they sink to the bottom and all is well..

Thanks, this helps. I currently have some torches on plugs in the sand, I can attach them to some large rubble rock, I hope that helps. I dont mind the cloudiness, my wrasse does that a bit when going to sleep lol

 

[padilla95624]

Stirring up or vacuuming the sand works to get loose pieces removed. I have found that tiger tail sea cucumbers will eat the sand and sanitize it while also making it white again.

 

[blaxsun]

Never! What happens in the sand bed stays in the sand bed!

 

[littlefoxx]

I'm planning out a water change system for large changes (not awc) which involves pumping fresh sw from my storage to the tank and also removing water from the tank to the drain. Currently I've been vacuuming my sanded which honestly is a pain and I haven't been as regular with changes because of that. I feel like if I make water changes a lot easier I'll do them more frequently. As corals grow in (acros) vacuuming will become increasingly difficult. With that I was wondering if folks mostly just stir the bed with a tool while changing out the water and then replace it or are people mostly vacuuming each time?

Also, I have an awc, that's not the question. I also like a sand bed and have sand bed creatures so bare bottom isn't an option. Oh and I prefer to do water changes, my tank tends to benefit from it.

I dont mess with my sandbed. Ive got tiger conches and a horseshoe crab that sifts it for me

 

[Double monti 61]

I would never clean my sand bed it is functioning well I think that to many people remove essential elements that help keep the system in balance like small invertebrates and micro invertebrates. The royal gramma in the photo survived for 5 days without any food during the Fourth of July weekend and was fat and healthy when I arrived home. P.S. my coral showed no sign of stress and were also doing well.