When is the last time you vacuumed your sand bed? Does it matter?

[jmanrow]

I have a brackish 1.014 tank containing Caulerpa prolifera, Chaetamorpha, and hopefully some jungle vallisenaria and a few other freshwater plants, that I am slowly increasing the salinity on. It has a 3-in sandbed, and I vacuum it about once a week.

My 46 gallon reef is bare bottom, with a refugium located next to it. The refugium has such a small substrate area, full of microorganisms in a 2-in sand bed, that I leave alone.

I also have a planted 29 gallon BioCube, which I have added an led fixture to the hood. It contains assorted macro algae and turtle grass. Underneath the fine Coral sand is a layer of aragonite, which contains iron for the plants. This tank I do not vacuum. When I do water changes, I stir things up before I siphon the water.
I test all my tanks water on a regular basis, and there are very low nitrates, and 0 phosphate.

 

[Gary67]

Many reefers have sand in their reef tank and many of us want to keep the sand clean, white and pristine! One way you can achieve a clean sand bed is to clean it! HA! Imagine that! One of the ways to clean a sand bed is to use a cleaning tool and siphon the detritus from the sand. We call it vacuuming the sand. Easy right? Not always. This can be a difficult task if you don't have the right tools or your sand is not easily accessible or you're lazy as well as other variables. This difficulty can lead us to not cleaning the sand at all. Then again some reefers don't believe it's necessary at all so let's talk about it!

1. When is the last time you vacuumed your sand bed?

2. Do you think vacuuming your sand bed will help mitigate issues in the long term progress of your reef?

Many reefers have sand in their reef tank and many of us want to keep the sand clean, white and pristine! One way you can achieve a clean sand bed is to clean it! HA! Imagine that! One of the ways to clean a sand bed is to use a cleaning tool and siphon the detritus from the sand. We call it vacuuming the sand. Easy right? Not always. This can be a difficult task if you don't have the right tools or your sand is not easily accessible or you're lazy as well as other variables. This difficulty can lead us to not cleaning the sand at all. Then again some reefers don't believe it's necessary at all so let's talk about it!

1. When is the last time you vacuumed your sand bed?

2. Do you think vacuuming your sand bed will help mitigate issues in the long term progress of your reef?

 

[dsayo]

lately been vacuuming once a week to try to get rid of this on my sand. I also just got a couple more snails to hopefully control. Maybe a flow issue? Since it’s generally this area.

 

[smlarson72]

I chose other. I have a Sleeper Gold Head Goby in each of my tanks. They are worker bees. I also have a conch in my large tank.

 

[RedReefer]

I vacuum my sand bed weekly. I siphon 5 gallons of sand and then another 5gallons off the top.

 

[UkiahTheTurtle]

I did it a couple days ago

 

[Lasse]

Those areas even when bacteria have done their job will still be full of crap.

Explain what craps are left after bacteria has done its job?

I disagree. Ive been around the hobby since 88'.

I have been in the aquarium hobby since 1972 if you want to use that type of argument but it does not say a --- about how right or false an argument is

as that helps keep old tank syndrome away

What exactly old tank syndrome - explain it for me. When does it come - how many years before it come? Have yo been out for that or just read about it.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Shooter6]

Explain what craps are left after bacteria has done its job?



I have been in the aquarium hobby since 1972 if you want to use that type of argument but it does not say a --- about how right or false an argument is


What exactly old tank syndrome - explain it for me. When does it come - how many years before it come? Have yo been out for that or just read about it.

Sincerely Lasse

First question you asked the brown fish poop that is in the sand and stuck under the rocks and other areas not reached with the vacuum is whats left after bacteria. You do know what that brown stuff is right?

Are you seriously going to say you have no idea what old tank syndrome is, and be in this since 72?
You can search old tank syndrome here, on reef central ect ect. Basically to much poop in the toilet and things go bad.
Im sure you realize the sandbed is the septic tank for your fish? Vacuuming removes the bulk from the tank but theres areas missed? And these areas, even after bacteria proccess it, are still leaching nitrates and phosphate, along with other undesirables?
Not removing it can lead to an overload and crash. Not just an overload of poop but also bacteria.

Dont play professor and ignorant at the same time.

 

[BryanJ]

where do pods go in barebottom reefs

in our sumps refugium's sand bed.

 

[Shooter6]

in our sumps refugium's sand bed.

In the rockwork, cheato, anywhere else the can crawl.

 

[Wick3d_1]

I plan to keep sand shifters! And we are not doing a deep sand bed. So, I hope I won't have to vacuum the sand.

 

[Jon0807]

With my old system, I would vacuum the sand bed with every water change. My current system is only about a month old so there's not much in the sand bed to vacuum out, but I still do it

 

[CMMorgan]

I don't even vacuum my house.... I have a Roomba for that. I have 4 fighting conches on order, a sleeper goby, a YWG and a happy little CUC tobe my tank Roombas.

 

[Robert Ranciato]

question: if you rinse out your whole sandbed with tap, and set it back clear as a snowglobe occasionally is that good or bad

Really bad

 

[Shooter6]

I plan to keep sand shifters! And we are not doing a deep sand bed. So, I hope I won't have to vacuum the sand.

Get zombie snails, sand shifting gobies ect. All the stuff that dig in the sand, so they kick up all the stuff in it and it can go down the overflow

 

[SantaMonica]

Unless there is a mishap, all food particles in the bed will feed microbes that feed your animals. Any extra nutrients in the water should be exported by your filter(s).

 

[HB AL]

I've vacuumed my sand bed ZERO times in all my different tanks for 35+ years. Never new it was "a thing" till I started reading on forums about people saying its a must and do it every water change. In my experience, not only do I do zero water changes I've never vacuumed my sand and from my experience in all those decades of not vacuuming my sand beds I can say it really serves no legitimate purpose. But if some people think it does something to keep the tank and its inhabitants alive, then keep on vacuuming.

 

[attiland]

Bad.

Well there are different voices for nano rip-cleaners

I found that sifting the sand weekly did more harm than good, so now I only rake the surface with every water change.

I wonder what is that?

 

[attiland]

I do vacuum my sand before water changes but not going crazy about it. I do what I can reach. I don’t think it serves as significant filter or I need the bacteria in there so the reason I do it is purely for it looks better clean. I have a very fine sand about 1-2” and loads of crap coming out.

I do it trough a 5 micron filter sock so not limited in time. I than of corse rinse the sand caught in the filter sock and put it back.

 

[N3mo]

Vacuum sand every water change and currently blowing the sand with turkey baster every 2 days for loosen diatoms.

Going to get a sandsifter In future and some conchs so I don't have to vacuum..