Should you or should you not vacuum the sand bed in a reef tank

[dcreasy9880]

So I wanna know what’s everyone’s opinions on this topic! I have scene many controversies between the 2 subjects! Brstv and a lot of ppl on here say vacuum the sand bed while in the other hand there’s ppl and my lfs that say you should never touch the sand bed that disturbing in will alter the cycle in your tank. So I wanna know do you or do you not vacuum your sand bed and why or why not! Thanks!!

 

[KQuillan]

There was a recent thread about this here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/sand-stirring-debate.969453/#post-11113407

 

[Hugster78]

Do what works best for you. Everyone has an opinion. Formulate your own and stick with it.

 

[Subsea]

This topic will range wildly with opinions.

After 51 years of Reefing, I have done it all. Now, I don’t do scheduled water changes, but if I did, I would lightly vacume sandbed. Because I have mature systems which focus on recycling nutrients (Carbon) up the food chain via the microbial loop, I don’t vacume them out, instead, I lightly stir top inch and feed hungry mouths. The detrivores that consume detritus are one part of the microbial loop,

 

[Paul B]

I agree with SubSea if you have sand. I have gravel and my gravel is very old. A few times a year I stir the entire thing up (where I can reach) with a diatom filter and suck out everything a few times.

While I am doing that, I powerwash my rock. I made a restriction on the hose on my diatom filter and stir up everything. I use a reverse undergravel filter and with that system, this maintenance is needed or the tank won't last many years.

Here is a quick audio visual demonstration in my tank.

 

[Subsea]

@dcreasy9880
On your 40G breeder upgrade, strongly consider setting up a reverse flow undergravel filter with 2” depth of aroggonite substrate with a mixed diameter .1 - 2.0mm

 

[dcreasy9880]

@dcreasy9880
On your 40G breeder upgrade, strongly consider setting up a reverse flow undergravel filter with 2” depth of aroggonite substrate with a mixed diameter .1 - 2.0mm

Unfortunately I have already upgraded to the 40g breeder and jsut used 40lbs of Fiji pink sand in my old tank I would always just do a light vacuum of the top of the sand bed kinda jsut sitting it a little getting it moved around, I haven’t done a water change on my new setup just yet I’m planning one today and was thinking of still just doing the light top layer vacuum.. only time I had a problem I did a deep sand bed vacuum once in my old tank and that causes major problems in my tank it was Cloudy and hazy looking for days and all kinds of bacterial slime was growing over everything that’s when my lfs said I should never touch the sand bed let the cuc do it! But I’ve noticed I have a good bit of fish waste and dirty sand in one side of my tank where I assume I’m not getting the best of flow and I may not have enough cuc yet

 

[Reeflix]

This topic will range wildly with opinions.

After 51 years of Reefing, I have done it all. Now, I don’t do scheduled water changes, but if I did, I would lightly vacume sandbed. Because I have mature systems which focus on recycling nutrients (Carbon) up the food chain via the microbial loop, I don’t vacume them out, instead, I lightly stir top inch and feed hungry mouths. The detrivores that consume detritus are one part of the microbial loop,

just curious, but what detritovores do you have?

 

[dcreasy9880]

just curious, but what detritovores do you have?

I have a sand sifting star fish, about 5 nassarius snails, 5 assorted hermit crabs although I’ve only seen about 2 maybe 3 of them, had 6 cerith snails but I’m down to about 3 a cleaner shrimp and 2 trochus snails

 

[resortez]

Second Paul & subsea. In my experience, quick & large removal of detritus & bacterial load from the sand bed will cause negative effects, some parameter swings & reintroduction of unwanted algae like cyano & the likes. But I’ve also seen a similar affect when the sand bed is not maintained properly, from excessive hair algae growth to the system not having proper gas exchange leading to consumption of certain parameters that will keep you chasing numbers to stunting growth on coral. Key is finding that balance in your system & sticking to that routine which requires lots of patience & moving an inch by inch until you find the sweat spot, hope all that makes sense. Just like any other pet or plant, their health is dependent by the care of their owner when removed from their natural setting, we then become their Shepard & like most pets, they appreciate having a clean home.

 

[dcreasy9880]

Second Paul & subsea. In my experience, quick & large removal of detritus & bacterial load from the sand bed will cause negative effects, some parameter swings & reintroduction of unwanted algae like cyano & the likes. But I’ve also seen a similar affect when the sand bed is not maintained properly, from excessive hair algae growth to the system not having proper gas exchange leading to consumption of certain parameters that will keep you chasing numbers to stunting growth on coral. Key is finding that balance in your system & sticking to that routine which requires lots of patience & moving an inch by inch until you find the sweat spot, hope all that makes sense. Just like any other pet or plant, their health is dependent by the care of their owner when removed from their natural setting, we then become their Shepard & like most pets, they appreciate having a clean home.

So far everything in the tank fish snd coral are happy as can be all my corals look great! The tank upgrade has been set up for 2.5 weeks now so I figure it was time to go on and do a small 5 gallon water change, although my nitrates I’m using the Hanna high range cause in my tiger tank I had consistent 10-20ppm where as in this tank with the high range test I’m only readying 0.5ppm my phosphate is 0.03ppm I had some diatom algae Wich is expected being a brand new sand bed and setting up a practically new tank although I used 15 gallons of my old tank water along with all my original rocks only adding 3 new ones and same filter and filter media and I dosed Tim’s one and only when setting the new upgrade up. But im starting to see a pile up of fish waste Wich is why I’m wanting to go on and do the water change my only worry is I don’t want the nitrates to bottom out.. granted I have not chekxed them with a low range checker just cause I don’t have one

 

[Subsea]

So far everything in the tank fish snd coral are happy as can be all my corals look great! The tank upgrade has been set up for 2.5 weeks now so I figure it was time to go on and do a small 5 gallon water change, although my nitrates I’m using the Hanna high range cause in my tiger tank I had consistent 10-20ppm where as in this tank with the high range test I’m only readying 0.5ppm my phosphate is 0.03ppm I had some diatom algae Wich is expected being a brand new sand bed and setting up a practically new tank although I used 15 gallons of my old tank water along with all my original rocks only adding 3 new ones and same filter and filter media and I dosed Tim’s one and only when setting the new upgrade up. But im starting to see a pile up of fish waste Wich is why I’m wanting to go on and do the water change my only worry is I don’t want the nitrates to bottom out.. granted I have not chekxed them with a low range checker just cause I don’t have one

Nitrate at 0.5ppm? Are you sure? From my experience 5 ppm is too low.

 

[dcreasy9880]

Nitrate at 0.5ppm? Are you sure? From my experience 5 ppm is too low.

I have a high range checker so I’m not sure if it will read low numbers accurately also I like the Hanna checker for the fact that it’s digital but I can almsot never get all the reagent into the sample it spills over the sides and annoys me I think I may order a salifert test Wich is what all my others are

 

[Subsea]

just curious, but what detritovores do you have?

Both amphipods & copepods navigate through upper substrate. Not certain which pico worms are food for grazing mandarins but spaghetti worms & bristle worms are abundant. Whatever was in diver collected live sand and live rock. When system was set up 25 years ago, I used diversity package from IndoPacific SeaFarm.

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[fishmonkey]

I’m sure @Lasse has something of value to add. I think he’s on the side of not disturbing the eco system. I think both ways are viable.

 

[Cyanohater]

I only tap the top layer of the sand to turn it over and suck up fish poop. I never go deep as i want to keep my ecosystem stable.

 

[Reef.]

So I wanna know what’s everyone’s opinions on this topic! I have scene many controversies between the 2 subjects! Brstv and a lot of ppl on here say vacuum the sand bed while in the other hand there’s ppl and my lfs that say you should never touch the sand bed that disturbing in will alter the cycle in your tank. So I wanna know do you or do you not vacuum your sand bed and why or why not! Thanks!!

I think the premise of the question is leaving out why some believe the sand should not be torched, if it was only because touching/moving the sand would start a new cycle, then vacuuming the sand before a build up of gases would prevent a cycle.
Another reason for not vacuuming is that the sand can support a lot of life, pods etc which all goes to support the ecosystem.
Some believe a deep sand bed helps with nitrate reduction but the sand needs to be deep for the believed benefits.

I personally vacuum mine, don’t want a ticking time bomb in my tank, I don’t believe any potential benefits are worth the risk.

 

[Lasse]

Left organic matters will be a source for NH4/NH3 into the aquarium when it is maturing. A good nitrification rate take cares of that and convert it into NO3. I do not disturb my sand beds more than my creatures do. The NO3 production (hence NH4/NH3 production) can be high in a mature system. So also the denitrification rate - if the system is constructed in the right way. In my system - there is a remote (in my refugium) reversed flow deep sand bed that I feed with DOC underneath. In my build thread there is a description of the system in the first pages and the result after 7 years of working

Build Thread - Lasses Dream Build

Nope - its a traditional Swedish Christmas ham. It is first boiled and then grilled with breadcrumbs in the oven. It is often eaten with mustard on a slice of wort bread. As long as I know we have always make it on the evening before Christmas eve and we always eat it warm on a slice of wort...

www.reef2reef.com

I have both a fast nitrification and denitrification in my system

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Viking_Reefing]

You should definitely maintain your sand bed. People seem to think that some sort of magic happens in the sand for it to be the one thing in our tanks that didn’t need maintenance haha.
I always get tons of questions on how I keep my sand looking good so I threw this together a little while back as a reference:



Can you get away with not doing it? I guess..to a point. But you would probably get better results if you did.

 

[Lasse]

You should definitely maintain your sand bed. People seem to think that some sort of magic happens in the sand for it to be the one thing in our tanks that didn’t need maintenance haha

I do not know - but this is my sand without any maintenance from me for the last 5 years.......... IMO - the magic that´s happens maybe can be spelled ecological and biological principles...........

Sincerely Lasse