sandbed maintenece

M peacock · #1 05/26/2006, 08:54 PM

ive been running my 55 reef for about 2 years. during 10 gallon water changes every two weeks i like to vaccum the sandbed lightly on the surface only enough to remove what shouldnt be there. ive heard people say not to disturb it at all and ive heard of people cleaning it completly. we all like are sand to look clean, white and healthy. can someone say whats right and whats wrong?

Ti · #2 05/26/2006, 10:43 PM

If it works for you, nobody can tell u wat is rigth or wrong
I used to do all that, then i stopped, no harm no foul.

jdieck · #3 05/26/2006, 11:01 PM

What I do every six months is to take a 1/4 plastic tubing and try to siphon some water from deep in the sand at different points. If I find a spot where the water comes very dirty (usually dark thick brownish green) I keep siphoning on that area without mixing the sand. I pay special attention to those spots were I have seen patches of cyano in the past.
A sand shifting star keeps the sand surface prety clean and a pistol shrimp keeps on digging under the rock so keeping the snad clean were I can't reach it. (I have the rock lifted from the bottom on short PVC poles)

bamsickle · #4 05/26/2006, 11:57 PM

My tank has been up for 2 years and I didn't syphon until a few months ago when a cyano outbreak started driving me nuts. I figured it was worth a shot so started to syphon the areas I can easily get at every other week when I do a water change. (Hey, it always worked for my freshwater tanks.) The opposite weeks, I still just blow the sand around a bit with a turkey baster. No problems here.

B

Don Berry · #5 05/27/2006, 04:02 PM

You can't beat sea cucumbers for keeping a nice white sand bed. I wouldn't keep a reef tank with out one.

M peacock · #6 05/27/2006, 10:02 PM

cant cucumbers be destructive? i may be wrong!

gflat65 · #7 05/28/2006, 09:29 AM

I've got several cukes in my 125 and have never had a problem. They all started from one that has split numerous times. They are very peaceful and haven't caused any issues in the three years I've had them in the tank. There is always talk of a cuke nuking the system if it hits a powerhead or gets picked on, but I have had no problems.

Another option, which can be a PITA sometimes, is an engineer goby or other sand sifter goby. Mine moves a lot of sand around. I'm not sure it isn't releasing detritus into the water column (water column gets cloudy sometimes after excavations), but he certainly keeps it stirred.

apocalypse151 · #8 05/31/2006, 03:48 PM

I personaly prefer to siphon the sand bed every month with a water change. have not had a cyano outbreak sinse. Water gets cloudy but goes away within and hour. Acros and Montis dont seem to mind it