vacuuming sand

[chef]

Up until recently I thought that disturbing the sand bed was a big no-no.
Then i saw a local reef guru vacuuming and mentioning its very important. Do any of you folks with long term success with a reef vacuum ? Thoughts.

[Aquattro]

I don't. I'm not opposed to it, just don't see it as needed. Yet, anyway :) I have a 1" fine sand bed, 3 years old.

[Proteus]

I have a 1/2" gravel bed and do blow it around but it only because I don't have cuc.

Sand stars, conchs, and snail stir up sand so it should be fine. I just don't think I would stir it up past 1"

[naesco]

Up until recently I thought that disturbing the sand bed was a big no-no.
Then i saw a local reef guru vacuuming and mentioning its very important. Do any of you folks with long term success with a reef vacuum ? Thoughts.


Vacuuming is for carpets. In a reef you want to cause all the bacteria and tiny critters to thrive so they can feed your coral and inverts. You do not want to remove them from a sand bed.

[e46er]

I haven't in 5 or so years that I've had a reef unless I was vacuuming up algae

[Son Of Skyline]

I have a 1/2" to 1" sandbed that I vacuum every couple months when I do a water change. Over the years I've found that this helps get rid of a ton of debris and junk buildup. My sandbed stays "fluffier" and cleaner this way and I never have to worry about unleashing deadly stuff from the sand if i disturb it. I have earthworm like critters that get unearthed when I vacuum but I just let them blow around the tank until they settle and dig themselves back in. IME if your bed is shallow, there's more good to be done by vacuuming than bad. You don't need a sandbed to generate critters. Bare bottom tanks are proof of that.

[albert_dao]

You guys are in denial.

Vacuuming is one of the best weapons you have against old tank syndrome.

Vacuuming is for carpets. In a reef you want to cause all the bacteria and tiny critters to thrive so they can feed your coral and inverts. You do not want to remove them from a sand bed.

Critters are a waste of time. You want a clean tank that isn't incrementally becoming more and more sodden with waste and nutrients. No one sets out to spend thousands of $$$ on a life support system for bugs and beasties...

[lastlight]

I have a 1/2" gravel bed and do blow it around but it only because I don't have cuc.

+1

My LPS goes nuts when I vacuum as well. Everything looks better in my tank after a thorough vacuuming.

[DiverDude]

I started a similar thread a few weeks ago and I got just as varied a response.

Seems that about half of all reefers vacuum their sand and attribute all sorts of evil tank problems to failure to do it. The other half think vacuuming is for the maid and have never vacuumed and have never had an issue.

Soooo...flip a coin and decide where you stand. :mrgreen:

[chef]

Yup, like so many things in this hobby, strong opinions on both sides.
I think i'll go with Alberts advice. He hasn't steered me wrong yet!

[Myka]

I am a strong believer in sand vacuuming provided it is a shallow sand bed. Imo, there are two types of sand beds - shallow (less than 1") and deep (greater than 4"). I am not interested in anything in between as I feel the function is incomplete and can thus be detrimental. Vacuuming the sand not only removes detritus it also provides oxygenation which prevents the formation of toxic hydrogen sulphide - one of the main suspects in "old tank syndrome".

My opinion is that deep sand beds need lots of attention to detail, but no physical disruption. A deep sand bed needs to be carefully monitored to be sure it is functioning properly by having the appropriate critters present, and the inappropriate critters absent. Few people are able to produce and maintain a well functioning deep sand bed for very long. It takes knowledge and observation. A deep sand bed should NEVER be vacuumed.

Anyone can do a shallow sand bed, and it is what I recommend to most people. A shallow sand bed often greatly benefits from vacuuming as a shallow sand bed is not a complete ecosystem as a deep sand bed is and thus will almost always collect detritus. Sand bed critters like conchs, sand dwelling snails, and sifting fish can all help to keep the sand stirred and oxygenated (and detritus suspended where it can be filtered out), but I have always found they are not perfect. I vacuum my shallow sand beds on every waterchange. Shallow sand beds are rarely blamed for "old tank syndrome".

I am not a fan of sand beds 1-4" deep because they are not fully functioning deep sand beds since they are too shallow to accommodate the different layers required to produce a complete ecosysem, but they are too deep to be completely stirred and oxygenated by fish or invertebrates. Sand beds of this depth are often the forerunner culprit in "old tank syndrome" since there will usually be toxic patches of hydrogen sulphide which will either grow to a size of leeching into the water column or they will somehow become suddenly exposed.

[albert_dao]

... DSB's are terrible.

Anyway, it takes an extra ten minutes and it works. Do it.

For the record, my sample size is >1. Just sayin'.