Vacuuming a sand bed or not That is my question

[arrowan54]

8 foot by 2 foot sand bed 4 to 6 inches deep vac about 10 % of the sand every water change sandbed is 11 years old tank still reads 0 nitrates that IMO is enough proof that regular maintenance keeps sandbeds from becoming nitrate traps.

[Aquattro]

Since I'm removing part of my sand today, I'll post a pic of what comes out after a few years of not disturbing the sand. It ain't gonna be pretty.

[Dearth]

My sandbed only covers half my tank bottom(other half is covered in crushed coral) average depth is 1 inch and with all the snails, sea cucumbers, bristle worms and crabs it stays relatively clean

[Madreefer]

Your grammar is a little hard to understand. Where is this board and discussion your talking about? And where is it you plan on "publishing" the results? I voted no.

[Dearth]

When I first got into the hobby I was told in no uncertain terms by several reefers that I had to mIntain my sandbed with frequent cleaning. I however listened to the advice of 2 local long time reefers which is las long as you have good water flow and a cleanup crew you will not have to deal with sand cleaning.

Ultimately the choice is yours you have to decide and if you want to clean it great if you let the inhabitants maintain it great the choice is not ours to make. We can only suggest what has worked for us in the past I steadfastly refuse to listen to people who say that you have to do it this or that way.

[Rice Reef]

I use a eheim vacuum and go over the sandbed on my non wc week (biweekly). I have lots of snails, 2 abalones and close to a dozen conches as cuc but they do not make the detritus disappear so vacuuming helps a lot.

[christyf5]

I voted yes. Although I did vacuum my sandbed and it didn't help. I didn't have a successful tank until I got rid of it altogether. The amount of detritus that laid on the sandbed (I had the whole CUC, snails, crabs, sea cuke etc) was ridiculous. Eventually everything was dead except for the crabs and I ended up having to remove the sandbed because it created a dinoflagellate problem.

[Kraken]

I will also be removing my sand bed in about a day or two in my display tank. Been getting lots of red slime and I cannot attribute it to being caused by anything else (played with lighting, and havent fed my tank in 2 weeks). Will also post a pic of what my sandbed looks like in a pail after I take it out. Probably looks worst than yours A.

[darkreef]

I don't vacuum my sand bed, I give it a little soft swirl once every few months so I don't crush all my worms and friends and the detris just goes into my sump and I vacuum it out... If I vacuums my bed I'd be replacing sand every so often since its so fine... I spend enough on my tank... I just clean my sump floor on water changes it gets gross

I find cleaning my tank spotless just gives me more problems.
But I don't keep sps

[IanWR]

To clean or not to clean, that is the question -
Whether 'tis nobler in the tank to suffer
the detritus and phosphate buildup of outrageous substrate
or take up vacuum against a Sea of pollutants
and by removing end them? To purge, to clean -
be done; and by clean, to say we end
the heartache and thousand natural shocks
that sand is heir to? 'Tis a consummation
devoutly to be wished. To purge, to clean.
To clean, perchance to release toxic sulphides; aye there's the rub,
for in that undisturbed substrate, what pollutants may emerge
when we have shovelled out the sand,
must give us pause.