Vacuuming sand

[Nick862]

I have a 2 1/2" to 3" sand bed, just wondering if it's bad to vacuum the top 1/2 "? Would I kill off to much


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[CCXGT]

I don't see why you WOULD'NT want to at least skim the top layer to get detritus out.

I'd never try fully digging into it though.


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[Sniperhank]

Leave it. Don't disturb the sandbed. There is good stuff in there and detritus shouldn't lay on the sandbed if there is good flow in the tank. Also, some say that disturbing the sandbed can release toxic stuff that is trapped in there.


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[CCXGT]

Leave it. Don't disturb the sandbed. There is good stuff in there and detritus shouldn't lay on the sandbed if there is good flow in the tank. Also, some say that disturbing the sandbed can release toxic stuff that is trapped in there.


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That's very pedantic.


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[navaljonf]

I have a 2 1/2" to 3" sand bed, just wondering if it's bad to vacuum the top 1/2 "? Would I kill off to much


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Good or bad I vacuum mine in small sections when doing a water change. I haven't noticed any issues.


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[Maridia]

I also only skim the top. More than a year of doing this, no harm done yet.


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[BigRedsReefs10]

Leave it. Don't disturb the sandbed. There is good stuff in there and detritus shouldn't lay on the sandbed if there is good flow in the tank. Also, some say that disturbing the sandbed can release toxic stuff that is trapped in there.


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+1, assuming you have proper flow there should be no need. Detritus shouldn't be settling on the sand. I doubt that if it's done regularly that ant toxic build ups would be released, but you could've stripping it of beneficial life forms that reside there. I've never vacuumed a sand bed in a sw tank in the last 5 years and never had any problems with them.

 

[BLUElobster99]

Regardless of the pros and cons of vacuuming sand (there are an abundance of cons) it just makes a mess. And a little bit of sand always get siphoned up into the bucket. So when you go to pour out the old tank water you're always pouring out some sand. Which is a surefire way to clog a drain

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[Rockster2]

Interesting thread. I've always vacuumed the top layer of the open sand bed as part of water changes. Never noticed any bad effects.


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[CCXGT]

Interesting thread. I've always vacuumed the top layer of the open sand bed as part of water changes. Never noticed any bad effects.


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I can understand why an aged tank might not want the sandbed disturbed.. But I don't understand why a new tank wouldn't.


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[Ingy]

I wouldn't want to suck up all the pods that reside in the top part of the sand. But I have a mandarin so pods are essential.

 

[Rockster2]

Hmm.... I've never noticed pods on top of the sand bed nor in any buckets where I've skimmed water from the top of the sand bed. I only see them on the live rock or the refugium.


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[Ingy]

Right where the sand comes against the glass, and it looks a bit like an ant farm. Those tunnels are from pods. Right close to the surface.


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