disturbing sand bed (1 Viewer)

[G-reef]

hello, all I HAVE read that it is bad to stir up the sand bed in my reef tank. can anyone tell me why this is and what it can cause. Just wondering as tomorrow is tank clean up day and I don't want to cause any unnecessary actions in my tank. all is well right now and I want ''need" it to stay this way.....thanks

 

[cacarnold3]

Well, I can say that I have vacuumed the sandbed in the past without any major consequences. I also had a professional aquarium company move my tank while partially full of water and corals and it stirred up the sandbed so much that it killed several corals. I just think it depends how MUCH you disturb the sandbed.

 

[G-reef]

thanks

I do see that... my sand bed traps little air bubbles in it........I usually just poke my tweezers at them to release them........should I not?

 

[Motoristx]

I get a dowel rod and stir mine up... well... I stir up the spots my Happy Engineer goby doesn't get. I just try not to get the "dust" kicked up too much.

 

[rlpardue]

Some questions might help:
-How deep is your sand bed?
-What kind of substrate is it? (Caribsea seafloor? Tropic Eden ReefFlakes?)
-How old is it?
-What kind of sand-stirring/sifting animals are in the tank?
-How brisk is your flow? Does detritus settle much?

 

[CBBSteve]

I do see that... my sand bed traps little air bubbles in it........I usually just poke my tweezers at them to release them........should I not?

Hi, G-reef.
Don't worry about those little "air" bubbles in your sand bed. They're not really air, they're pure nitrogen - completely inert and harmless. They are the end result of the nitrogen reduction cycle. Means your sandbed is doing its job. You've heard the old saying - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

BTW, I never stir my sand bed.

good luck,
Steve

 

[Reefkeeper]

Some questions might help:
-How deep is your sand bed?
-What kind of substrate is it? (Caribsea seafloor? Tropic Eden ReefFlakes?)
-How old is it?
-What kind of sand-stirring/sifting animals are in the tank?
-How brisk is your flow? Does detritus settle much?

+1. Good questions with the above a solid answer can be provided

 

[ExoticReefer]

I kind of think of the sandbed as my tanks diaper. It filters out the crap and detritus. A good cleanup crew can help keep it clean as long as it never is too far gone on being dirty, then it may be time to change that stanky diaper. But in general I don't change my sand, although I have added extra and vacuum/siphon some out very rarely or if I switch tanks. Not sure how correct all that is just how I think of it.

 

[ExoticReefer]

So to answer the question, I leave my sandbed alone for the most part and let the goby and cleanup crew stir it up and do the work for me.

 

[G-reef]

thank all of you very much.......... I feel better about it now...

 

[fire123]

thank all of you very much.......... I feel better about it now...

You never answered rlpardue so you never got his answer.
I don't know if you are feeling better because you know all the answers already or is it because you are sticking your head in the sand .