I understand what your getting at but I don't understand how its a ticking time bomb. Is it the non-removal of trapped wastes that aren't getting eaten/broken down?
I'm a firm believer that a sand bed is needed in the main tank for reasons of feeding. Any food missed by the crabs/fish/corals get eaten by the brittle stars and other worms in the sand bed. Vacuuming the sand will kill all the life in the sand and I refuse to do it. I chose to use Cucumbers, Gobies and other sand sifters to move the sand around.
When I moved and had to pack up my tank, I lost a few fish when I accidently stirred my sand and spiked my nitrates. So I may need to rethink my own opinion lol
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-Wilty
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