Vacuuming a sand bed or not That is my question

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Leah

I think this should be good for 2 new polls...

You're just in a mood today, huh?? lol

[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.

[Masonjames]

Originally Posted by Kraken

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).

Sorry to use your circumstance as an example, and in no way am I directing anything to you, but your post is in no way out of the norm. Which makes me wonder why more people are not asking questions as to why? Sure allot of good questions are asked all the time but allot are not. And sometimes there is some bad answers provided wether intended or not. Why do so many of us have to deal with these sudden outbreaks or ongoing issues we struggle to control as a result of nutrient levels and or nutrient imbalances within our systems? Is that sand bed a major contributing factor? Is lack of proper maintenance of such fuelling our nutrient levels, fuelling our phosphate levels? Is cleaning that sand important? Is it better to leave it alone? Should we be concerned about such terms as biodiversity, or ecosystems? Should we be promoting more? Less? Which forms of life should we try and nurture and which should we try and eradicate? Which are considered irrelevant? Are we really just stuck with excessive amounts of phosphates within our systems? Where do they even come from? Do we only add them from external sources? Can our system create them internally? Do we have a phosphate problem? Why are they not detectable when we test and what does that mean? Why are they detectable and what does that mean? Do our tests even provide us with clear answers? Are there phosphates our test kits can not even measure? If so are they important? Is employing such tactics as macro algaes, gfo's, sponges, filters, carbons, and the like, just something we are all going to be forced to employ to deal with an excess of these nutrients? As such are these nutrients in excess inevitable and unavoidable and we must find means to maintain these excesses? Or can a healthy and thriving system free of any nuisances and excess nutrients be achieved without the need of these? Should we be excited when we have created the environment where macro algae thrives and we regularly have to harvest for export? Certainly for those wanting a nutrient rich environment for whatever reason, but for the typical reefer, should we be asking instead if we want to create an environment in the first place where we actually can steadily grow macro algae and the like? Should we have to choose the livestock we can keep or need to keep based upon what stock controls what nuisance? Are any practices we employ or lack there of contributing to such issues? How we feed? Do we over stock? Do we under-maintain critical aspects of our systems such as our sand beds? Over maintain? What about our live rock, are we creating an environment for it to function at its peak efficiency? Does it even matter if it does? What about the choices in the water we use?What about equipment choices? And which are important and which are not? Does any equipment we use aid in the increase of nutrients? What about our cuc? Do we have enough, do we need more? What role do they even play and how can we use them to our benefit? Are they even necessary? Do we put to much faith in them? Not enough?
What active roll are we playing ourselves by the choices we make and actions we take or do not take to determine our level of nutrients? And can we even be in control? Or are we at the mercy of the nutrients within our system and we must just find ways to cope?

I'm not gonna pretend to answer any of those with my opinions. And I'm not a sand hater and I am not opposed to nutrient control via anyway that works for an individual. And I am not trying to create any divisions between the ways people choose to run there system, as I firmly believe there is no right or wrong way of getting there. So my intention is not to offend anyone. But I also feel that excess nutrients and nuisances can also easily be avoided and kept in check under most circumstances, if we weren't so confused about some of the most basic and simple aspects of basic husbandry that can and do indeed play a massive role in the health of our system. Like cleaning a sand bed. Instead we advise a new user who are experiencing nutrient issues to go and grow macro algae and buy buckets of gfo or this chemical works wonders for this unwanted guest, then give them the thumbs up to add more fish, and feed there corals some more. When more then likely they could have avoided the need to do so from the start if they wernt so damn confused about seemingly simple and basic fundamentals and practices. Either way, I just want those who may have similar questions to those posted above or any questions for that matter to start looking for real answers. And to not just get an answer. But to find out why that is the answer.