Can i disturb my sandbed

S

spongebob281

In Memoriam
i see alot of detritus and crap in my SB can i siphon out the first half inch or so? I dont think i shoudl go any deeper that'd be too much toxic realeasing back into the water column
 
That depends on alot of different factors. do you have a deep sand bed? how long has it been since your last gravel vac? how big is your tank? copper or no copper? pm me with questions
 
My SB is about 3" deep. My tank is 3 month old 75 G but i can see lot of dirty stuff in the SB... this would be my first gravel vac. Tank never saw a drop of copper
thanks
 
Vacuum in it small sections, not all at once. This way the vacuumed section will have a chance to have it's fauna repopulate, and you won't have issues caused by a major disruption of the entire sand bed ;)
 
"The Water Change"
There continues to be much debate regarding how much water to change and how frequently to change it.

I have tried every scenario and have learned through experience that a small-to-moderate water change every 1-2 weeks works best.

I know several people who prefer to change 25-30% of the water once each month. By the end of the third week, however, this maintenance routine begins to show its shortcomings.

I prefer a water change of 5-10% of the total tank volume (including sump) every 1-2 weeks. This schedule doesn’t allow nitrates to build up or trace elements to deplete too far.

To begin the water change, turn off your lighting to reduce the stress level in the tank. You may have to turn off some pumps as well, so they don’t run dry.

Be sure to have the replacement water ready at least 24 hours in advance. The temperature and salinity of the replacement water should match what is currently in your display tank.

While siphoning out water, use a gravel vacuum to remove as much debris from the tank as possible. Don’t worry if some of your corals are exposed to air for a short time; in the wild, corals are often exposed to air during low tide.

Once the desired amount of water has been removed, begin adding in the new water. Alternatively, you may opt to have a powerhead replace the water as you siphon to limit the likelihood your corals come into contact with air.

info by scott brang!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14083866#post14083866 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by manuelink
I have tried every scenario and have learned through experience that a small-to-moderate water change every 1-2 weeks works best.
Click to expand...

I don't think that makes much sense because every system is different, so I am not sure how anyone could claim to have tried 'every scenario'. Sure there are different methodologies, but all of them seem to work.

I know several people who prefer to change 25-30% of the water once each month. By the end of the third week, however, this maintenance routine begins to show its shortcomings.
Click to expand...

What short comings?

I prefer a water change of 5-10% of the total tank volume (including sump) every 1-2 weeks. This schedule doesn’t allow nitrates to build up or trace elements to deplete too far.
Click to expand...

How do you test the trace elements to make that determanition?
What if you aren't showing nitrate build up?
 
I saw that before. I thought that since you posted the article here that you supported it and might be able to answer my questions above.
 
Today i tested for phosphate and it's at 1.0 ppm. I think my SB is the culprit. I am now religiously vacuum my SB every two days to prevent nitrate buildup
 
spongeb........

At just three months "old" your tank is still maturing. Go VERY slow on ANY changes and let the tank mature. Now you dont say what's in there...I would hope just a few tough fish. At 1.0 PPM PO4 not a real serious problem with fish BUT a HUGE no no with any sensistive corals. You will soon be faced with all kinds of hair alge so yes do your water changes, gravel clean small area @ a time, keep a log book on what you do, what "general areas" you cleaned...and so on.

To handle the PO4 get a reactor ASAP and get that PO4 under control while you can....IMO !!!!!!!

Dick
 
im fishless for now as i have no luck keeping them(ich) My po4 is actually at .10 not 1.0ppm. I have phoslock in a mesh bag placed in the fuge...hasnt help yet but too soon to tell either way
 
Instead of vacuuming your sandbed, why not get a brittle star, a handfull of nassarius snails, a variety of hermit crabs, sally lightfoot, emrald, etc. Also increase your water flow and try to make some of it blow across your sand. Keep flow a few inches off the sand as to avoid blowing sand all over the tank. I believe in natural methods of cleaning/parasite removal if it is possible for you. I understand with some preditory fish, the clean up crew may not be possible. I have wartskin angler and he likes to eat emralds, but the sally lightfoot is fast and mean enough to avoid turning into lunch. Good luck!!!!
 
can try yellow head sleeper goby also. They are awesome sifters. also a sifting star? Many options, but imo, it would be best not to remove any sand.
 
A sleeper goby will sift any helpful fauna from the sand bed.

There are reasons to vacuum and reasons to go 'natural'. Neither is best and there are many opinions on the subject. Read everything and then decide what you prefer.
 
Already have a sand sifting star. I kinda having a buyer's remorse as i found out they dont last too long in an enclosed system such as ours. But sugar dosing helps cleaned my substrate and lowered my nitrate :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Niven
I'm back....and ready to jump back in, feet first in the deep end, speedo, everything!
2
Replies
24
Views
786
griss
griss
E
Red Sea weir overflow
Replies
9
Views
348
griss
griss
R
some random questions
Replies
1
Views
241
SantaMonica
S
OrionN
Naso elegans, the Blonde Naso
Replies
1
Views
363
OrionN
OrionN
E
What's Old is New Again
Replies
2
Views
498
Uncle99
Uncle99
Back
Top