Clean Sand Bed and Refugium Question

[Chicagoreef2016]

I will be doing bi-weekly water changes on my 60 gallon. How often should I siphon the sand bed (1")? Each time I do a water change, once a month, less frequently?

Also, once I get my refugium up and running should I be siphoning out the mud/sand in there periodically?

Cheers!

 

[kfisc]

I'd leave the refugium alone entirely; it really is a refuge for beneficial life and processes for the DT. With just an inch of sand, you can let conditions be your guide, for example if algae is forming, but biweekly would do it, especially to keep gas pockets, detritus and toxins from building up.

 

[Chicagoreef2016]

I'd leave the refugium alone entirely; it really is a refuge for beneficial life and processes for the DT. With just an inch of sand, you can let conditions be your guide, for example if algae is forming, but biweekly would do it, especially to keep gas pockets, detritus and toxins from building up.

Perfect, thanks!

 

[Animagus]

I would probably stir up the sand bed in both the DT and the refugium once every month or so and go from there. If your vacuuming the substrate for the greater good of the tank then there's really no reason to just clean one and not the other IMO. Removing all that mud/sand in the refugium is definitely a viable option.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I siphon out the 'junk' on the bottom of my refugium about every 6 to 9 months. I don't see the reason to do it more often.

I never siphon the sand in my DT unless there is something seriously wrong, like a cyanobacteria outbreak. And that almost never happens.

 

[CStrickland]

I siphon my DT sand every water change, I think it's more stable than letting it get dirty and then stirring it all up. Occainsionally, maybe every other month, I will skip the sand and clean some other part of the tank like inside the overflow or the sump. I have noticed that the next time I do my sand after skipping a week for that or vacation or whatev, it is grosser than usual.

I don't have a fuge so idk how that is managed.

 

[Animagus]

I don't have a refugium either. No ATS, no RDSB, no GFO, no GAC etc. It's amazing what a little elbow grease can accomplish sometimes.

I use tap water too btw...