Maybe I'm not getting the big picture...

[OneThunder]

my thought was the sand or coral in the bottom of the tank was full of "stuff" that helped with the bio system in the tank. I have two fish that clean up the bottom. my hsuband thinks we should "vacuum" the bottom. Am I missing something?

 

[sdsheeks]

I never clean my sand.....It would all drain out into a bucket. It is a lot different than the gravel.

Dave

 

[selgado]

It takes a long time to build up enough "stuff" to efficiently process the detritus (fish poop). Until then, your sand bed is a net increaser of nutrients in your tank and it can be tough to manage. I have been known to stir a small section of my sandbed, just before I replace my filter pad so I get a lot of what I just stirred from the sand bed out.

 

[bigbenji]

I think you vacuum gravel in freshwater tanks, just because it looks bad. Your sand bed is part of your filtration system, and it would disappear if you vacuum it. If it's getting "dirty" try increasing the flow or maybe stirring up that section a little. If you get the crud into the water column it should get filtered out.

 

[hllywd]

I vacuum mine whenever I change water. I try to do it as gently as I can to not suck up too much sand. The sand I do remove goes back in with the new water... There's always some silt I can remove and make the sand bed look better.

 

[OneThunder]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6860496#post6860496 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by selgado
It takes a long time to build up enough "stuff" to efficiently process the detritus (fish poop). Until then, your sand bed is a net increaser of nutrients in your tank and it can be tough to manage. I have been known to stir a small section of my sandbed, just before I replace my filter pad so I get a lot of what I just stirred from the sand bed out.

I have crushed coral it's like the consistency of gravel.

 

[hllywd]

I think you should sweep it if you want, it will always look cleaner. Just my opinion though.

 

[Dubbin1]

I don't think you are even getting the small picture

 

[OneThunder]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6860618#post6860618 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dubbin1
I don't think you are even getting the smal picture

I take back the nice thing I said about you on the Nora website

 

[skippysmind]

:lmao:

 

[bigdaddyadam]

I too have crushed coral and I use a vacumm attachment on my tubing to vacumm as much of the substrate as possible when doing a water change, I usually get a LOT of deterious material out that way. I think this is THE major differnce between CC and SB. crushed coral traps a LOT of junk and due to its nature it doesn't provide a whole lot of means for processing it, it just collects and then you get funky cyano outbreaks on the surface and what not. I advise you to vacumm with a tube vacumm as much as possible. you can get one at meijers or Gary's cheap.
your tank will look much better if you do.

I personally want to change over to a sandbed at some point but it will be a big chore so not right now

sandbed folks are also vacuming? how are you able to do so without sucking out the sand itself?

 

[Dubbin1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6860726#post6860726 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by OneThunder
I take back the nice thing I said about you on the Nora website

But you were talking about Adam

 

[bigbenji]

Would nassarius snails help? I've seen them burrow into crushed coral.

 

[Dubbin1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6860853#post6860853 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bigbenji
Would nassarius snails help? I've seen them burrow into crushed coral.

nassarius snails are like a freaking little army. I will always have them in my system.

 

[hllywd]

I do vac my sand Adam most of it's heavy enough not to suck out but if it does I dump it back in. Istill get the detritus on top of the sand and like to remove it once in a while. I just don't get as crazy as you would with CC...

 

[KingDiamond]

I never vacumm the sand or crushed coral in a reef system! It pulls out all the macroinvertebrates that you want in the substrate. Anyone I know with a sucessful reef system never has put a gravel vacumm anywhere near thier tank.

Brad

 

[OneThunder]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6860845#post6860845 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dubbin1
But you were talking about Adam

Nope. check it out-Post by Dubbin1

 

[Dubbin1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6860945#post6860945 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by KingDiamond
Anyone I know with a sucessful reef system never has put a gravel vacumm anywhere near thier tank.

Well I would like to think that I have a successful reef and I vacuum my sand when I feel it needs it.

 

[hllywd]

I'd disagree King, what about people with BB tanks? They don't have a sand bed or CC anyway. The sand bed isn't absolutely necessary in the first place. I just prefer to have mine clean looking and it seems to work...

 

[bigbenji]

Brad, you should put your credentials in your signature. I only know because I've read the TRAC forum too. Someone with your knowledge and experience can certainly teach us all.