Calling Deep Sand Bed Owners……

[sesegaL99]

How often if ever do you vacuum your sand bed? I’ve never really done it on a 22 yr old tank. Top layer in front gets stirred once in a while as the glass cleaner blows by but the rest just has always accumulated dead snail shells misc detritus etc…. Has anyone ever gone from deep sand bed to shallow and what was your result? I’m hesitant to do anything but if theres huge benefits Id consider now before things get re-grown out.

 

[VintageReefer]

You’re not suppose to vacuum it. So they say. So I was told.

Years ago I had a 5-6” sand bed in a 46 bowfront reef. Full sps, 2x150w halides, it was sweet and ran for about 6 years. Until it completely crashed over the course of a month and I couldn’t stop it. I lost everything. I was in the hobby about 6-8 years at that point, I knew a lot but I lacked what I have now after 20+ years. Experience. At the time i had no idea what happened but I suspected it was from the sand bed.

And looking back I had all the tell tale signs of old tank syndrome.

If you wanted to convert to shallow sand bed I wouldn’t remove it from top to bottom gradually. Eventually you will get to layers that should remain unexposed. Or exposed minimally.

I would move left to right removing entire sections maybe 3” at a time every few days. Followed by water changes

The top layer you remove put in its own bucket and rinse stir pour rinse stir pour, repeat until clear, then as you gain space it can be readded creating a 2-3” depth

 

[liddojunior]

Don’t change substrate. If you want to do a new substrate, just do a new or tear down the tank.

If you want to keep it clean, you’re suppose to have sand shifting critters. I think deep sand beds basically require sand shifting critters.
The sand bed you have is an ecosystem right now, and disrupting it will be hazardous.

If you have to do it, the suggestion to do it a little at a time would be best.
Keep an eye for all parameters, an issue to watch will probably be a bacteria imbalance which can crash the cycle