Keeping Your Sand Bed Clean

[Broadfield]

I'm constantly getting asked how I keep my tank so clean. I figured I would make a quick video focusing on the sand bed and how I keep it spotless. I use to "stir" it with the end of my Eheim tongs, but this method is even easier and less invasive around the corals.

NOTE: If you currently have a really dirty sand bed, then I recommend only doing a section at a time, over a few week period. You will keep doing the previously cleaned section(s) twice a week though. Then once you get to the last section, you can do the entire tank twice/week.



The tank for reference:

FTS by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

 

[DeontaeDidIt]

Cool!

 

[tdyrkacz]

what sand is that? Looks quite coarse.

 

[Reefanatik]

Very nice set up. Nice and clean.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The tank for reference:

Sooo many folks say "never clean your sand bed", micro fauna bla bla bla bacteria(fingers crossed bala bla bla).
THIS is why you clean your sand bed.......

 

[Broadfield]

what sand is that? Looks quite coarse.

It is Tropic Eden Reeflakes Aragonite Sand.

 

[GatorScott]

Cool vid thanks!!

What's the red coral in the video?

 

[Broadfield]

Cool vid thanks!!

What's the red coral in the video?

Thanks! It's a ORA Red Goniopora

 

[LostInTheDark]

Good tip. I've been using a turkey baster on mine to do the same. The only thing that bothers me is that small line of algae I get right where I disturbed the top of the sand bed.

 

[Broadfield]

Good tip. I've been using a turkey baster on mine to do the same. The only thing that bothers me is that small line of algae I get right where I disturbed the top of the sand bed.

Hmmm, what exactly do you mean by a "small line of algae"?

 

[Midrats]

It is Tropic Eden Reeflakes Aragonite Sand.

What grade? Grand Select?

 

[Broadfield]

What grade? Grand Select?

"Aragonite Sand" is the grade... but they leave that part out in the chart. Essentially Aragonite Sand is the standard Reefflakes... which is 3mm.

Aragasnow - 0.5mm
Tonga Special Pink - 0.8mm
Miniflakes - 2.0mm
Mesoflakes - 2.7mm
Reefflakes - 3.0mm
Reefflakes Grand Select - 4.5mm

 

[LostInTheDark]

Hmmm, what exactly do you mean by a "small line of algae"?

I'll sometimes get a little brown right where the sand hits the glass. Takes a week or so to form. I assumed its nutrients leaching from the sand bed and growing on the glass where its not disturbed.

 

[wowkingjames]

Beautiful set up! Thanks for the info.

 

[WeezeReefing]

I'm constantly getting asked how I keep my tank so clean. I figured I would make a quick video focusing on the sand bed and how I keep it spotless. I use to "stir" it with the end of my Eheim tongs, but this method is even easier and less invasive around the corals.



The tank for reference:

FTS by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

Perfection! My tank goals lol

 

[Broadfield]

I'll sometimes get a little brown right where the sand hits the glass. Takes a week or so to form. I assumed its nutrients leaching from the sand bed and growing on the glass where its not disturbed.

Yeah, I do my entire sand bed like 2-3 times a week... so it never gets a chance to build up anything. Maybe try doing your turkey baster more frequent!?!

 

[brandon429]

the oldest home tanks from any size grouping on the web forums are taking direct action on the sandbed in some way vs leaving it hands off. if an old tank has an undergravel reverse filter for example, they may not need to stir it due to outflow from the bed...that's still an active vs passive design regarding waste storage.

the majority of sandbed keepers are not acting directly on the bed, they're leaving it alone mostly> but those actions don't comprise the setup for the longest running small and large home tanks--this decade is bringing about a change in how people see their sandbeds as areas of storage and not reduction.

action sandbedders are either acting directly as preventative care, or by catchup cleanings after accumulation, or in the case of rare reverse undergravel filters which push out detritus the sandbed is dealt with by being designed to push out waste and not sink it up.

Its not that untouched sandbeds don't work, the whole 90's was built on that premise. its that they're finite depending on volume and other factors. this way above will make old tank syndrome not ever appear, detritus is the sole cause of that condition in my findings and micro reefings.

Im as mean to my sandbed as can possibly be. it starts to turn brown due to nonexport, I take out the corals and rocks, set on counter, then tap rinse the whole bed in scalding hot water for 20 mins flushing every mud spec gone, then rebuild all back on top of a crystal white bed as a skip cycle rip cleaning (final bed rinse was in cool fresh saltwater)

Why are active bedders never posting problems in diatom and cyano problem threads?

while not practical for large tanks (preemptive cleaning much better clearly we see above) that rip method w make a nano live forever given all hardware and user error luck.

 

[Rakie]

Cool thread. Thanks to @saltyfilmfolks for linking the vid in another thread, and @Broadfield for making it.

I've always been a 'leave the sand alone' guy, and never had trouble.. But lately I've had a lot of trouble. Nutrients aren't the issue as far as testing goes, but I've considered removing the sandbed... Maybe it needs an extremely thorough cleaning though. As I prefer sand compared to a BB, this may be exactly what I'm looking for.

The problem is dinos -- They're gone, but after coming back twice (and everything testing well, chloramines, RODI in tip top shape, etc etc) I'm worried one day it'll just pop in again -_-

Having never dealt with an issue like dinos before, I'm anxious to do whatever is needed to keep it at bay.

 

[1Clown]

I personally use the TS technique which is BY FAR IS THE BEST technique IMO to clean the sand bed. I clean it because I like the aesthetic appearance of it being in tip top clean shape AND because if I were to disturb it by purpose or not, later on it wouldn't suddenly release all these nutrients in to the system shocking it and causing all kinds of issues. I also blast my rocks of any detritus at the same time.

 

[g5flier]

Toby, you are an inspiration, I've followed you throughout my 525XL build. I bought the same device and started cleaning my 6 month old sand bed about twice per week. Since doing so I've been battling diatoms on my sand. All water parameters are in check Nitrates 4ppm, Phosphate 0.03ppm, using RODI etc. Anyone else having this type of issue?