Shallow Sand bad and syphoning

maroun.c · 10/07/2009, 09:09 AM

Does keeping a shallow sand bed necessitate syphonin it? how frequently does it need to be done. Can you keep a shallow sand bed and not syphon it at all and in this case what would happen to trapped detritus that's not consumed by the cleanup critters?

mahalamata · 10/07/2009, 09:19 AM

I have a shallow sand bed and there seems to be crud all over the place if I don't syphon the sand bed when doing my WC. I do a WC every 2 weeks,everytime theres is alot of muck I pull up with the syphon....I guess its what my CC don't get,but I would suggest cleaning the sand bed at least once a month.Just my opinion...

SunnyX · 10/07/2009, 09:47 AM

I siphon mine once every month or so. It helps to keep it looking clean, and is an easy method of removing detritus. After siphoning the sand bed I add a double dose of MB7 to make up for any bacteria that had been removed during the process. More details can be found here: http://www.rimlessreef.com/1/post/20...your-reef.html

DT's_Reef · 10/07/2009, 10:06 AM

There's no rules regarding how often, etc. It really depends on what's going on in your tank. I have a very shallow sand bed and my tank went through a long phase of accumulating algae crud here and there so I had to siphon the top more frequently. I don't siphon all at once, but rather just a portion each water change, as I don't like to pick up too many good critters.

Some people have pristine looking sand and never siphon. It just depends.

But totally nothing wrong with siphoning a bit of the surface at a time.

username in use · 10/07/2009, 10:42 AM

I keep a 2 inch sandbed of oolitic, and I never have anything buildup. Its clean and white all the time. The key is to get a CUC that works and is sized properly for the tank and sand in question.

fasteddie99 · 10/07/2009, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by username in use

I keep a 2 inch sandbed of oolitic, and I never have anything buildup. Its clean and white all the time. The key is to get a CUC that works and is sized properly for the tank and sand in question.

Ditto.

I have about 2" of sandbed and it never gets nasty. I have about a dozen nassarius snails and a ton of bristle worms to keep everything clean.

When the tank was acclimating I was getting clumpy nasty brown sand so I syphoned it one time and that seemed to take care of everything.

ludnix · 10/07/2009, 11:43 AM

I never siphon my sand bed, I haven't seen any detritus settling in there so I've had no reason to.

DiverJohn101 · 10/07/2009, 12:10 PM

I've never syphoned my sand... I have about a 2" sandbed, though I do have a decent CUC. In addition, I have two gobies... 1- Orange Diamond Goby and 1- Engineering goby. Between the gobies and the cleanup crew my sand is a prestine white, and my parameters are dialed in.

Although, you should have some good flow in the tank to keep the detritus up in the water column and have it flush itself out.

Just a thought... Maybe you can find yourself a nice mated pair of orange diamond gobies for your tank. They are very interesting to watch and do a great job on the sand.

HTH,

DiverJohn

Toddrtrex · 10/07/2009, 12:18 PM

Really depends on the tank.

All 3 of my tanks have shallow sand beds, and I vac them with each weekly water change. My CUC for sand beds is small/no existent --- have Haddoni carpet anemones is the reason for that.

maroun.c · 10/07/2009, 12:21 PM

Thanks for the replies.
Great Write up Sonny. for a 2-3 inch Sand bed would you just syphon the top 1-2 inches or would you go all the way down?

pmrossetti · 10/07/2009, 01:09 PM

I'm with Sonny.

jenglish · 10/07/2009, 01:28 PM

I think you are better off siphoning. Even with a good CUC... CUC still poops. Removing some of the bacteria is removing some of the nutrients bound up in the bacteria. I believe regular or even semi regular siphoning extends the lifespan of any sandbed.

lordofthereef · 10/07/2009, 02:39 PM

I never siphon. CUC takes care of it all. Params are spot on too so I figure if it isn't broken don't fix it.

10/07/2009, 09:09 AM	#1
maroun.c Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Lebanon Posts: 6,111	Shallow Sand bad and syphoning Does keeping a shallow sand bed necessitate syphonin it? how frequently does it need to be done. Can you keep a shallow sand bed and not syphon it at all and in this case what would happen to trapped detritus that's not consumed by the cleanup critters? __________________ 390 G mixed reef build Current Tank Info: 390G mixed reef

10/07/2009, 09:19 AM	#2
mahalamata Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: UK,Portsmouth Posts: 244	I have a shallow sand bed and there seems to be crud all over the place if I don't syphon the sand bed when doing my WC. I do a WC every 2 weeks,everytime theres is alot of muck I pull up with the syphon....I guess its what my CC don't get,but I would suggest cleaning the sand bed at least once a month.Just my opinion... __________________ 30g nano dispaly tank 10g sump/fudge Eheim return (3000 lph) 4x24w t5 luminare(2x14K marine white,1xactinic,1x 10k) Tunze DOC 9002 skimmer Koralia 1 Current Tank Info: 30g nano

10/07/2009, 10:42 AM	#5
username in use Sciencing Daily Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 6,560	I keep a 2 inch sandbed of oolitic, and I never have anything buildup. Its clean and white all the time. The key is to get a CUC that works and is sized properly for the tank and sand in question. __________________ Joshua "With fronds like these, who needs anemones?" - Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: multiple nano's sprinkled around the house

10/07/2009, 11:43 AM	#7
ludnix Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: California Posts: 3,031	I never siphon my sand bed, I haven't seen any detritus settling in there so I've had no reason to. __________________ -Eric Sutter Current Tank Info: 14g Biocube

10/07/2009, 12:18 PM	#9
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	Really depends on the tank. All 3 of my tanks have shallow sand beds, and I vac them with each weekly water change. My CUC for sand beds is small/no existent --- have Haddoni carpet anemones is the reason for that. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

10/07/2009, 09:47 AM	#3
SunnyX Moved On Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 4,991	I siphon mine once every month or so. It helps to keep it looking clean, and is an easy method of removing detritus. After siphoning the sand bed I add a double dose of MB7 to make up for any bacteria that had been removed during the process. More details can be found here: http://www.rimlessreef.com/1/post/20...your-reef.html

10/07/2009, 10:06 AM	#4
DT's_Reef Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 3,083	There's no rules regarding how often, etc. It really depends on what's going on in your tank. I have a very shallow sand bed and my tank went through a long phase of accumulating algae crud here and there so I had to siphon the top more frequently. I don't siphon all at once, but rather just a portion each water change, as I don't like to pick up too many good critters. Some people have pristine looking sand and never siphon. It just depends. But totally nothing wrong with siphoning a bit of the surface at a time.

10/07/2009, 12:10 PM	#8
DiverJohn101 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Miami, Florida Posts: 91	I've never syphoned my sand... I have about a 2" sandbed, though I do have a decent CUC. In addition, I have two gobies... 1- Orange Diamond Goby and 1- Engineering goby. Between the gobies and the cleanup crew my sand is a prestine white, and my parameters are dialed in. Although, you should have some good flow in the tank to keep the detritus up in the water column and have it flush itself out. Just a thought... Maybe you can find yourself a nice mated pair of orange diamond gobies for your tank. They are very interesting to watch and do a great job on the sand. HTH, DiverJohn

10/07/2009, 12:21 PM	#10
maroun.c Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Lebanon Posts: 6,111	Thanks for the replies. Great Write up Sonny. for a 2-3 inch Sand bed would you just syphon the top 1-2 inches or would you go all the way down? __________________ 390 G mixed reef build Current Tank Info: 390G mixed reef

10/07/2009, 01:09 PM	#11
pmrossetti Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Cali. Posts: 3,199	I'm with Sonny.

10/07/2009, 01:28 PM	#12
jenglish Marquis de Carabas Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,523	I think you are better off siphoning. Even with a good CUC... CUC still poops. Removing some of the bacteria is removing some of the nutrients bound up in the bacteria. I believe regular or even semi regular siphoning extends the lifespan of any sandbed. __________________ Jeremy Brown liquor never hurt anybody “Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse" Pierre-Simon Laplace I should want to cook him a simple meal, but I shouldn't want to cut into him, to tear the flesh, to wear the flesh, to be born unto new worlds where his flesh becomes my key. Current Tank Info: broken and dry

10/07/2009, 02:39 PM	#13
lordofthereef One reef to rule them all Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Leominster, MA Posts: 5,299	I never siphon. CUC takes care of it all. Params are spot on too so I figure if it isn't broken don't fix it.