Is it safe to vacuum?

[Mperkins92]

I've let my HA go and grow in hope that it would consume all the nutrients from a fish mishap and an un cycled rock and it appears to have stopped (greatly slowed growing) and I want it gone now. Most of it is on the sanded and I'm preparing for a water change. Is it safe to just vacuum it all out with one of those gravel cleaners?

 

[Mperkins92]

Sand bed is also 3-4 inches of coral rubble

 

[JHamilton0170]

Probably ok. I've heard that disturbing the sandbed can release bad stuff into your water, but if you're just vacuuming the surface 1/2 inch or so I would think it would be fine. I've never had hair algae on the sandbed, but I've had lots of cyano and have vacuumed, scooped, sifted, etc. without any bad effects.

 

[Mperkins92]

Thankyou. I've heard the same things about disturbing the sand bed I'll take extra care not to go to deep

 

[redneckgearhead]

If you have coral rubble, I wouldn't worry to much about "bad stuff" that usually happens in older tanks with finer sand. I fear you will come to hate the crushed coral substrate, it will trap detritus and food and create more HA problems down the road. This substrate will need vacuuming regularly.

 

[dmatt88]

I've raked and vacuumed mine without ill effects.

........sps smells familiar.

 

[Doogle]

I dunno if 3-4 inches is considered a deep sand bed...

 

[BigAl07]

Here's how I look at it:

<1" - minimal sand bed... almost BB - Ok
1"-2" Shallow Sand Bed - Ok
2"-4" MEdium Sand Bed - Not a good idea... too deep for shallow but not deep enough for anaerobic bacteria
4"+ Deep Sand Bed - Ok

 

[Mperkins92]

I might just end up taking some of the rubble out then with the HA. And the rubble isn't the best in my opinion either but I've heard of a lot of people having trouble with "sandstorms" in their tanks when they use sand as a substrate

 

[Therapy]

Well now this is probably one of the hottest controversies out there! Going along with BigAl's depth ID chart, I'd say anything thats NOT a working DSB is safe to vacuum. If in doubt do half the tank each WC. If this is a working DSB then vacuuming is definitely hazardous. Have heard reports of Eric Borneman crashing his whole tank during testing of this theory. (SPS acro tank admittedly) This topic will not be solved to everybodies satisfaction in the very near future IMO. Even the "experts" are still debating the pro's and con's of DSB's and vacuuming. In a shallow SB, it pretty much is considered an acceptable practice. I'm certain some will disagree with this and thats fine too. But IMO.... knock yourself out!

 

[redneckgearhead]

I might just end up taking some of the rubble out then with the HA. And the rubble isn't the best in my opinion either but I've heard of a lot of people having trouble with "sandstorms" in their tanks when they use sand as a substrate

Just avoid the sugar fine sand and you should be fine. I used Carib sea aragonite seaflor special in my tank, love the look and no sand storms.

 

[Doogle]

Ya but it settles fairly soon, yes I have sugar sand and when I get my new tank started I will taking half of it out and putting it in the new tank and buying some larger grain sand both placing it on top of the sugar sand on both tanks. I read that for a DSB you place 3-4" of large grain sand on the bottom and 3-4" of fine sugar sand on top of it. I guess that makes sense because the fine sand on top makes for less oxygen to get in the sand bed, but I would want to do it the other way.

 

[redneckgearhead]

Ya but it settles fairly soon, yes I have sugar sand and when I get my new tank started I will taking half of it out and putting it in the new tank and buying some larger grain sand both placing it on top of the sugar sand on both tanks. I read that for a DSB you place 3-4" of large grain sand on the bottom and 3-4" of fine sugar sand on top of it. I guess that makes sense because the fine sand on top makes for less oxygen to get in the sand bed, but I would want to do it the other way.

That wont last, in short order the fine sand will settle underneath the course sand.

 

[Built347]

That wont last, in short order the fine sand will settle underneath the course sand.

Ya it definitely will... kindof nice actually... all the fine grain went to the bottom and stopped blowing all over the tank...