How do you care for your sand bed?

[neptune]

I got to thinking after the September meeting about Paul B's comment - how sand beds fail every 10 years. How do you take care of your bed?

I moved rocks yesterday and changed my rock layout to enhance my new coral additions. The tank did get cloudy for a good 2 hours. I decided to stop moving my rocks for the day... and I will complete my changes today. Made me think maybe I should be stirring a part of the sand bed every week?

Neptune

 

[this is me]

I haven't made it to 10 years with the same tank...

 

[Chlorinated]

I believe his comment about 10 years was related to DEEP sandbeds not the standard shallow ones

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[thomb]

Gads I wish I could have a tank physically last 10 years... silicone must not be what it used to be.

 

[Dashiki]

I think Pauls tank is too afraid to fail at this point.

On Paul's advice long ago I started a monthly ritual of a sand storm before water changes. Stirs everything up and the month doesn't give time for gasses to build up. My sand bed is 2-2 1/2" deep I buy a bag of sand every year to replenish what has been sucked out during he storms

 

[KSC]

I'm going on 8.5 years with my 6" sandbed. That Southdown sand lasts forever....

 

[neptune]

Mine is 4 - 6 inches.. does that constitute a Deep Sand Bed? It was originally created for a Blue Spotted Jawfish...

Neptune

I like the sand storm idea monthly.. This doesn't unleash nitrate / gases that kill off the fish?

 

[KSC]

You need the right size sand to have a successful DSB. It needs to be very fine, not coarse like most "reef" sands sold. If you have a properly functioning DSB, you should not disturb it. It's the hydrogen sulfide that you need to worry about, not the nitrate gases.

http://www.ronshimek.com/deep_sand_beds.html