Clean Sand...

[cosigner]

So I'm getting frustrated after seeing how clean a lot of nice reef tanks sand looks and I started wondering, am I missing something? I wouldn't say my substrate looks dirty by any means, but it definitely is not show tank status. Do these people just vacuum before snapping these amazing pictures? Has anyone used those battery powered substrate vacuums that recycle the water back into the tank after being run through a filter? Are they junk?

Post your tips for maintaining really clean sand.

 

[redstang]

Unless I'm having a cyan outbreak my sand stays clean. Wish I could say why lol!

I have a YWG that sifts the sand a little bit, her partner in crime the pistol shrimp moves everything around on it, some nassarius snails that disturb it, and half a dozen hermits that crawl all over it. I also have had an MP10 for flow in my BC29 so that might help as well.

I only vacuum the sand when I see detritus on it. When I first started I'd stir the surface of it each time I'd do a water change but stopped once I realized the pistol shrimp was pretty much doing the same thing.

 

[willie1983]

My sand stays pretty clean as well my dragon wrasse diggs all day long looking for copods keeps my 55 gallon beautiful I also was turning my sand to help with the detris and my goby and 20+hermits keep my 125 nice and sparkling

 

[fishlips]

"Sand"They still put that in there tanks.J/K. BB for me.

 

[cosigner]

I bought four snails yesterday and I can see a big difference already... not to mention on the rear wall. Thanks for all the input.

 

[spankdog]

I have a diamond goby that does a good job keeping my sand clean.

 

[jeffmuse]

The clean up crew has a huge impact on the look of your sand. Sand shifting inverts, along with snails will help move things around and the algae that forms on your SB.

A sand shifting goby will REALLY make your sand look good; however, be careful... if you ever leave frags/ corals in the sand, the goby will bury them.