Gravel Vacuuming

[jayrob]

How often is too often for gravel Vacuuming? do you suggest moving the live rock or leaving set up as is? will over vacuuming cause the system to crash? (prevention better then cure), I know when the water is good because Seahorses do courting ritual but don't want to over clean the sand. Thanks

[Amphiprion]

I've never been a fan of vacuuming marine tanks, though some folks swear by it. Do you have gravel or sand? Have you been vacuuming it already? If you have a sand bed, have been vacuuming it the entire time, then quitting may actually cause more problems. This could be due to a loss of diversity from siphoning the bed. I prefer to have a good diversity of infauna to do the work for me. Sand beds set up in this manner have a much, much longer lifespan and can be done successfully for a good, long time.

[greech]

I graze the surface of my bed when I do a WC on occassion if I notice a dead spot area but I never vigorously vacuum it. I also will gently run my fingers through the bed to freshen it up a bit. Other than that I leave it be. How deep is your sandbed btw?