stirring sandbed

[nyguardian21]

is it recommend to assist the cleanup crews in our tanks by occassionally stirring the sandbed to prevent dead spots or will it be more harmful than beneficial??
Asking because I got bored this morning and stirred my sand lightly with a fork.

 

[fritz]

more harmfull.

 

[marrone]

If you haven't done it before, or have fish or inverts doing it, and the tank has been running for quite some time you can release bad stuff from the sand bed into the tank. If the tank isn't that old then moving around the sand bed wouldn't be that bad and is actually some thing that needs to be done. Sand stiffers inverts or even fish will usually do that for you.

 

[MPISCIOTTI]

i stir up my sand bed all the time. and my bed is 5 years old never had any problems. auctally it make the sand stay nice and white

 

[VJ&POOPS]

I heard that it does not matter if the sand bed is stirred up.....if you're speaking or referring to harmful chemicals like nitrate....I don't think sand can trap nitrate from water, however, if the sand isn't move around and there are decaying organisms/food trapped in the sand that may lead to a nitrate build up....(sandsifters and clean up crews usually prevent that).

 

[jenniebutterfly]

i don't knwo about stirring a dsb, but i stir shallow sand beds a bit. not too much, but just enough to keep it looking nice

 

[Tonyscoots84]

I heard that it does not matter if the sand bed is stirred up.....if you're speaking or referring to harmful chemicals like nitrate....I don't think sand can trap nitrate from water, however, if the sand isn't move around and there are decaying organisms/food trapped in the sand that may lead to a nitrate build up....(sandsifters and clean up crews usually prevent that).

VJ stirring an established dsb is very bad for the tank... over time it stores alot of stuff that will be harmful if released after a long time.. ... also when the 2 bacterias that are found in the sand bad mix isnt that bad as well?....... but thats something i wouldnt do in a established dsb... thats what the sand sifters are for...