Pool Filter Sand - How often must i stir it up?

Hey guys,

I recently put PFS in my 55 gallon soon to be malawI tank. I just need to know how often must I stir up the sand? I won't have MTS in the tank to stir it up, but if that's a possibility then I will do it! I'm only worried about the fish eating them.

If I don't have them, how often should I stir up the sand?
If I do have them, how often then?

Also vacuuming the sand, is it also recommended to keep the weekly amount still? Thanks guys!

 

I stir my pool filter sand once every couple months. I've never seen any gas bubbles in it though. When I vacuum, I just let it hover over the top of it every time I do water changes.

 

I push a wooden dowel into about half of the sand each week.

 

Most fish can't eat MTS. Their shells are extremely tough and pointy. Puffers can eat the larger ones by literally sucking out the meat.
Your cichlids should actually do a good amount of the work for you, moving the sand around, but it's still a good idea to stir the sand somehow (I rely on my MTS, but Dino's method works well, as does simply vacuuming half of it each week).

 

Yeah I was intending just to rake my hand through it when I do vacuuming... But I actually didnt think about the cichlids, they will help with that! So just stir up half the sand every time I vacuum the surface? (Weekly in my case)

 

Pool filter sand is very uniform in size, so it is resistant to compacting.

I have snails so I never stir the sand.

 

So you're saying if I have MTS I don't have to stir up the sand?

 

If you have mts, they should stir the sand for you.

 

Okay thanks guys!

Great help!