Cleaning the Sand during Maintenance

How to Refresh the Sand Bed During Monthly Maintenance

As part of your monthly maintenance, it's worth giving the sand bed a quick refresh.

Over time, a light layer of algae and organic material can settle on the surface. Gently turning the sand helps keep it looking clean and supports a healthy aquarium environment.

How to Turn the Sand

You can use either the scraper or a small aquarium net to gently stir the top layer of sand.

If you're using the scraper:

• keep the blade cover on while working in the sand to protect the blade
• avoid pushing the scraper against the glass, as this could scratch it
• gently bury the scraper into the sand before lifting and turning it over

As you do this, you may notice green algae or debris rising from the sand. This is normal and will be filtered by the aquarium.

Clean Up Any Remaining Algae

If you notice patches of algae that remain after turning the sand, you can gently remove them using the scourer included in your maintenance kit.

There's no need to overdo it. A light tidy-up is all that's required.

How Often Should You Do This?

We recommend refreshing the sand bed once a month, alongside your monthly glass scrape.

Combined with your weekly glass cleaning, this simple routine helps keep your Living Oceans aquarium looking clean while supporting a balanced reef ecosystem.