I've read that is will do more harm than good to disturb an established sandbed by vacuuming it. But since we are octo owners, how do we keep the snails, crabs, and other scavengers we need to keep the sand clean and the algae under control? Are there scavengers that an octopus won't eat? I know you can use more flow so the waste won't settle to the bottom as easy and be more directed to the filters. But as time goes on, won't the sandbed eventually get pretty messy? Which is why I ask....Is it EVER ok to vacuum a sandbed??

You're confusing a regular sand bed with a deep sand bed (used for natural nitrate reduction). For your regular sand bed, vacuum to your heart's content!

Dan

For aesthetic purposes, many use an inch or less layer of sand. A great way to make it easy to clean is to have NO sand bed! That makes it easy to have flow against the bottom to not allow detritus to settle. If any does settle, its easily vacuumed.