We have come to understand that our sandbed is a lot cleaner / whiter than most because everyone who comes to visit our tank asks us the same thing... "how do you keep your sandbed so white?!?"

It could be the 20 or so nassarius snails we have that emerge like a plague at feeding time. But my main theory is that it's our diamond goby that keeps it so clean. He is the janitor of the tank and takes his job very seriously, constantly carrying a mouthful of sand from one spot to another!

One other thought: We also use a long-handled wooden spoon every two weeks to move some sand along the front glass line. The flow of our tank causes the sand to distribute in almost a V shape along the front glass, meaning the ends end up being much deeper than the middle, which can deplete down to bare bottom if we leave it alone for about a month. So every time we do a water change (usually every two weeks, sometimes three) I take the wooden spoon (that is strictly for aquarium use) and drag sand along the front glass line. This stirs the sand that is visible in that first inch or so of display and redistributes it evenly along the front glass.

I know there are different thoughts out there on whether or not it is advisable to stir the sand so do your homework before you decide to try this... would probably depend how deep your sandbed is, how old and established, etc. but this is what has worked for us for about two years now. Might suggest that you confer with Ping about your particular situation? He's our resident expert on sandbeds!