StevieT Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 So what is the deal with my live sand. It is getting awfully brown and it isn't as aesthetic any more. Is this just dead junk, rotting food, algae or what? I have vacuumed it in the past, but it is tough to completely clean it since sucking it causes it to go into my collection bucket then down the drain. I don't want to loose too much sand vacuuming it, it is so light that the suction takes it along with the water. The clean up crew stirs it up, but it just isn’t enough. Is it possible to add more sand to an existing tank? Any ideas?? Regards Link to comment
Pickle010 Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Adding more sand is only a temp fix to make it look pretty. Unless you identify what's going on you will only have the same issue again and very quickly. What is your set up? What are you using for flow? How long has it been set up? How often do you feed? What's your lighting? and what schedule is it on? What kind of water are you using for top offs and water changes? What are your water peramiters? Answering these questions will help people help you identify the problem. Link to comment
StevieT Posted June 21, 2007 Author Share Posted June 21, 2007 Adding more sand is only a temp fix to make it look pretty. Unless you identify what's going on you will only have the same issue again and very quickly. What is your set up? What are you using for flow? How long has it been set up? How often do you feed? What's your lighting? and what schedule is it on? What kind of water are you using for top offs and water changes? What are your water peramiters? Answering these questions will help people help you identify the problem. 12 gallon eclipse remora skimmer fluval 105 filter aqua clear power head live rock, live sand RO water for top offs, changes, Lighting 11 hours on This exact set up with the live rock and sand for about 6 months but the tank has been running for a year. Peramiters are all in check, except calc. which i can't test till tomorrow when i get my testing kit. Feeding once a day, 5 days a week. Feed the clown in the morning dry food. The Cardnial gets MYSIS shrimp in the afternoon. Nothing on the weekends since it is at my office. I don't have much algea anywhere else, assume it is a health tank but maybe not for the sand. This crap is nasty looking. Link to comment
Drez Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Looks like algae to me. The usual feed less, reduce phosphates, increase laminar flow apply. It's a common problem, I battle it myself. Reducing light cycles helps as well. Link to comment
StevieT Posted June 21, 2007 Author Share Posted June 21, 2007 Looks like algae to me. The usual feed less, reduce phosphates, increase laminar flow apply. It's a common problem, I battle it myself. Reducing light cycles helps as well. Thanks Drez. I have a feeling it is algae, i will try your sudgestions Link to comment
coolwaters Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 looks like live rock die off...and some diatoms but thats good its colorful now. Link to comment
sammy113 Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 I have the same problem. Also getting some red slime. I HATE that stuff in the sand bed. Looks awful. I made my phosphates tests and was almost zero so I think high phosphates is not the problem... nitrates are also 0. Light 8 hrs. I don't even have a clue man. I'm considering getting a diamond goby. Have you think about that? That guy is all day eating sand and throwing it away. Let us know if you have any success with this. I'll be watching to solve my problem too. Link to comment
Drez Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 The goby won't eat that stuff, he's eating the critters in the sand. So he might stir the sand up a little, but on the con side hes also consuming critters that eat the extra food in your tank, which might mean more food for algae anyway. While getting him wont hurt, I doubt it'll help either. Link to comment
StevieT Posted June 22, 2007 Author Share Posted June 22, 2007 looks like live rock die off...and some diatoms but thats good its colorful now. Some of it is die off, but that doesn't bother me since it is rock. But the rest is just crap, maybe algae. I stuck my had down there yesterday and fanned the top layer, it instantly sent up a cloud of crap into the water for my filter to suck up. Now that area is nice and white. At this point i am concluding that it is tank crap, some algae and probably diatioms, yet i am confused as to what those actually are. I need to find a good way to get flow down there. My power head and filter output point in an X towards the top, leaving little flow down at the very bottom. I have a FLO rotating deflector on the way and it should be here soon FedEX. We'll see if that helps, scratch that FEDex guy just showed up! My last blenny used to stir up the sand more, he kept seeing his reflection and would chase that around for hours. It did a nice job for me! Yet he met his fate sadly with a powerhead accident over the memorial day weekend. I fixed that problem and the new one is either smarter or can't see himself. White sand is just more asthetic! Go away brown! Link to comment
Sea Slug Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 Sand beds need constant turning to stay white . To keep sandbeds clean in reef tanks there are a couple options , The Brownbarred Goby is the best sandsifter goby out there , not the best looking fish but a hard worker and fairly cheap , the draw back with this fish is it drops sand all over your corals and you have to blow off the sand daily , but there great for fish only tanks . I use sea cucumbers to keep my sand beds clean in my reef tanks they do great job but one will never keep up , for example I have three in my 54 gallon reef and the sand is always stark white . Link to comment
sammy113 Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 I heard of some kind of sand sifting cucumber but not sure if its safe on a nano and if they really do their job. Link to comment
Sea Slug Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 Here you go maybe this will help http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Di....cfm?pCatId=712 Link to comment
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