Keeping livesand substrate clean and spotless...

Porkibear · 08/08/2006, 09:44 AM

I've had my tank now for a year now, and when I started out, I bought wet live-sand from the LFS to seed the tank. It was pretty much pure white sand/substrate to begin with. Over the months, I've gone through maybe 2-3 diamond gobies (all starved to death by my agressive kole tang), but they've all done a great job keeping the substrate nice and clean. I also still have a bunch of hermit crabs and a few nassarius snails cleaning the sand bed as well.

However, I'd say in the last 2 months (since my last diamond goby has passed away), the substrate has gotten increasingly "dirty-looking". Quite honestly, the top layer of substrate sand is coated (not with cyano bacteria) with a thin layer of purple. It almost looks like it's starting to get coated with coraline. I also recently purchased a sand-sifting star to aerate the sand bed, but it hasn't really done much to get rid of the purple color on the surface of the sand bed.

Are there any "clean-up" type creatures that would be able to get the substrate back to the white it used to be? BTW, I know it's not cyano, because it's not a slimy coating. It just looks like each sand particle at the surface is starting to get a thin layer of coraline coating.

Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks!

asd123 · 08/08/2006, 09:49 AM

How deep is the sand bed?
I would probably start vacuming it while doing water changes.

I am having a similar problem in my SSB, I have red cynao covering it.

My advice is to clean the sand bed by siphoning out the algae and detridus in it and reduce feedings, skim wet, and do more water changes with ro di water. I doubt it is coralline, sounds like cynao bateria algae

Porkibear · 08/08/2006, 09:54 AM

Thanks for the advice...

Honestly though...I'll need to take a picture for you guys to show what the sandbed looks like. I've actually had break-outs of cyano earlier on last year, and I know what cyano looks like. This, I don't think is cyano.

Simply put...individual grains of sand look a discolored purple, almost as if they were put in a purple dye. Also, I've noticed that larger pieces of the substrate have settled on the top of the sand bed.

I'll try posting a picture of the sandbed later on today. My camera is only 1.5 megapixel, so I'm not sure if it'll pick up a good macro picture of the substrate.

asd123 · 08/08/2006, 09:57 AM

I have the same thing, trust me its cynao, You say you have seen it before, there are different types of cynao that come in different colors.

Can I have Nitrate and phospate readings, whats ur fish load, what skimmer r u using, husbandry schedule etc Pleaz

Porkibear · 08/08/2006, 10:08 AM

Hmmm..ok. Here are my parameters:

60 gal
1 kole tang
1 false perc clown
1 flame angel
1 cleaner shrimp
10 turbo snails
12-15 red-legged hermits
10 nassarius
1 sand-sifting star

20 gal sump
Coralife Super Skimmer 65 pulling a cup-load of gunk once a week
2 powerheads for water flow
1 return

Last time I checked water parameters is about two weeks ago:

ph-- 8.0
Am-- 0 ppm
Nitrate-- 0ppm
Nitrite-- 5ppm
salinity-- 1.0235

Tank stability has been good, other than possible temperature fluctuations due to the extreme heat recently...but the discoloration of the substrate had started only after the last diamond goby died (since there was no inhabitant that was filtering through the sand). Also, the diamond goby was only willing to filter through only one side of the tank, because the kole tang would chase it away from the other side. The side the goby was afraid of had substrate that was discolored. Not sure if that info helps.

Currently, I don't have any phosphate testers. I only feed my fish a pinch of formula one pellets once a day, and usually never on weekends. Usually all the food is consumed because I hand feed or spot feed everything.

asd123 · 08/08/2006, 10:14 AM

Nitrite is a toxic compound next to ammonia... youre tank is npt stable if you have a nitrite reading.... Do you mean NItrates ate 5 ppm?

Maybe more flow is in order..... Cynao usullay developes when there is lack of flow and poor water quality. Up the flow. reduce feedings, more water changes, skim wet. 3

DO you use ro di water ?

Anemonebuff · 08/08/2006, 10:27 AM

Diect more flow towards the sandbed. Cyano does not fare well in high flow.

Porkibear · 08/08/2006, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by asd123
Nitrite is a toxic compound next to ammonia... youre tank is npt stable if you have a nitrite reading.... Do you mean NItrates ate 5 ppm?

Maybe more flow is in order..... Cynao usullay developes when there is lack of flow and poor water quality. Up the flow. reduce feedings, more water changes, skim wet. 3

DO you use ro di water ?

I'll try directing my powerheads at the sand-bed. Actually, I think you're right...it's nitrates at 5ppm. I don't have my test log with me, so I can't really say for sure.

The water I use is pre-mixed from the LFS. I'm pretty sure they have a commercial RO/DI unit at the store.

08/08/2006, 09:44 AM	#1
Porkibear Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Orange County Posts: 186	Keeping livesand substrate clean and spotless... I've had my tank now for a year now, and when I started out, I bought wet live-sand from the LFS to seed the tank. It was pretty much pure white sand/substrate to begin with. Over the months, I've gone through maybe 2-3 diamond gobies (all starved to death by my agressive kole tang), but they've all done a great job keeping the substrate nice and clean. I also still have a bunch of hermit crabs and a few nassarius snails cleaning the sand bed as well. However, I'd say in the last 2 months (since my last diamond goby has passed away), the substrate has gotten increasingly "dirty-looking". Quite honestly, the top layer of substrate sand is coated (not with cyano bacteria) with a thin layer of purple. It almost looks like it's starting to get coated with coraline. I also recently purchased a sand-sifting star to aerate the sand bed, but it hasn't really done much to get rid of the purple color on the surface of the sand bed. Are there any "clean-up" type creatures that would be able to get the substrate back to the white it used to be? BTW, I know it's not cyano, because it's not a slimy coating. It just looks like each sand particle at the surface is starting to get a thin layer of coraline coating. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks!

08/08/2006, 09:49 AM	#2
asd123 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: New Jersey, Usa Posts: 43	How deep is the sand bed? I would probably start vacuming it while doing water changes. I am having a similar problem in my SSB, I have red cynao covering it. My advice is to clean the sand bed by siphoning out the algae and detridus in it and reduce feedings, skim wet, and do more water changes with ro di water. I doubt it is coralline, sounds like cynao bateria algae __________________ John

08/08/2006, 09:57 AM	#4
asd123 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: New Jersey, Usa Posts: 43	I have the same thing, trust me its cynao, You say you have seen it before, there are different types of cynao that come in different colors. Can I have Nitrate and phospate readings, whats ur fish load, what skimmer r u using, husbandry schedule etc Pleaz __________________ John

08/08/2006, 10:14 AM	#6
asd123 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: New Jersey, Usa Posts: 43	Nitrite is a toxic compound next to ammonia... youre tank is npt stable if you have a nitrite reading.... Do you mean NItrates ate 5 ppm? Maybe more flow is in order..... Cynao usullay developes when there is lack of flow and poor water quality. Up the flow. reduce feedings, more water changes, skim wet. 3 DO you use ro di water ? __________________ John

08/08/2006, 09:54 AM	#3
Porkibear Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Orange County Posts: 186	Thanks for the advice... Honestly though...I'll need to take a picture for you guys to show what the sandbed looks like. I've actually had break-outs of cyano earlier on last year, and I know what cyano looks like. This, I don't think is cyano. Simply put...individual grains of sand look a discolored purple, almost as if they were put in a purple dye. Also, I've noticed that larger pieces of the substrate have settled on the top of the sand bed. I'll try posting a picture of the sandbed later on today. My camera is only 1.5 megapixel, so I'm not sure if it'll pick up a good macro picture of the substrate.

08/08/2006, 10:08 AM	#5
Porkibear Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Orange County Posts: 186	Hmmm..ok. Here are my parameters: 60 gal 1 kole tang 1 false perc clown 1 flame angel 1 cleaner shrimp 10 turbo snails 12-15 red-legged hermits 10 nassarius 1 sand-sifting star 20 gal sump Coralife Super Skimmer 65 pulling a cup-load of gunk once a week 2 powerheads for water flow 1 return Last time I checked water parameters is about two weeks ago: ph-- 8.0 Am-- 0 ppm Nitrate-- 0ppm Nitrite-- 5ppm salinity-- 1.0235 Tank stability has been good, other than possible temperature fluctuations due to the extreme heat recently...but the discoloration of the substrate had started only after the last diamond goby died (since there was no inhabitant that was filtering through the sand). Also, the diamond goby was only willing to filter through only one side of the tank, because the kole tang would chase it away from the other side. The side the goby was afraid of had substrate that was discolored. Not sure if that info helps. Currently, I don't have any phosphate testers. I only feed my fish a pinch of formula one pellets once a day, and usually never on weekends. Usually all the food is consumed because I hand feed or spot feed everything.

08/08/2006, 10:27 AM	#7
Anemonebuff Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: LI,NY Posts: 3,877	Diect more flow towards the sandbed. Cyano does not fare well in high flow.