Question

onecrzyboi4u · 11/02/2007, 12:54 PM

Okay i been wondering about this. When i take my algae scrapper and clean the glass sometimes i hit the sand when cleaning that far.. and when i hit the sand all this "funk" brown nasty stuff comes up from the sand. is this normal? i have some nassarious snails in there .. i 'm wondering should i add more or add something else

acrodave · 11/02/2007, 01:06 PM

When you do a water change try doing a gravel vac.

sruiz · 11/02/2007, 01:12 PM

try not to stir up all the junk in your tank. And yes thats normal everyone with sand has that. That is why some people decide to do bare bottom tanks with no sand and only live rock.

GlobaLPimP · 11/02/2007, 01:21 PM

note - not everyone with sand has that (maybe cloudy dust, but not nasty brown funk) I stir up my sand bed at least once a week with a turkey baister. All that gunk that you are seeing from your sand bed is BAD - and will lead to algae outbreaks due to excessive nutrients trapped in your sand bed if your not careful. The main reason people switch to bare bottom is to keep from having all that "crap" poluting their system. I learned this from an extremely respected LFS in my area. They have the best reputation in this area and their tanks are impeccable - no sand dust when they mix any of their tanks' sand with their hands. I'm not quite there yet, but I'm getting close. You just need to stay on top of it.
just my 2 pennies

uscharalph · 11/02/2007, 01:37 PM

I also use a gravel vac when I do water changes. I just vac the areas I can easily get to. My engineer goby stirs up a lot of the rest when he moves sand around.

onecrzyboi4u · 11/02/2007, 02:06 PM

how do you vac sand lol?

GlobaLPimP · 11/02/2007, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by onecrzyboi4u
how do you vac sand lol?

same way you vac gravel. However, due to the sand granules being so fine, you need to regulate the flow rate of the siphon to keep from sucking up the sand. It's a bit of a hastle with sand but it "can" be done.

wizzbane15 · 11/02/2007, 03:21 PM

a python is a good vac system. you can regulate the flow with a ball valve that it comes with.

onecrzyboi4u · 11/02/2007, 05:10 PM

Wouldn't i be loosing the good bacteria in the sand?

GlobaLPimP · 11/02/2007, 10:51 PM

you will get rid of more BAD than GOOD

spike78 · 11/02/2007, 11:26 PM

First of all, how deep is the sand bed? If you have a bed that is over 4 inches, you shouldn't vacuum or stir it, let it do it's thing. If you are getting a buildup of detrius on the top of the sand bed, you probably don't have enough flow over the sand.

If your bed is less than an inch, vacuum away.

A sand sifting animal may also help keep the sand clean in a shallow sand bed.

onecrzyboi4u · 11/02/2007, 11:38 PM

i have 2-3 inches of sand.. what are some good sand sifting animals besides gobies and cukes

killagoby · 11/02/2007, 11:41 PM

Some species of stars.

spike78 · 11/02/2007, 11:44 PM

You are in kind of a bad spot as far as depth. Your sand bed really needs to be deeper than 4 inches, or less than an inch. I would consider pulling out an inch or 2 and getting a sifting goby and maybe a sand sifting sea star, or just vacuuming it yourself.

The only thing I don't know about is how compatible those animals are with such a small tank.

bllfish · 11/03/2007, 03:54 AM

Get a Ranfordi Goby. He will sift your sand and with the snails and bristle worms you should be fine. Make sure you do not overload your tank.

tinmanny · 11/03/2007, 07:57 AM

when you vacume
most will tell you that you are in the middle of sand depth and that is not a good place
1" or over 4" what I would do is vacume some sand right out and just put it aside let it dry out and then save it for later when you need some
when you vacume the sand just let some go till the next time so you will never remove all the good stuff and you won't lower the inhabitants too low

ps put the outlet end of the hose in a nylon and you will catch all the sand you remove

11/02/2007, 12:54 PM	#1
onecrzyboi4u Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Lexington VA Posts: 1,893	Question Okay i been wondering about this. When i take my algae scrapper and clean the glass sometimes i hit the sand when cleaning that far.. and when i hit the sand all this "funk" brown nasty stuff comes up from the sand. is this normal? i have some nassarious snails in there .. i 'm wondering should i add more or add something else

11/02/2007, 01:06 PM	#2
acrodave REEF NERD Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: maryville tn-- work in knoxville Posts: 4,187	When you do a water change try doing a gravel vac. __________________ Peace,Dave Superman puts on Tim Tebow pajamas when he goes to bed The Heisman as a sophomore nuff said Less technology more biology Tattoos are the only art you can take to the grave Current Tank Info: 26gal bow,20gal mantis tank/fuge150wHQI,20k AB Seio 620 maxijet1200x's 2 on a wave maker. all sps

11/02/2007, 01:12 PM	#3
sruiz Reef'R Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Searching... Posts: 1,381	try not to stir up all the junk in your tank. And yes thats normal everyone with sand has that. That is why some people decide to do bare bottom tanks with no sand and only live rock. __________________ Don't forget your water change.

11/02/2007, 01:21 PM	#4
GlobaLPimP Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Palm Harbor, Florida Posts: 911	note - not everyone with sand has that (maybe cloudy dust, but not nasty brown funk) I stir up my sand bed at least once a week with a turkey baister. All that gunk that you are seeing from your sand bed is BAD - and will lead to algae outbreaks due to excessive nutrients trapped in your sand bed if your not careful. The main reason people switch to bare bottom is to keep from having all that "crap" poluting their system. I learned this from an extremely respected LFS in my area. They have the best reputation in this area and their tanks are impeccable - no sand dust when they mix any of their tanks' sand with their hands. I'm not quite there yet, but I'm getting close. You just need to stay on top of it. just my 2 pennies __________________ This hobby is educational; it teaches you how to spend a lot of money in a hurry! Current Tank Info: 75gl, SPS, LPS, IceCap/T5/SLR, 2 modded Tunze 6045's, PCI 350 skimmer w/ Gen-X 2400, 95lbs LR, GEN-X 4100 return Last edited by GlobaLPimP; 11/02/2007 at 01:27 PM.

11/02/2007, 01:37 PM	#5
uscharalph Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 1,248	I also use a gravel vac when I do water changes. I just vac the areas I can easily get to. My engineer goby stirs up a lot of the rest when he moves sand around. __________________ Ralph Mendoza Jr. Long Beach, CA Current Tank Info: 80 Gallon Reef Tank

11/02/2007, 02:06 PM	#6
onecrzyboi4u Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Lexington VA Posts: 1,893	how do you vac sand lol?

11/02/2007, 03:21 PM	#8
wizzbane15 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Chicago SW suburb Posts: 283	a python is a good vac system. you can regulate the flow with a ball valve that it comes with. __________________ ...ancient Chinese Proverb: keeping big fishtank is not hobby, but addiction. 125gal AG, dual overflows; ReefKeeper Elite Controlled [currently have 7 modules on-line] Custom built 48" x 16" x 16 Current Tank Info: 125g mixed reef

11/02/2007, 05:10 PM	#9
onecrzyboi4u Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Lexington VA Posts: 1,893	Wouldn't i be loosing the good bacteria in the sand?

11/02/2007, 10:51 PM	#10
GlobaLPimP Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Palm Harbor, Florida Posts: 911	you will get rid of more BAD than GOOD __________________ This hobby is educational; it teaches you how to spend a lot of money in a hurry! Current Tank Info: 75gl, SPS, LPS, IceCap/T5/SLR, 2 modded Tunze 6045's, PCI 350 skimmer w/ Gen-X 2400, 95lbs LR, GEN-X 4100 return

11/02/2007, 11:26 PM	#11
spike78 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 420	First of all, how deep is the sand bed? If you have a bed that is over 4 inches, you shouldn't vacuum or stir it, let it do it's thing. If you are getting a buildup of detrius on the top of the sand bed, you probably don't have enough flow over the sand. If your bed is less than an inch, vacuum away. A sand sifting animal may also help keep the sand clean in a shallow sand bed.

11/02/2007, 11:38 PM	#12
onecrzyboi4u Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Lexington VA Posts: 1,893	i have 2-3 inches of sand.. what are some good sand sifting animals besides gobies and cukes

11/02/2007, 11:41 PM	#13
killagoby Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Monroe, NJ Posts: 2,150	Some species of stars. __________________ How much money did you spend on that rock again?

11/02/2007, 11:44 PM	#14
spike78 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 420	You are in kind of a bad spot as far as depth. Your sand bed really needs to be deeper than 4 inches, or less than an inch. I would consider pulling out an inch or 2 and getting a sifting goby and maybe a sand sifting sea star, or just vacuuming it yourself. The only thing I don't know about is how compatible those animals are with such a small tank.

11/03/2007, 03:54 AM	#15
bllfish Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Stuart, Florida Posts: 1,818	Get a Ranfordi Goby. He will sift your sand and with the snails and bristle worms you should be fine. Make sure you do not overload your tank. __________________ "I fish by myself because lots of people don't like me, and the ones that do like me, well, I don't want them to know my spots." ><)))))*>--- Current Tank Info: 72 bow, 36" stand, 4 54W T5, vantec stealth fans, eheim 1260, mj 1200 & 2 Koralia #1 to WaveMaster Pro, CPR 24" Aquafuge HOB & 7100K PC, JBJ Arctica chiller, LiterMeter III

11/03/2007, 07:57 AM	#16
tinmanny Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 235	syphon when you vacume most will tell you that you are in the middle of sand depth and that is not a good place 1" or over 4" what I would do is vacume some sand right out and just put it aside let it dry out and then save it for later when you need some when you vacume the sand just let some go till the next time so you will never remove all the good stuff and you won't lower the inhabitants too low ps put the outlet end of the hose in a nylon and you will catch all the sand you remove __________________ Manny Current Tank Info: 90 40 30