Siphoning Sand

[kng]

I have about a 3 inch sand bed in a 58 RR. Is it a bad idea to siphon the top inch every once in a while to keep it looking white?

thanks,
-Kyle

[ste6168]

i have been siphoning mine lately but my tank is only like 2 months old and i am still having algea breakouts (cyano and diatoms)

[kng]

My tank has been set up a year this month. I just changed the 250W MH bulb from a 20K AB to a 14K Phoenix, and been having some brownish hair type algae on the sand. Not much but enough to bother me.

[CeeGee]

do you like the phoenix bulbs? I have been contemplating going to MH from my T5 setup and have been considering the phoenix 14K's.

[kng]

CeeGee,

I have T-5s on my 30B prop, and I do like the MHs better. The color on the Phoenix, in my opinion, is very white. The AB 20K was bluer, so I supplement the 14K Phoenix with one 36" T-5 bulb. Another one wouldn't hurt though.

I tried the Phoenix because it is 40 bucks cheaper, and it is supposed to have a high PAR rating.

-Kyle

[rodding]

i would clean the top of the sand off. watch what you remove and put back what you want.

[kng]

I was wondering how it would effect good bacteria, or cause an ammonia spike?

[roons]

it will only help, i didnt touch my dsb for over a year and had nasty cyano problems, treating with boyds chemi clean and siphoning some sand every month cleared it up, took 3 months.................i used a piece of 5/8" clear hose so i can so where an obstruction is when it occurs, then i pick thru the pails and pick out snails.........................i dont worry about pods , thats the way it goes................nassarius snails will climb up the sides of the pail so they are easy to catch................

[kng]

I tried it using a small gravel siphon and it worked pretty well. It's weired because this algae is only on the sand. It doesn't appear to be diatoms either because it is kinda "hairy".

[Toddrtrex]

In my 3 tanks I have a SSBs, during my weekly waterchanges I syphon the sand each time. I have been doing this for years, never have had any issues.

HTH

[tokitay]

Originally posted by kng
been having some brownish hair type algae on the sand. Not much but enough to bother me.

I am going thru the exact same thing. A bit of brownish/green hair algae growing in the sand. Last week, while doing a water change, I siphoned it off the top of the sand. No ill effect, just got rid of the nasty stuff. I noticed there is a little bit coming back, so I suspect I'll have to do it a couple of times.

[roons]

id put my house on it its cyano, is it dark brown and kinda waves in the flow? use boyds chemi clean the night b4 a water change, like i said , it took me 3 months , 3 doses and changes for it to release its grip and for my chaeto to be able to consume the nutrients instead of the cyano

[kng]

Here is a close up pic.

Here is a pic showing the difference from where I vacuumed and not.

[tjfDownsouth]

I have two cucumbers in my sand. They make rounds pretty regular eating dirty sand and pooping clean sand. Nothing bothers them and they don't bother anything, win-win.

I say get a couple of these and let them do the work.

Tim

[roons]

i have 4 fighting conchs in a 120, if phosphates are fueling cyano it wont matter..................

[kng]

Just tested my water parameters tonight. All normal, incuding Phospates at zero.