Keeping white Sand

E.intheC · 04/21/2009, 11:38 AM

This thread is meant for us to post ideas/help others out/give suggestions as to how to keep their sand beds as white as the first day they put the sand in the tank. If you have an idea, post it!

I have a couple of suggestions:

1.) Flow. Make sure there is sufficient flow, capable of removing detritus and uneaten food from the sand.

2.) Not overfeeding. Feeding too much will allow uneaten particles to settle on the bottom. This leads to algae as well.

3.) Sand sifting critters like snails, stars, fish, etc. A nice 'biological' way of doing.

Last but not least:

4.) Manually stirring the top section of the SSB (shallow sand bed) during water changes.

I'm sure there are more suggestions out there.

acrodave · 04/21/2009, 11:47 AM

I think you coverd most of them.. for me its 1. and 3

drummereef · 04/21/2009, 12:00 PM

5.) Make sure your source water is acceptable. 0 TDS from your RO/DI.

E.intheC · 04/21/2009, 12:04 PM

exellent.. good point as well.

Have either of you (or anyone else) had long term success with white sand? I have had white sand for a few months or so, but don't consider that to be anywhere near long enough to qualify as 'long term'

LobsterOfJustice · 04/21/2009, 12:07 PM

Flow and a diamond goby. Sure, ceriths and nassarius move some sand, but you'd need so many to turn the whole sandbed over that you could never have enough food for them.

SunnyX · 04/21/2009, 12:21 PM

Dosing bacteria and a carbon source work great for me.

Also, vacuuming a shallow sand bed once a month doesn't hurt either.

kevantheman35 · 04/21/2009, 12:37 PM

my sand is pure white, it used to look like crap untill 3 things.

pistol shrimp
nassarius snails
have a little cheato growing on the sand and it will stay pure white around that area

Fluid · 04/21/2009, 12:41 PM

My hermits keep my sand pristine.

E.intheC · 04/21/2009, 03:25 PM

In my old tank, my black brittle would do a pretty good job (at night anyway)

For those with diamond gobies, I've always wondered if their constant sand sifting was too much.. IE .. sand storms were inevitable. Anyone experience this?

LobsterOfJustice · 04/21/2009, 03:37 PM

Eventually all the small stuff gets filtered out.

Harley-J · 04/21/2009, 05:03 PM

goby goby goby...

Squidward5 · 04/21/2009, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Harley-J
goby goby goby...

Diamond Goby FTW

luther1200 · 04/21/2009, 05:35 PM

Not only stirring during WC, I use a gravel vac to suck up anything on the surface, and the top inch or 2.

E.intheC · 04/21/2009, 07:56 PM

absolutely. There are certain types of sand that I've found to better at 'staying white' than others.. crushed coral, IMO is harder to keep clean, as is the very, very fine sand.

I like the Aragamax sand the best

luther1200 · 04/21/2009, 07:59 PM

Yea that sugar sand is very hard to keep bright white. Without daily stirring of some kind, IME.

BHAMR6 · 04/21/2009, 09:01 PM

i have a shallow sand bed and i suck the sand out with a vac and wash it in a bucket with the saltwater that i pull out then put the sand back . Sand is 2 yrs old and is as white as the day i bought it
But if you have a deep sand bed you couldnt do that for bio reason.

Playa-1 · 04/21/2009, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Squidward5
Diamond Goby FTW

E.intheC · 04/21/2009, 09:34 PM

.. side note.. what does FTW mean? I can't think of it.

That sand looks super clean! Very nice

Playa-1 · 04/21/2009, 09:46 PM

For the Win

atwinparadox2 · 04/22/2009, 09:20 AM

+1 on the Diamond Goby, I had some minor flow issues that i really didn't want to change too much around because I couldn't get the right flow do to sand storms. Fixed the flow and picked up a diamond goby and within a week the sand looked amazing!! Agree with everything else as well. it's really a culmination of a lot of things.

E.intheC · 04/22/2009, 09:47 AM

atwin, that's probably the strangest looking avatar I've seen.. lol.

I like it though.

A possible negative w/ the diamond gobies is that since they sift through the sand constantly, they have been known to die prematurely due to malnutrition. Anyone have long term success with them?

kyle1284 · 04/22/2009, 10:09 AM

++++1 for the dimond goby

04/21/2009, 11:38 AM	#1
E.intheC Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 5,373	Keeping white Sand This thread is meant for us to post ideas/help others out/give suggestions as to how to keep their sand beds as white as the first day they put the sand in the tank. If you have an idea, post it! I have a couple of suggestions: 1.) Flow. Make sure there is sufficient flow, capable of removing detritus and uneaten food from the sand. 2.) Not overfeeding. Feeding too much will allow uneaten particles to settle on the bottom. This leads to algae as well. 3.) Sand sifting critters like snails, stars, fish, etc. A nice 'biological' way of doing. Last but not least: 4.) Manually stirring the top section of the SSB (shallow sand bed) during water changes. I'm sure there are more suggestions out there. __________________ -Eric

04/21/2009, 11:47 AM	#2
acrodave REEF NERD Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: maryville tn-- work in knoxville Posts: 4,187	I think you coverd most of them.. for me its 1. and 3 __________________ 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

04/21/2009, 12:00 PM	#3
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	5.) Make sure your source water is acceptable. 0 TDS from your RO/DI. __________________ -Brett 180g Marineland Starfire In-Wall 278 gallon system

04/21/2009, 12:04 PM	#4
E.intheC Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 5,373	exellent.. good point as well. Have either of you (or anyone else) had long term success with white sand? I have had white sand for a few months or so, but don't consider that to be anywhere near long enough to qualify as 'long term' __________________ -Eric

04/21/2009, 12:07 PM	#5
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	Flow and a diamond goby. Sure, ceriths and nassarius move some sand, but you'd need so many to turn the whole sandbed over that you could never have enough food for them. __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

04/21/2009, 12:21 PM	#6
SunnyX Moved On Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 4,991	Dosing bacteria and a carbon source work great for me. Also, vacuuming a shallow sand bed once a month doesn't hurt either.

04/21/2009, 12:37 PM	#7
kevantheman35 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Fort wayne, IN Posts: 823	my sand is pure white, it used to look like crap untill 3 things. pistol shrimp nassarius snails have a little cheato growing on the sand and it will stay pure white around that area __________________ -Kevan Current Tank Info: 34g Mixed Reef Solana (2 years old). 12g jbj nanocube dx (retired at 2 years old)

04/21/2009, 12:41 PM	#8
Fluid Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 275	My hermits keep my sand pristine.

04/21/2009, 03:25 PM	#9
E.intheC Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 5,373	In my old tank, my black brittle would do a pretty good job (at night anyway) For those with diamond gobies, I've always wondered if their constant sand sifting was too much.. IE .. sand storms were inevitable. Anyone experience this? __________________ -Eric

04/21/2009, 03:37 PM	#10
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	Eventually all the small stuff gets filtered out. __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

04/21/2009, 05:03 PM	#11
Harley-J Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Santa Clarita Posts: 1,068	goby goby goby... __________________ "OUCH...another Halide burn!!" Current Tank Info: sold..135g mixed reef, 40g sump, SS Dual & SS Single Ballasts, 3 LumenMax Elites, 20k Radiums, Ozotech 200mg Ozonizer, Milwaukee Orp Controller, EV180 w/Eheim 1260, Pinpoint PH, Litermeter3, Tunze Osmolator, 2xTunze 6100, Tunze 6060, JBJ 1/5 Chiller

04/21/2009, 05:35 PM	#13
luther1200 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NJ, shore Posts: 4,376	Not only stirring during WC, I use a gravel vac to suck up anything on the surface, and the top inch or 2. __________________ Matt, 65G reef tank Current Tank Info: 65g reef, mix of sps, lps, few softies. Hoping to upgrade within the year.

04/21/2009, 07:56 PM	#14
E.intheC Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 5,373	absolutely. There are certain types of sand that I've found to better at 'staying white' than others.. crushed coral, IMO is harder to keep clean, as is the very, very fine sand. I like the Aragamax sand the best __________________ -Eric

04/21/2009, 07:59 PM	#15
luther1200 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NJ, shore Posts: 4,376	Yea that sugar sand is very hard to keep bright white. Without daily stirring of some kind, IME. __________________ Matt, 65G reef tank Current Tank Info: 65g reef, mix of sps, lps, few softies. Hoping to upgrade within the year.

04/21/2009, 09:01 PM	#16
BHAMR6 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Kimberly, Al Posts: 153	i have a shallow sand bed and i suck the sand out with a vac and wash it in a bucket with the saltwater that i pull out then put the sand back . Sand is 2 yrs old and is as white as the day i bought it But if you have a deep sand bed you couldnt do that for bio reason.

04/21/2009, 09:34 PM	#18
E.intheC Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 5,373	.. side note.. what does FTW mean? I can't think of it. That sand looks super clean! Very nice __________________ -Eric

04/21/2009, 09:46 PM	#19
Playa-1 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 7,497	For the Win

04/22/2009, 09:20 AM	#20
atwinparadox2 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kingston, PA Posts: 782	+1 on the Diamond Goby, I had some minor flow issues that i really didn't want to change too much around because I couldn't get the right flow do to sand storms. Fixed the flow and picked up a diamond goby and within a week the sand looked amazing!! Agree with everything else as well. it's really a culmination of a lot of things. __________________ \| begin each day as if it were on purpose \| when in doubt, remove all doubt \| Current Tank Info: \| 90 Gallon Main display, 2/175 MH, 2 actinic, 20 sump w/20 fuge, about to dabble with a algae scrub screen \|\| 75 in the works \|\|

04/22/2009, 09:47 AM	#21
E.intheC Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 5,373	atwin, that's probably the strangest looking avatar I've seen.. lol. I like it though. A possible negative w/ the diamond gobies is that since they sift through the sand constantly, they have been known to die prematurely due to malnutrition. Anyone have long term success with them? __________________ -Eric

04/22/2009, 10:09 AM	#22
kyle1284 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Houston. Cypress area Posts: 260	++++1 for the dimond goby __________________ Every day above ground is a good day... Current Tank Info: 210 SPS dominating tank. 280 Gallons total volume