Christmas in my tank?

ulfius · 07/01/2009, 01:17 PM

My fish (6" niger trigger, 4" trigger trigger, 4" tomato clown) are continually stirring up my sand (switched from crushed coral 2 weeks ago) and it's getting all over my live rock. Is this a problem that I should be worried about?

I'm going to be switching to more reef friendly fish in a couple months, but the LFS is not taking trades right now.

ludnix · 07/01/2009, 01:27 PM

The sand is pretty new so it's not uncommon for it to be easily stirred. It should stay down better with time.

evsalty · 07/01/2009, 01:36 PM

That looks like deep enough sand to be considered a deep sandbed so you will need to cautious about disturbing it down the road or it could lead to a tank crash. You are safe for now but do read up on DSB's so you know what to look out for.

ulfius · 07/01/2009, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by evsalty
That looks like deep enough sand to be considered a deep sandbed so you will need to cautious about disturbing it down the road or it could lead to a tank crash. You are safe for now but do read up on DSB's so you know what to look out for.

I thought a DSB was only once you got to 3-4"+ and my bed is close to 2".

ulfius · 07/01/2009, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ludnix
The sand is pretty new so it's not uncommon for it to be easily stirred. It should stay down better with time.

But should I continue to clean the sand off the LR as I'm doing a couple times a week right now?

evsalty · 07/01/2009, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ulfius
I thought a DSB was only once you got to 3-4"+ and my bed is close to 2".

Wow. That pic makes your SB look deeper the two inches.

What size tank is it and how much sand did you put in there?

ulfius · 07/01/2009, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by evsalty
Wow. That pic makes your SB look deeper the two inches.

What size tank is it and how much sand did you put in there?

60lbs in a 40gal tank.

widmer · 07/01/2009, 02:31 PM

Yea my guess would have been like 4 inches. Maybe your ruler isn't calibrated correctly =) ?

Toddrtrex · 07/01/2009, 03:00 PM

The only time the sand being kicked up will be an issue (( not talking about the bed itself )) would be if you have any corals that will end up being covered. It won't harm the live rock at all.

Even if you go to reef safe(r) fish, if you have a clown in there, the odds are good that you will still have this problem, it is what they do. The only clown that I have kept that hasn't done that is my pink skunk pair.

It took my Clarkii pair about 5 minutes to do this.

Before,

After

Cbravo212 · 07/01/2009, 03:00 PM

I put sugar size sand in my tank and it was a pain for a while. Eventually, it will compact and stay put. Keep using a turkey baster to blast the grit off the LR to keep it effective.

ulfius · 07/01/2009, 03:26 PM

I'll keep blowing the sand off for the time being, but me and the clown are going to have blows.

He tries to take a piece out of my arm no matter where I am in the tank and I've almost knocked him senseless a few times.

1DeR9_3Hy · 07/01/2009, 03:33 PM

I must have dodged that bullet, my clowns never stir up the substrate (special grade reef floor). The only time it gets moved is when i screw up a water change and stir it up with the water.

ulfius · 07/01/2009, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 1DeR9_3Hy
I must have dodged that bullet, my clowns never stir up the substrate (special grade reef floor). The only time it gets moved is when i screw up a water change and stir it up with the water.

Lucky man. All three of my fish (but mostly the clown and Niger trigger) will go all the way to the tank bottom making depressions and causing my LR to shift.

Toddrtrex · 07/01/2009, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ulfius
I'll keep blowing the sand off for the time being, but me and the clown are going to have blows. He tries to take a piece out of my arm no matter where I am in the tank and I've almost knocked him senseless a few times.

Just wait until they draw blood an a regular basis.

evsalty · 07/01/2009, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ulfius
Lucky man. All three of my fish (but mostly the clown and Niger trigger) will go all the way to the tank bottom making depressions and causing my LR to shift.

There are many ways to prevent the rock from shifting. For me I put my bottom rocks down the glass. Some are opposed to rock touching glass but I have never lost a tank and I have had tanks for over 15 years doing it that way the whole time.

07/01/2009, 01:17 PM	#1
ulfius Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Moscow, Idaho Posts: 21	Christmas in my tank? My fish (6" niger trigger, 4" trigger trigger, 4" tomato clown) are continually stirring up my sand (switched from crushed coral 2 weeks ago) and it's getting all over my live rock. Is this a problem that I should be worried about? I'm going to be switching to more reef friendly fish in a couple months, but the LFS is not taking trades right now.

07/01/2009, 01:27 PM	#2
ludnix Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: California Posts: 3,031	The sand is pretty new so it's not uncommon for it to be easily stirred. It should stay down better with time. __________________ -Eric Sutter Current Tank Info: 14g Biocube

07/01/2009, 03:00 PM	#9
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	The only time the sand being kicked up will be an issue (( not talking about the bed itself )) would be if you have any corals that will end up being covered. It won't harm the live rock at all. Even if you go to reef safe(r) fish, if you have a clown in there, the odds are good that you will still have this problem, it is what they do. The only clown that I have kept that hasn't done that is my pink skunk pair. It took my Clarkii pair about 5 minutes to do this. Before, After __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

07/01/2009, 03:00 PM	#10
Cbravo212 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Tidewater Area, VA Posts: 264	I put sugar size sand in my tank and it was a pain for a while. Eventually, it will compact and stay put. Keep using a turkey baster to blast the grit off the LR to keep it effective. __________________ -- Mike "If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking." - General George Patton Jr Current Tank Info: 38gal, 10 gal sump, 4 gal refugium

07/01/2009, 03:33 PM	#12
1DeR9_3Hy Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 2,575	I must have dodged that bullet, my clowns never stir up the substrate (special grade reef floor). The only time it gets moved is when i screw up a water change and stir it up with the water. __________________ I hope it never catches on, I like having the oldest tank on here and I don't have to worry about calcification, bio pellets, Vodka dosing, DSBs, Chaetomorpha (I don't even know what that is) Carbonite hardness and all of these other things many people worry about. If I had to think about all of that stuff I would get a stroke. My test kit came in a wooden box and the directions say to keep in a cool chariott. I throw some food in the tank, wave hello to the fish and go out with my wife and have a nice glass of merlot with dinner. Have a great day but most of all, have fun. -PaulB Current Tank Info: 27 Gallon DAS softy/fish reef

07/01/2009, 01:36 PM	#3
evsalty hmmmmmm Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: NW Mesa, AZ Posts: 3,531	That looks like deep enough sand to be considered a deep sandbed so you will need to cautious about disturbing it down the road or it could lead to a tank crash. You are safe for now but do read up on DSB's so you know what to look out for.

07/01/2009, 02:31 PM	#8
widmer Drug Enthusiast Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rochester, MN Posts: 2,958	Yea my guess would have been like 4 inches. Maybe your ruler isn't calibrated correctly =) ?

07/01/2009, 03:26 PM	#11
ulfius Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Moscow, Idaho Posts: 21	I'll keep blowing the sand off for the time being, but me and the clown are going to have blows. He tries to take a piece out of my arm no matter where I am in the tank and I've almost knocked him senseless a few times.