Can't vacuum sand, just clumps?

[Red2143]

I'm not exactly sure what I have growing on the sand but every time I try to vacuum with the siphon it seems like the nuisance just clumps and stays in the sand. Over the next few hours it seems to spread back to normal. Is there a better approach?

 

[((FORDTECH))]

I'm not exactly sure what I have growing on the sand but every time I try to vacuum with the siphon it seems like the nuisance just clumps and stays in the sand. Over the next few hours it seems to spread back to normal. Is there a better approach?

Send a picture or video because this could be anything, including the sand itself clumping from calcium precipitation

 

[Red2143]

Send a picture or video because this could be anything, including the sand itself clumping from calcium precipitation

 

[Bucs20fan]

You are having this issue because you have dinoflagellates with cyano bacteria on top of it. Both of which are slimy and will cause the sand to clump to it.

Also why it re grows in a few hours.

 

[Lavey29]

That looks like cyano and dinos also.

 

[Red2143]

How do I treat? Phosphates are 0.05 with Hanna checker and nitrates maybe 5-10 with api.

 

[Bucs20fan]

The dinos will have to be identified by microscope to confirm species ID, which will dictate treatment.

In the mean time, reduce lighting period. NO water changes. NO coral food. UV will help along with a blackout for a few days if you can.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Get a larger hose of diameter and suck out as much of that junk as you can, and then follow through with what everyone else is saying as well to help it not come back

 

[Red2143]

Get a larger hose of diameter and suck out as much of that junk as you can, and then follow through with what everyone else is saying as well to help it not come back

How do I vaccum without changing water?

 

[Bucs20fan]

How do I vaccum without changing water?

Use a rubber band around a filter sock attached to the end of your vacuum hose and then return the water right back to the tank, either via the sump or a bucket.

 

[Red2143]

Use a rubber band around a filter sock attached to the end of your vacuum hose and then return the water right back to the tank, either via the sump or a bucket.

Thank you. Does it have to be 50 micron. Or would larger also work?

 

[Bucs20fan]

Thank you. Does it have to be 50 micron. Or would larger also work?

I would use as small as I can get affordably, dinos are very small at the cellular level.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

How do I vaccum without changing water?

I would not reuse the water, especially the first time you do this as to not take a chance to add any of it back to your tank before you do the siphon cleaning make sure you have a bucket of freshly mixed salt, water ready to refill if you use a 5 gallon bucket to siphon into and have 5 gallons ready you will always have enough as long as you don’t overfill the 5 gallon bucket when you remove.