Détritus everywhere!

[KING KONG]

Plz Help me. I am fighting with detritus from a month. One month later I found that my aquarium lacks flow so I set up a pump. Today while disturbing sand with a magnet, I found that there is more detritus under the sand! And it is in the shape of a rock. What can I do now? Should I continue to disturb sand?

 

[TheBear78]

Disturbing sand that hasn't been cleaned for a long time is potentially hazardous as it could release a lot of debris/detritus that has been "sealed" away. This could cause an ammonia spike but don't panic!
During water changes you can vacuum the sand gently. If you carefully control the flow you can prevent sand from being removed while still pulling debris and dirty water out.
I try to give my rock work a good blow off with a small pump prior to every water change to remove settled debris and gently turn over the sand anywhere that my Goby hasn't dug up. Doing this before each change means that at least some of it can be sucked out.
If the sand is particularly dirty you can just focus on one section at a time to minimise the disturbance until everywhere has had a recent clean. Then just remember to give it all a going over regularly if you feel that debris is getting trapped.

 

[KING KONG]

Disturbing sand that hasn't been cleaned for a long time is potentially hazardous as it could release a lot of debris/detritus that has been "sealed" away. This could cause an ammonia spike but don't panic!
During water changes you can vacuum the sand gently. If you carefully control the flow you can prevent sand from being removed while still pulling debris and dirty water out.
I try to give my rock work a good blow off with a small pump prior to every water change to remove settled debris and gently turn over the sand anywhere that my Goby hasn't dug up. Doing this before each change means that at least some of it can be sucked out.
If the sand is particularly dirty you can just focus on one section at a time to minimise the disturbance until everywhere has had a recent clean. Then just remember to give it all a going over regularly if you feel that debris is getting trapped.

I do regular cleaning of sand. Here are photos. It is clean at other places now so should I disturb it?

 

[brandon429]

do a rip clean

see the 50 page official sand rinse thread here in the forum, study it's jobs and that will answer all procedural questions

 

[brandon429]

if your tank is too big to do a disassembly cleaning, just siphon that stuff off the top of the bed like gardening maintenance

 

[KING KONG]

if your tank is too big to do a disassembly cleaning, just siphon that stuff off the top of the bed like gardening maintenance

My tank is small. I am using protein skimmer so will it be sufficient or should I run carbon ?

 

[Tamberav]

If it is small then just siphon it out.

Debris does pile under the rocks. I just moved my rock today and siphoned it.

 

[wil-yuhm]

My tank is small. I am using protein skimmer so will it be sufficient or should I run carbon ?

Small? If provisions aren't available now to add carbon might want to ck out adding a small UV sterilizer. HOB filters designed to house 5-7 watt UV sterilizers are available.
I questioned small because I consider my 66 gallon tank small.

 

[KING KONG]

If it is small then just siphon it out.

Debris does pile under the rocks. I just moved my rock today and siphoned it.

Yaa doing that today. It is sticking on my rocks and accidentally I cleaned some of my coralline algae.

 

[KING KONG]

Small? If provisions aren't available now to add carbon might want to ck out adding a small UV sterilizer. HOB filters designed to house 5-7 watt UV sterilizers are available.
I questioned small because I consider my 66 gallon tank small.

Ohk. My sump filter and protein skimmers are getting super dirty now. Sand is getting some better and I hv to check ammonia now. I hv just a small question. Will my bristleworms,sphogetti worms and dorvillidae worm will eat that detritus? My blue velvet demsel is also making meal of that now.

 

[Tamberav]

Detritus eaters are like a sand cucumber.

However you say it is sticking to the rock. That doesn’t sound like detritus to me.

Can we get photos of what is going on?

 

[KING KONG]

Detritus eaters are like a sand cucumber.

However you say it is sticking to the rock. That doesn’t sound like detritus to me.

Can we get photos of what is going on?

Looking better than yesterday now

 

[Bennett_Reefing]

Plz Help me. I am fighting with detritus from a month. One month later I found that my aquarium lacks flow so I set up a pump. Today while disturbing sand with a magnet, I found that there is more detritus under the sand! And it is in the shape of a rock. What can I do now? Should I continue to disturb sand?

Get a Goby they will slowly sift the sand bed untill its clean. Make sure to get a big one if you want instant changes

 

[KING KONG]

Get a Goby they will slowly sift the sand bed untill its clean. Make sure to get a big one if you want instant changes

Lionfish will eat that or my blue velvet demsel will kill it. That's a problem

 

[Bennett_Reefing]

Lionfish will eat that or my blue velvet demsel will kill it. That's a problem

Yea That Is. Even a 6 inch long one? Mines huge and king of the tank but I don't have those fish

 

[vetteguy53081]

Plz Help me. I am fighting with detritus from a month. One month later I found that my aquarium lacks flow so I set up a pump. Today while disturbing sand with a magnet, I found that there is more detritus under the sand! And it is in the shape of a rock. What can I do now? Should I continue to disturb sand?

A sign of inadequate flow and either increase flow (as simple as adding a nano powerhead to lower part of tank) or increase siphoning frequency of surface of sand

 

[KING KONG]

A sign of inadequate flow and either increase flow (as simple as adding a nano powerhead to lower part of tank) or increase siphoning frequency of surface of sand

Yes I hv added a pump but detritus is buried under the sand. Today I hv done some water change in disturbed sand a lot and now it is better but I fear there is more under the sand.