Keeping Your Sand Bed Clean

[CodyRVA]

I've been doing this once a week for some time, could up my regiment to 2 or 3 times a week, but was always fearful to "stir up the junk" too much. Thoughts? I thought this was the same reason why folks say to not re use sand from a tank transfer, because you stir the sand too much and you'll release... idk, bubonic plague on your tank? Any cause for concern on stirring the sand too much?

 

[brandon429]

it is considered nutrient upwelling event, whether that's bad or good ranges among tanks.

Sand stirring is causing floc in the water + bacterial and waste aggregates, and that's literal marine snow. good in that respect

added to the feed we already provide, if any tank is running behind on export just a bit, then that upwell becomes plant feed or opportunist feed.

Big tanks nearly have to take that method due to accessibility

nanos and picos do not, we can just rip change and be waste free and make the feed the items we control/add.

 

[Broadfield]

Toby, you are an inspiration, I've followed you throughout my 525XL build. I bought the same device and started cleaning my 6 month old sand bed about twice per week. Since doing so I've been battling diatoms on my sand. All water parameters are in check Nitrates 4ppm, Phosphate 0.03ppm, using RODI etc. Anyone else having this type of issue?

Sounds like you are simply kicking up some trapped silicates. Diatoms feed on silicates, which in our reef tanks, the sand is the largest contributor to that. Once the silicates are exhausted though, the diatoms will have nothing left to feed on. So it's just matter of letting it ride its course.

 

[Broadfield]

I've been doing this once a week for some time, could up my regiment to 2 or 3 times a week, but was always fearful to "stir up the junk" too much. Thoughts? I thought this was the same reason why folks say to not re use sand from a tank transfer, because you stir the sand too much and you'll release... idk, bubonic plague on your tank? Any cause for concern on stirring the sand too much?

If you start this method when the sand is new or only a couple of months old, then there is zero concern. If it's an established tank, then you would want to do small sections over the course of several weeks. Then once you get through all of it after several weeks, you can start doing all of it at once. This will prevent releasing too much into the column at once... possibly starting a cycle.

 

[CodyRVA]

If you start this method when the sand is new or only a couple of months old, then there is zero concern. If it's an established tank, then you would want to do small sections over the course of several weeks. Then once you get through all of it after several weeks, you can start doing all of it at once. This will prevent releasing too much into the column at once... possibly starting a cycle.

So, then I should be ok to do mine several times a week then right? Considering I currently do my entire sand bed, heavily with a turkey baster, once a week.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Since doing so I've been battling diatoms on my sand. All water parameters are in check Nitrates 4ppm, Phosphate 0.03ppm, using RODI etc. Anyone else having this type of issue?

Yes, quite common and water parameters are typically normal for those effected. If they persist for a few weeks then they are very likely not diatoms (unless you are constantly supplying a source of silicates), but likely a form of dinos. Mine used to be visible during lighted hours, then virtually disappear overnight only to come back again once the lights came back on. I had a run of 8 months before these finally went away. I used a combination of consistent removal of detritus and reduction of 'red' wavelengths (less 'red' LED intensity and 'white' light) to beat this unsightly scourge.

 

[g5flier]

Yes, quite common and water parameters are typically normal for those effected. If they persist for a few weeks then they are very likely not diatoms (unless you are constantly supplying a source of silicates), but likely a form of dinos. Mine used to be visible during lighted hours, then virtually disappear overnight only to come back again once the lights came back on. I had a run of 8 months before these finally went away. I used a combination of consistent removal of detritus and reduction of 'red' wavelengths (less 'red' LED intensity and 'white' light) to beat this unsightly scourge.

Yikes I'm hoping that's not the case! I'm quite concerned however since mine do appear to go away at night and the next day they are right back again. Also getting an unusual amount of brown stuff in my filter socks despite what I believe is good husbandry.

 

[Broadfield]

So, then I should be ok to do mine several times a week then right? Considering I currently do my entire sand bed, heavily with a turkey baster, once a week.

Yes, I do mine about every other day.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Yikes I'm hoping that's not the case! I'm quite concerned however since mine do appear to go away at night and the next day they are right back again. Also getting an unusual amount of brown stuff in my filter socks despite what I believe is good husbandry.

Yup, that's the stuff, unfortunately. How long it takes to have it dissappear seems to vary quite a bit. The good news is that when it finally goes away, and the system is kept stable, it tends to not come back.

Good luck!

 

[g5flier]

Yup, that's the stuff, unfortunately. How long it takes to have it dissappear seems to vary quite a bit. The good news is that when it finally goes away, and the system is kept stable, it tends to not come back.

Good luck!

Is there someway to tell the difference between diatoms and dinos?

 

[Eric Finney]

Definitely going to be trying this out in hopes to rid my diamond goby and cleaning off sand bed corals..

 

[Nano sapiens]

Is there someway to tell the difference between diatoms and dinos?

Diatoms form a film that stays put until either grazed away or the silicate supply is exhausted. Our Dinoflagellates, on the other hand, stay put and photosynthesize on a substrate during the day, but then become mobile at night using their little tails (flagellum). They tend to rise and stay in the water column and start the cycle again when the sun (light) is present.

 

[Broadfield]

Is there someway to tell the difference between diatoms and dinos?

Also, diatoms are usually more of a dusting and dinoflagellates are typically more "snotty". Diatoms can completely cover the glass in a light colored, transparent brown dusty film. It will simply just wipe right off of the glass in a dusty cloud. Dinos will stay stringy when you blow at it with a turkey baster or similar.

 

[madcanary]

Toby, you are an inspiration, I've followed you throughout my 525XL build. I bought the same device and started cleaning my 6 month old sand bed about twice per week. Since doing so I've been battling diatoms on my sand. All water parameters are in check Nitrates 4ppm, Phosphate 0.03ppm, using RODI etc. Anyone else having this type of issue?

I actually read this thread Saturday night, Sunday morning I cleaned my sand bed a few hours later diatoms, cleaned again diatoms, I have more than enough flow, no negligible nitrates and phosphates are 0.02 per my last Hannah check, I also just got a Triton test back and these numbers are confirmed.
I actually came to post this here and this thread popped up on my R2R email...

 

[Broadfield]

I actually read this thread Saturday night, Sunday morning I cleaned my sand bed a few hours later diatoms, cleaned again diatoms, I have more than enough flow, no negligible nitrates and phosphates are 0.02 per my last Hannah check, I also just got a Triton test back and these numbers are confirmed.
I actually came to post this here and this thread popped up on my R2R email...

Yeah, if you have diatoms, then you have silicates. But silicates have to be added... whether that be through sand or not using zero TDS RO etc. So once the silicates are exhausted, then the system will no longer support diatoms... they will go away as fast as they appeared.

 

[madcanary]

you guys post fast there was another page before i finished typing. tank is 8 months battled cyano and diatoms, i guess makes sense when it cleared up because i didnt stir the bed up strring it up started it again, ill just keep it clean and let it run its course.

 

[citymouse]

What kind of corals are those on the right that the clown fish are hanging around? The pink and purple ones.

 

[Broadfield]

What kind of corals are those on the right that the clown fish are hanging around? The pink and purple ones.

Gonioporas

 

[Bob Escher]

Cool going to try it next week

 

[g5flier]

Also, diatoms are usually more of a dusting and dinoflagellates are typically more "snotty". Diatoms can completely cover the glass in a light colored, transparent brown dusty film. It will simply just wipe right off of the glass in a dusty cloud. Dinos will stay stringy when you blow at it with a turkey baster or similar.

They are definitely diatoms, they were covering my Vortech's tonight and I just blew them off with my Sea Squirt. Now time to see where the silicates are getting in although I suspect they are already in the sand and blowing it around released them. I only use RODI for ATO and water changes and my membranes are only about 7 months old. I have an ATI lab test in process now and will see the results later this week, silicates are one of the items that are included on the test.