Sand looking ugly

[mraysberg]

Hey all I’ve been trying to get this tank looking very clean but can’t get the sand bed looking white. Currently have an IM Nuvo 40. Sand is Carib sea oolite. Maybe I’m not getting enough flow in the tank and those are all dead spots. I have a jabeo sw2 and also the stock return pump.

Do you guys think I should get a sand shifting goby or any sand stirring invert? Another wave maker? Just don’t know how to get the sand white.

Also I purchased a icecap gyre 3k but this things has way too much power. Maybe there’s a better way or placement of setting it up

 

[mraysberg]

 

[Billdogg]

How old is your tank? What I see looks like cyanobacteria, a very normal part of the new tank uglies that can easily last a year or more.

If you could take a picture without the blues on it would help for a positive ID

 

[brandon429]

to make it go away vs linger, you can simply take the tank apart and clean it out/rinse it or replace the sand with slightly larger grains and it'll calm down as well, no wait required. we have a large thread on this being done, specifically for curing cyano quickly if one wants that way.

that sand you use is commonly associated with cyano issues, I prefer ocean direct or Fiji pink it never misbehaves, you have to rinse the sand clearly before use as well if you want the controlled method to work. Its possible to simply skip the uglies with a manual cleanup or two if you want, 40 gallons isn't that hard. drain off the water in a brute, fix the tank, put water back. two hours fixed no new makeup water....

we can still use your current sand but rinsing it is a real pain, its so fine it floats off, you have to rinse it in smaller portions to get it clean and free of waste, clouding from the initial install complexed w waste, and the invader whether its cyano or spirulina etc. doesn't matter the genus, all of them will respond to a tank cleaning or our thread wouldn't be out 23 pages of clean after pics.

you can easily choose to ride it out, wait etc that's not a prob its just a different look for the rest of this year. you can make it look like you want by command, if you want.

 

[mraysberg]

to make it go away vs linger, you can simply take the tank apart and clean it out/rinse it or replace the sand with slightly larger grains and it'll calm down as well, no wait required. we have a large thread on this being done, specifically for curing cyano quickly if one wants that way.

that sand you use is commonly associated with cyano issues, I prefer ocean direct or Fiji pink it never misbehaves, you have to rinse the sand clearly before use as well if you want the controlled method to work. Its possible to simply skip the uglies with a manual cleanup or two if you want, 40 gallons isn't that hard. drain off the water in a brute, fix the tank, put water back. two hours fixed no new makeup water....

we can still use your current sand but rinsing it is a real pain, its so fine it floats off, you have to rinse it in smaller portions to get it clean and free of waste, clouding from the initial install complexed w waste, and the invader whether its cyano or spirulina etc. doesn't matter the genus, all of them will respond to a tank cleaning or our thread wouldn't be out 23 pages of clean after pics.

you can easily choose to ride it out, wait etc that's not a prob its just a different look for the rest of this year. you can make it look like you want by command, if you want.

I def would love to take this sand out. Way too fine for my liking. Now to change it out is a process but always wanted Fiji pink. Looks like a need to buy some containers to hold my fish and corals in.

Would you issue the same water to refill tank? Or use some and do water change will doing this?

 

[tqpolo]

If you want pristine white sands you have to run a low nutrient system and stir your sand and blow your rocks daily.

 

[resortez]

How old is your tank? What I see looks like cyanobacteria, a very normal part of the new tank uglies that can easily last a year or more.

If you could take a picture without the blues on it would help for a positive ID

+1. It would help to share some history on the tank, tank mates, husbandry practices, equipment & especially some parameter readings. Diagnosing a problem without any information can give you unwanted results. Also, it is difficult to tell what type of algae your dealing with on all blue lighting. My 2 cents.

 

[brandon429]

we always use all new water, ideally.

here's the years long work compilation. its ok to use half and half, any changeout is ideal. notice number of times we take readings, params, any sort of hesitation before action=0. its pure action and outcomes logged.

Official Sand Rinse and Tank Transfer thread

If you are reading this thread to cure a tank invasion from a link I sent you, we do not need to identify your type of invasion here we do not need you to test anything at anytime regarding nitrate, phosphate etc Above all, we do not need to see a microscope slide picture of your invasion at...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Hemmdog]

Get 4 nassarius snails

 

[Sailingeric]

I think part of the problem is your sand is very blue.

 

[mraysberg]

Any info on the use of chemiclean?