Water circulation question

[Whiteydenewf]

Hi everyone,

I have a quick question. The picture below is my tank. It’s had some weird bloom on the sand. It may be algae, but my parameters are good. Phosphates and nitrates tested and controlled. Water changes done weekly 10-15%. Everything was good and then this.

My question is more to determine if flow might be a problem here. This is an innovative marine Nuvo 20 AIO. My mighty jet has 2 heads at the top that pushes water. And I also have a wave maker at the top towards the left. So essentially all the main circulation is near the top. That leaves pockets around the rocks that get less circulation force near the sand. Could this be my issue and do you have a suggestion to improve if it likely is?

Thanks.

 

[ryanjohn1]

Perhaps a sand sifting clean up crew addition would benefit. Or vacuum or stir your sand.

 

[Fish Styx]

How old is the system? Please define "good". Controlled how? Give us a break down of your filtration and nutrient export method(s).

You can adjust the angle of the powerhead to shift flow lower in the tank. +1 beef up your CuC and stir the sandbed before doing WC.

 

[Whiteydenewf]

Perhaps a sand sifting clean up crew addition would benefit.

I agree on the clean up crew. I order a strawberry conch, 2 more nassarius snails, 3 bumble bees, 3 more astrea, 1 trochus, a Halloween hermit (more for fun). So that’s somewhat addressed.

I also sift all my sand manually when I do water changes and use vacuum removal. That’s why I’m stumped as to the sudden change.

 

[Fish Styx]

I also sift all my sand manually when I do water changes and use vacuum removal. That’s why I’m stumped as to the sudden change.

Have you tested silica levels and parameters of your makeup water? To my old eyes, it looks like it could possibly be a diatom bloom.

 

[Whiteydenewf]

How old is the system? Please define "good". Controlled how? Give us a break down of your filtration and nutrient export method(s).

You can adjust the angle of the powerhead to shift flow lower in the tank. +1 beef up your CuC and stir the sandbed before doing WC.

The tank is maybe 3-4 years. Well established. Some ups and downs but for the most part thriving. Filtration goes through a sock in the back on the right side, passes through a skimmer, and then pumped out again. On the left outlet I have a carbon bag and filter floss to catch debris. It passes by my heater and UV light and to the pump. The pump then shoots it out in the middle.

I do a water change weekly. Feed it nightly. Phosphates tested today was 0.12 ppm but using phosban, it stays below 0.03ppm. CUC is already ordered. But my question is really could the setup with the flow be too weak to handle the floor?

 

[ryanjohn1]

Would not hurt to up the flow

 

[Fish Styx]

The tank is maybe 3-4 years. Well established. Some ups and downs but for the most part thriving. Filtration goes through a sock in the back on the right side, passes through a skimmer, and then pumped out again. On the left outlet I have a carbon bag and filter floss to catch debris. It passes by my heater and UV light and to the pump. The pump then shoots it out in the middle.

I do a water change weekly. Feed it nightly. Phosphates tested today was 0.12 ppm but using phosban, it stays below 0.03ppm. CUC is already ordered. But my question is really could the setup with the flow be too weak to handle the floor?

Try keeping the powerhead as-is, and point the returns downward and bounce the flow off the front glass. That should increase movement down around the base of the rockwork.

 

[Whiteydenewf]

Have you tested silica levels and parameters of your makeup water? To my old eyes, it looks like it could possibly be a diatom bloom.

The way the stuff clumps on the bottom, it looks similar to the red cyano problem I had a year ago. I have not tested silica.

 

[Whiteydenewf]

Try keeping the powerhead as-is, and point the returns downward and bounce the flow off the front glass. That should increase movement down around the base of the rockwork.

That is an awesome idea. It dies shoot outwards but I’ll make that adjustment.