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one quick question on sand beds

eldiablosrt8

eldiablosrt8

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how long can a fine grain sand bed last....... i am battling some algae growth and parameters are in check..... just trying to see if maybe my sand is getting old or is just super dirty in the bed itself


if the sand is going bad, could i go bare bottom in a glass tank? what would you rec??
 
Yes you can go bare bottom in a glass tank. However you REALLY need to make sure the rock structure is stable and glued/tied/bolted together so there's no slippage that could crack the bottom glass.

That said – it takes years for a sand bed to go bad as long as there’s maintenance done to it. Sand stirrers, burrowers, regular vacuuming, and good water circulation all contribute to the longevity of the bed. There are proponents that claim that a well care for sand bed will never go bad or suffer “old tank syndrome”.

My last deep sand bed lasted the life of the tank, 11 years with no issues. It was a good 5 inches thick.

-Gregory
 
Phosphates? That's what I'm dealing with right now with my glutton anthias. It's definitly the result of to much food in the system left to rot... hence my new army of peppermint shrimp!

Everything else will look good but phosphates will get the algae growing. My fuge doesn't seem to help with this either.

-Gregory
 
im using water from AC both reg and salt

have been using same water for awhile 1 year or more no issues, whats weird is the algae growth is in sand only not rocks or powerheads
 
Sounds to me like you've lost a lot of your sand critters over time and food/detritus/fish waste is building up. Occasionally it’s beneficial to re-inoculate the sand with new live sand to put the critters back. Also make sure you have enough sifters….star fish, cerith snails, cucumber, etc… I have a fighting conch that awesome at this.

Maybe someone else has some ideas….

-Gregory
 
How do you service your sandbed?

Have you tested ACs water?

If you're using HMB water, be aware that the moon jellies are having their annual die off and the water quality sucks right now, it smells like rotting moon jelly :D
 
Nassarius snails are the ones you want for your sandbed. They eat all the left overs. I like the big Tongan nassarius myself. :) Snails like turbos, trochus, cerith, and stomatellas are usually on the glass and rocks.
 
sfboarders said:
Nassarius snails are the ones you want for your sandbed. They eat all the left overs. I like the big Tongan nassarius myself. :) Snails like turbos, trochus, cerith, and stomatellas are usually on the glass and rocks.
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+1 on the Tongan nassarius....

Are there different varities of the cerith? Mine never seem leave the sand bed to feed. When they do leave it is to lay eggs on the glass and rocks.

-Gregory
 
I was going to say the same thing about Ceriths digging and hanging around on sand beds. Their intertidal IIRC.
 
I bought 2 conch from Robert n I will get more snails on Friday. Hoping for a semi clean sand bed by Saturday.....

Those conch eat like no other..... I am surprised
 
eldiablosrt8 said:
I bought 2 conch from Robert n I will get more snails on Friday. Hoping for a semi clean sand bed by Saturday.....

Those conch eat like no other..... I am surprised
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Don't panic when they don't move for a day or two. Mine eats like a pig for several days and then buries its self in the sand for a couple days before going at it again.

-Gregory
 
Saw the following quote in reference to Fighting Conch. Anyone have this experience?

*****Hello, I have these conches in one of my tanks and found them to be very successful hunters. The bottom of my tank is littered with nerite snail shells. I was shocked to see them hunting in the same style as the cones. They send out a harpoon/whip like appendage and take down their prey. They do burrow around in the sand, but I find them hunting snails right off the sides of the glass. We have pictures of these events as well. ******

???

-Gregory
 
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