Why does my sand look like this!?

[Mr.Maska]

would that big of a waterchange be beneficial for such a small tank? 50% water change seems like a lot weekly, i dont have any tanks that small so i wouldnt know by experience.
Sea cucumber i think will be to big for your tank, perhaps some nassarius snails may help to sift sand up for you, and if your going to siphon out the stuff on top of the sand you can have it all go into a sock, so you can reuse the sand that gets sucked into the sock after cleaning if you choose.

[bertoni]

I agree that 50% is very large, and might be part of the problem. I'd limit the changes to 10-15%, and avoid exposing live rock to air.

[edsreef]

Reef Chem: I remembered seeing your thread and that my sand looked the same way.

Earlier this week (3/14) I did something and as of now it still hasn't returned.

At the end of a PraziPro tank treatment for my 90gal tank I added LOTS of GAC; I'm guessing about 1/2lbs in media bags in my sump. My skimmer was set to slightly overskim. I used polyfilter media in my sump. I stirred and raked the sandbed quite a bit until it appeared white again.

Ever since, four days now, I've had no cyano in my sand and it's white and bright. Not sure if the PraziPro had anything to do with it but I thought I'd throw this this out there for your consideration. I'm thinking the extra GAC had a lot to do with it.

Edit: A couple of notes. I have always stirred my sandbed on a somewhat regular basis. Since the cyano appeared, when I'd stir it it would usually always come back the next day; not this time.

[Reef Chem]

Just an update. I have added GAC to my HOB filter and its been about 1 week. Unfortunately there is no change in the sand, but I have noticed something with the GAC has stopped my GSP from comming out. I'm still running the GAC and I'm sure it's only time until the GSP come out since they are so hardy. On another note, I was thinking about buying a Phosban 150 to increase the RowaPhos effectiveness. Do you think it's worth investing in? Right now I have the RowaPhos in a sock in the HOB filter.

[edsreef]

The amount of GAC I was talking about using probably wouldn't fit in your HOB filter. And when I stirred up the sand I kept at it, trying to chop up the little chunks of cyano and stir them into suspension in the water. VERY good flow is mandatory for this to happen.

The difference was significant in my tank; like a light switch almost. I still have no signs of cyano.

[GPB]

I am following this closely as it is related to the "Nutrient Sink" thread I put up. Is it possible to have a nutrient problem when your tests for NO3 and PO4 show undetectable levels? In Reef Chem's case, his NO3 is fairly low. He doesn't list a PO4 test.

I am constantly fighting cyano and HA , yet my NO3 and PO4 don't show up EVER in my water testing. My guess is it is either in rock and sand , or it is being used by the algae and cyano as fast as it is created so it doesn't show in tests.

[edsreef]

My nutrients were also very low to begin with. I think the cyano eradication had to do with hitting it hard with one swift blow vs ultra, ultra low nutrients over time that can be harmful to corals. I should also mention that I dosed vinegar, vodka, and mb7 that day.

[Reef Chem]

GPB- It sounds like our tanks have the same problem! I have an API phosphate test kit and it always has shown 0. IMO 0 means there is no phosphate in the water column but that doesn't mean there is not phosphates in the algae itself, the rocks, the sand and so on. The reason I believe this is because when I replace the Rowaphos the GHA will start to die, then about 2 weeks later when the Rowaphos is exhauseted it starts to come back. It's seems pretty clear there has to be phosphate issue even though I cannot get a test to show any phosphates in the tank. I'm guessing the sand is saturated with phosphate and this is why is has not gone away yet. I'm still stirring the sand but not as often. On that note I found a handy tip to clean/stir up the sand; I use a turkey baster and keep it low on the top layer of sand and mix it up really well. When I do this I can see a ton of detritus float up in the water column. I'm hoping from there the Rowaphos will take it out of the tank...

[wmdick_2007]

More GAC, or more water changes ! Organics

"Why Organics Are Bad

While only a few of the organic compounds are directly toxic to marine livestock, they can stimulate the growth of heterotrophic bacteria which robs your tank of oxygen. These bacteria also create carbon dioxide. The result is lower pH and low ORP, which creates ideal conditions for nuisance algae to thrive. Organics can quickly tint aquarium water to a yellow color which greatly blocks blue spectrum light penetration (actinic 420nm). High levels of organics can also tax a protein skimmer to the point where nitrates and phosphate removal becomes minimal.

No one knows for sure the total make up of organic compounds in the marine aquarium and what specific effects they have on different organisms. It had been observed that aquariums with high organic levels experience more fish and coral diseases. There is now firm evidence that organics stunt fish growth. The old mystery of how a fish will grow only as large as its container has been solved. It has nothing to do with the volume of water or the size of the tank- organics accumulation is the culprit.

At moderate organic levels, corals and invertebrates tend to close or cease reproduction. Some researchers believe that there is a direct relationship between high levels of organics and dense populations of disease organisms. The reduction of naturally occurring organics ultimately leads to improved water quality and healthier specimens. Activated Carbon is the most effective and easiest method of removing organics from aquariums."

From here: http://joejaworski.wordpress.com/200...k-need-carbon/

When I see hair Algae starting to sprout, or Cyano ---> Gac change !

[Reef Chem]

Ok, another problem... So I have been using GAC for about a week now. My green star polyps have yet to come out. Literally the next day after starting GAC none of them came out. Should I take the GAC out or wait the GSP out on their own (or will they)?

[bertoni]

That's interesting. I might try removing the GAC for a few days. I'd also check at night for signs of any predator crawling on the polyps.