Live Sand

[zanybees]

I have recently started my 26 gal. tank and have alot of questions about a few things. First of all, I have live sand in my tank and it is starting to turn an ugly brown, can anyone tell me what this is from and how to correct it. Maybe it is normal, I dont know. :help: Secondly, is it safe to grow live plants in with my fish, (I am planning on having a long nose butterfly, a couple of clowns, a lawnmower blenny and a koran angel.) They are all my favorites right now. As soon as my tank is ready I would like to add the fish but not sure about the sand condition. :notsure:

 

[thomas712]

You have diatoms, nothing to really worry about, its a phase that most every new tank goes through. They are the dead remains that you are seeing, they make the shell out of silicates. If you used tap water switch now to RO/DI water. Start planing your cleanup crew.
Skip the koran your tank is to small. Butterfly fish can aslo be very difficult.
Yes you can have plants (algae's) in the main tank but they become rooted to the rock and can be a hassle for many with reef tanks, but if you are not planning on corals then it should be fine.

 

[zanybees]

Thomas712, thanks for your hellp on this, can you tell me what you mean by "cleaning crew?" And you are saying that it is okay for my sand to look like that? Is is also ok to have live rock in my tank with the fish that I listed earier? I am so new to this and it is very overwhelming trying to learn everything.

 

[thomas712]

The diatoms will go away, but certain snails will help to remove it, a fighting conch comes to mind as well as margarita snails I believe. Your sand will look bad for awhile but it will go away normally unless there are silicates in the water that you add.
Live rock is always good, helps will filtration, if you have the butterfly you'll find that he will pick on the rocks all day.
Take the time to look up diatom posts using the search button on this board to learn more.

 

[montidanae]

you have a 29gallon, you cant have the angel, or the butterfly, they get way to big for a 29gallon tank, and yes you can grow the plants, live rock is very good for your tank, it filters it, and its normal to have diatoms,
Cleaning crew - a crew of inverts that clean the tank for you.
if you want to get rid of the diatom, get like 10 nassarius snails after you tank is a month old.

 

[ams153]

hey im with thomas712 on the fighting conch i bought two for my 29 even though its one per 30g because mine got so bad then ii returned one when it was under control and they work great
Andrew