live sand???

[mande51334]

i have been misguided or i just misunderstood. for my sandbed i used bagged pink fiji sand with Arag-alive on top figuring that this was my live sandbed, my tank has been up for about 2years and i've been fighting high nitrates the whole time. now i think i understand why. to make my sand bed live i need worms and other critters in there correct? planning on a detrivore kit now. will that eventually help get my nitrates down. :help:

 

[thangbom]

Live sand is not so much the critters living in it, but rather the bacteria in it. The bacteria convert nitrate to nitrite. The critters aid in this process buy consuming "leftover food". (Think of your critters as teeth and bcteria as stomache acid, breaking down the food in your own body.)

 

[mande51334]

i see.
any other suggestions?

 

[snipe]

Yes what kinda food do you use and what kinda water?

 

[iiinadav]

Originally Posted by ThaNgBom
Live sand is not so much the critters living in it, but rather the bacteria in it. The bacteria convert nitrate to nitrite. The critters aid in this process buy consuming "leftover food". (Think of your critters as teeth and bcteria as stomache acid, breaking down the food in your own body.)
Actually, your statement should be reversed; the bacteria convert nitrites to nitrates. Yes ThaNGBom was correct that it is the bacteria that makes sand live not the critters. If you are seeing steady rise in nitrates along with 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites, this usually means your tank has cycled and all of the beneficial bacteria in present in you tank. If you already have live rock in this system there is a strong possibility that you have many critters already.

 

[thangbom]

ops lol.. sry i was blab hubba bubba up then lol

how much and what do u feed?? thats a big problem.... and what type of filtration u have?? and a big thing i believe in now is a decent skimmer...