Need Help w/Snail Poop & Vac. Sand

flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by reeferchief http:///t/388343/need-help-w-snail-poop-vac-sand#post_3425436
My tank is a 65G 3' long....unfortunately I only have one power head at the moment that is about, just lower than middle of the tank angled off the front glass and blowing toward the opposite side of the tank... I need to get another powerhead...
Well, I used two for my 55g and my 75g so I do think you need one more, also you need to really move that surface water for oxygen. saltwater is much heavier than freshwater, and the warmer it gets the less oxygen. Our tanks are pretty balmy at 76-80
 
reeferchief

reeferchief

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/388343/need-help-w-snail-poop-vac-sand/20#post_3425443
Well, I used two for my 55g and my 75g so I do think you need one more, also you need to really move that surface water for oxygen. saltwater is much heavier than freshwater, and the warmer it gets the less oxygen. Our tanks are pretty balmy at 76-80
thank you flower.. I have the return pump with 2 heads where one is aimed under water toward the overflow grate and the other nozzle is half about and half under water creating a surface ripple along with some bubbles...
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by reeferchief http:///t/388343/need-help-w-snail-poop-vac-sand/20#post_3425458
thank you flower.. I have the return pump with 2 heads where one is aimed under water toward the overflow grate and the other nozzle is half about and half under water creating a surface ripple along with some bubbles...
To be certain to have flow everywhere....I take a stick and tie a thin plastic ribbon on the end and move it to different areas of the tank...if the ribbon drops it's a dead spot and then I know how to adjust the power heads if I need to. It makes a pertty good tester.
 
xcali1985

xcali1985

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/388343/need-help-w-snail-poop-vac-sand/20#post_3425506
To be certain to have flow everywhere....I take a stick and tie a thin plastic ribbon on the end and move it to different areas of the tank...if the ribbon drops it's a dead spot and then I know how to adjust the power heads if I need to. It makes a pertty good tester.
Ha, I do the same thing. What I did was take toothpicks (unflavored, yes they make them scented and flavored) and tied sowing thread on them and stuck them every so many inches apart from each other. In the rocks in the sand everywhere. I did the same as Flower and angled the heads until all were waving in the water.
Also realize that as you add items to the tank it changes the flow and you should check areas of your tank again. I think this is the best and safest method to really check flow. I found out the hard way that you don't need as much flow as you think. It's also about how you set up your tank and livestock placement also. Putting higher flow corals closer to the pump works along with placing lower flow corals opposite the pump.
Use rocks and glass to bend and move the current how you need it. Right now I have my flow at the glass in front, however, when I first started it was more towards the rocks.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xcali1985 http:///t/388343/need-help-w-snail-poop-vac-sand/20#post_3425573
Ha, I do the same thing. What I did was take toothpicks (unflavored, yes they make them scented and flavored) and tied sowing thread on them and stuck them every so many inches apart from each other. In the rocks in the sand everywhere. I did the same as Flower and angled the heads until all were waving in the water.
Also realize that as you add items to the tank it changes the flow and you should check areas of your tank again. I think this is the best and safest method to really check flow. I found out the hard way that you don't need as much flow as you think. It's also about how you set up your tank and livestock placement also. Putting higher flow corals closer to the pump works along with placing lower flow corals opposite the pump.
Use rocks and glass to bend and move the current how you need it. Right now I have my flow at the glass in front, however, when I first started it was more towards the rocks.
LOL...that's allot of work tieing all that string, but it sure does tell you exactly where the flow is.
 
reeferchief

reeferchief

Member
those are great tips... My main problem of flow is behind and under my ledge of live rocks. Everywhere else has good flow and the fish swim in the current some corals don't have too much flow on them so they dont get blown away but zoos star polyps and mushrooms are all in the flow and seem unbothered by it..
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by reeferchief http:///t/388343/need-help-w-snail-poop-vac-sand/20#post_3425666
those are great tips... My main problem of flow is behind and under my ledge of live rocks. Everywhere else has good flow and the fish swim in the current some corals don't have too much flow on them so they dont get blown away but zoos star polyps and mushrooms are all in the flow and seem unbothered by it..
How is the surface water moving? One way to increase water flow to problem areas...take a PVC pipe 1/2 inch and attach it to a maxijet type power head (use a piece of hose as a connector) Drill about 4 to 5 holes and put an end cap on the pipe...makes a very nice and handy spray bar...vertical or horizontal depending on how you position it.
 
reeferchief

reeferchief

Member
Great idea I should just get 2 new power heads and use my current one with a long hose on the bottom of the tank to wrap around. That will definitely clean it out but will probably be overkill
 
tirtza

tirtza

Member
wow! Thanks for the great advice and information on water flow :)
Xcali1985 - What areas did you attach to the toothpicks to? Did you just stick them in the sand or were you checking for flow throughout the entire water column of the aquarium (bottom, middle, upper)?
 
xcali1985

xcali1985

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by tirtza http:///t/388343/need-help-w-snail-poop-vac-sand/20#post_3426086
wow! Thanks for the great advice and information on water flow :)
Xcali1985 - What areas did you attach to the toothpicks to? Did you just stick them in the sand or were you checking for flow throughout the entire water column of the aquarium (bottom, middle, upper)?
When I initally setup my tank, i placed them everywhere, say 4-5 inches apart in the sand, rock, corners, high, low, everywhere. Then I removed them all. I occasionally place some in when I add big corals that block the flow. Like my big bubble coral. He deflects a lot of flow and created a dead zone behind him. Food would settle there. So I placed some picks again and adjusted placement of coral and powerheads.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/388343/need-help-w-snail-poop-vac-sand#post_3424748
Large hermits are a problem. You should not be vacuuming sand, Nassarius snails will keep the sand nice but the hermits kill snails. My peppermint shrimp never bothered a thing.
As mentioned below nothing wrong with vacuuming a portion of the sand bed.......Even if you have a DSB during your monthly maintenance you could skim the top portion or even break the tank up into sections as to not to totally disturb the sandbed.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/388343/need-help-w-snail-poop-vac-sand/20#post_3426769
As mentioned below nothing wrong with vacuuming a portion of the sand bed.......Even if you have a DSB during your monthly maintenance you could skim the top portion or even break the tank up into sections as to not to totally disturb the sandbed.
Hey stranger!
LOL...I love SW tanks because I can get critters to turn my sand...in all the years I have had SW tanks, not once have I ever vacuumed the sand. Most folks who vacuum sand are doing it as a throw back of freshwater tank days.
So I understand there is nothing wrong with it...but why would anyone even want to, if you don't have to?
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Hey how are you?? Getting around any better?
That DSB at some point will become full!!!!!!! Regardless of what people say they need to be serviced, and IMO a bit more than the CUC can/will do.......It might take years!!!!!!
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
IMO, I think that deep sand beds should be kept in 5g buckets or plastic trash cans in pairs. Every two years, take one off line and completely wash it, clean it, whatever you gotta do to get the sand clean, or even replace the sand and then put it back online, and then next time, service the other can/bucket. Over time, hydrogen sulfide is produced by the anaerobic bacteria that grow there. If you don't disturb the sandbed, hydrogen sulfide builds up and if it is disturbed it's released into the tank, it can completely nuke it. I've seen it happen to a buddy of mine's tank. It don't smell too good neither. RDSB's are too deep for snails, sea stars or anything to get down deep enough to clean it.
So sorry for my sloppy typing and punctuation tonight. I'm tired, but not tired enough to go to sleep yet. heh. I hate it.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Meowzer, have you ever seen a tank with a really deep sand bed, and the closer it got to the bottom, there were black strips and black pockets? That's hydrogen sulfide, caused by the anaerobic breakdown of nitrate as part of denitrification. (as far as I understand it)
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Oh, I forgot that you weren't in saltwater aquaria when deep sand beds and really deep sand beds were a real topic of debate and interest. lol. Ah, the good ole' days. lol Makes me feel old. lol Ok, done reminiscing.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/388343/need-help-w-snail-poop-vac-sand/20#post_3426775
lol, Flower, you sound like you've been doing this forever. I can remember like it was yesterday that you were still wet behind the ears.
You know the worst thing about freshwater tanks was cleaning the dang thing...vacuuming sand, washing algae slime off of rocks and decor...putting my fish in buckets and removing all the old water and replacing it with new fresh water with a little hose that ran from the sink to the tank...using chloride remover that turned purple until the chlorine was gone from the water. It was back breaking work, and I did it twice a year.
I have had a SW tank since the end of the year 2000, but I joined this site in 2009, the things I learned on this site in one month was more than I knew in all those years. But one thing I did get hold of...clean up crews may not have been what I called them, but by golly, I never had to break down another tank to clean it. water changes was just take a little out and put the same amount in. The rocks never get washed, and I don't vacuum the substrate. That's why I always say SW tanks are easier than freshwater tanks.
Planted tanks are a whole different creature. I had trouble with fish that ate the plants or uprooted them. I had the wrong fish for that type of tank and made things harder on myself. I'm sure if I had the web back then, things would have been very different...my planted tank didn't last long before I got discouraged and went back to the same old gravel and fake decor.
 
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