ugly sand

chamic1

chamic1

Member
Hey! I'v had my tank up and running for 2 months. I have 30lbs of sand in my 29g. As soon as my tank cycled (with live rock) and my nitrates where about 10ppm for weeks, my sand go a lot of algae and what looks like coraline algae growing on it. There are dark are coloured spots and it's really ugly!!. I currently have 4 blue leg hermit crabs and 2 margarita snails to help with the cleaning. Is there any way to "clear" the sand so it is nice and white?
Thanks
 
cdn_beaver

cdn_beaver

Member
Ive also read that cyano might be a result of poor water flow. If you increase the flow, it might take care of the problem.
...I think :notsure:
 
fulofcharm

fulofcharm

Member
i think i know what the problem might be my friend!! is your tank by sun light??? and if so?? do you have your back of the tank covored with background paper?? anyways!! the only way to not have that is to move your tank to a spot where the sunlight does not hit it or if you can not?? just take your finger(make sure your hands are very clean when you do this) using anti-bacteria soap. and just rub it off!!
 
chamic1

chamic1

Member
FULOFCHARM you are good! My tank does have some sunlight hit it early in the morning. Because our day are much shorter in the winter, the sun does not rise as high in the sky and its ray come through the window and hit the tank. Any yes I do have background paper; what does that have to do with my sand problem?????? What do you mean by "rub it off", my prob is with the sand and it is sugar sized; therefore, when you touch it, it get stirred up a lot and clouds the water.
Cnd_beaver I also heard a/b the cyno and water flow but I do have some flow over the area but maybe not enough.
Thanks for the inputs sofar.
 
effloresce

effloresce

Member
how old are your lights and what kinds are they? what do you feed, how often, what is your phosphate level?
many fragging tanks are based on sunlight liek ORA's corals cultivating tanks, they are lit by sun, and antibacterial is a no-no, dishwashing soad is what you want, no resudue after words.
your tank is dependent on bacteria to keep stabel if the bacteril soap gets in they will die, not good.
 
ryand

ryand

Member
i think he said sunlight because some of the rays off of the sun can penetrate the paper very easaly i bet
but thats just what i would think
 
fulofcharm

fulofcharm

Member
what i mean by rubbing it off! is that you will stir some sand, but just take your finger and rub!! and the back ground paper?? that is suppose to keep the sunlight out of your tank!! do not worry so much about stirring up your sand!! your filter system should clear it out in 5 to 10 minutes!! also!! how long do you keep your light on???? i have mine down to 5 hours!! i use to have it on for 10 hours!! but my sand and glass was dark brown!! i hope this helps!! :happy:
 
jsb

jsb

Member
I want to make sure I understand this correctly. The purple/black spotting on the front of my sand bed is from sun light? What if you don't have direct sun light hitting your tank? My bulbs need replacing, and I keep them on for 10 hours. I thought it was some sort of die off, and I was just going to have to deal with it.
 
chamic1

chamic1

Member
Fireemt_us That link you gave is awesome! I'm going to start today with some "changes" from that link.
To answer some other questions:
lights are on for 14hr/day... I know, I cutting them back...
Phosphates? I don't have a test, should I invest in one?
Kind of lights 1 20k 20watt coralife
1 6500k 17 watt 50/50 actinic
The background paper is not in a place to keep the sunlight out. I stared to close the blinds.
My lights are 2 months old, I started running them 10hr/day
 
fulofcharm

fulofcharm

Member
hmmm!! your color is purple and black???? well, since you leave your lights on for 10 hours?? clean it off with your fingers, and then cut back your light s to 7 hours!! get back to me and tell me after a week how the discolor sand is okay??? stay cool man!!:D
 
fireemt_us

fireemt_us

Member
Always glad to help. I would definitly cut back on the amoubt of time that the lights are on. I may also consider increasing the wattage, or shifting light spectrums. Just a thought, good luck.
 
chamic1

chamic1

Member
Well, I cut my lights back and then I was in school all day and then I went to work... I got home and the blackish-green stuff grew A LOT. So I went out and bought a turkey baster and sucked up the "crappy" sand. (I don't know if I bought a crappy turkey baster, but that thing could not hold the sucsion) I think I had coraline algae growing on the sand. Anyway I clear as much as I could and cut back the lights. So far everything is well. I did a water test and my tank is finally starting to cycle (after fish).
I don't think I can increase my wattage with the balest I have. I have the eclipse 3 lighting hood and it says to use T8 bulbs and nothing else.
Oh, and another thing, I have some coraline algae growing all over my glass in the front. How can I scrape it off w/o scratching the glass? There is too much to use my fingernails.
 
fulofcharm

fulofcharm

Member
go to your fish store and purchase a magnetic algea scrapper. it comes with to magnetic scrappers. one for the inside of your tank and one for the outside of your tank. just go around your glass and scrape! it is easy. do not use a credit card!! if it has been in your wallet?? who knows what is on it!! with the magnetic algea scrapper?? after you are done with it?? just leave it on your tank glass!! cool huh?? good luck!!:D
 
jenn-e

jenn-e

Member
If it's really coraline the magnetic algae scraper won't get it off. Coraline is hard algae. Use a clean credit card or a new sponge with the coarse side.
 
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