A word to the wise, on used live rock.

oh and yes along with that in the future you may want to just ditch the old sand if it has to be disturbed... so many headaches come with it it's almost not worth it...

 

I'm using 1-2mm sand. Would that be too big to not vacuum? I didn't vacuum it, for the first 6 months or so, then read you could vacuum it. I was getting cyano,. like crazy, and when I vacuumed the sand, a week later, it disappeared. I've, already, mixed the two sands, and so, I have 1-2mm, and a little larger than that, in both tanks. Someone in the reef hobby recommended the 1-2mm sand. I've, also, read that having different sized grains can increase the bio-diversity, in the sandbed. Should I just stop vacuuming, altogether? Switch to sugar fine sand? Add sugar fine sand, to fill in the gaps, between the larger grains? The easiest, at this point, would be to buy a couple of bags of sugar fine sand, and just add that to each tank. Suggestions?(By the way, thanks for all the concern, and advice.) If I buy sugar fine, I believe that would solve the problem. The sand would compact enough to block out detritus. Oh, and my bulbs are not old. One tank is all leds, and the other has bulbs that are only a couple of months old. Thanks, though. Would there be a problem adding the sugar fine sand, because I'd like to not have to remove all the old sand, and dispose of it. I've added sugar fine sand to larger grain sands, before, and the sand sinks in between the bigger particles, and just fills in all the gaps. Mainly, the point is to use a small enough size of grain to keep detritus from settling, is that correct? If so, this should work. If I'm missing something, please let me know? It would save me a ton of work, not having to vacuum the sand, every week, believe me, I'm not trying to avoid doing it. It would just be easier to add it, and be done with it. I figured, I had no choice, in the vacuuming dept., and had read, either always disturb it or never disturb it. So far, I've had no problems doing it this way. My 75 has been vacuumed for 3 years, and all my coral are doing well, but if you guys know an easier, better way, I'm all for it! Lol! Anyway, let me know, on the sugar fine sand? Thanks.

 

Oh, and I forgot to mention, I have tons of flow, in both tanks, and it's well water, not tap. I don't treat it. I just mix in the reef crystals, and add to the tank. I do get a little algae, but this is in the 120, not the 75, which is a well established tank. I have to clean the glass once a week, near the end of the water change cycle, but it isn't too bad. I can't use ro/di, due to the large amount of waste water it creates, in the process of making clean water. Not my decision. I am, unfortunately, living with my parents, for the time being, and cannot choose to use ro/di. I was very pleased to find I could indeed keep coral, with well water. It's a rural area, so, the water is pretty clean, and there isn't a problem, with agricultural runoff. I do use carbon, and gfo, religiously, and change it, every other week. Believe me, I'm trying my best to keep the water as clean as I can, and it sounds like the sand is the biggest issue. If I'm doing anything wrong, let me know. I have two skimmers, in the 120, that are rated for 200 gallons each, and a skimmer rated for 220 gallons, on the 75. Far greater than 10% water changes weekly, lots of carbon, and gfo, I rinse my frozen foods, before I feed them to my fish, I change my bulbs every 9 months, religiously, and I don't use any of those coral additives to feed the filter feeders, that can pollute the water. Any suggestions on what else I can do, to improve water quality? I feed twice daily, and alternate, between dry, and frozen foods. Dry in the morning, and frozen, at night. I add selcon, to my frozen, because I bought a tang, with lateral line disease. It is healing nicely, though.

 

Learn something new every day - face in palm

 

Yea, I had read everything you guys are saying, but had read that you could vacuum the sand, as long as you did it, from then on. Guess it was selective reading. Anyone have an idea on the sugar fine sand, before I go out, and buy some? I figure, if I add this, it will be a variety of sand grain sizes, and I won't have to waste what I have. This will save me a half an hour, a week, at water change time. Thanks everyone! I, already have some nassarius snails, and was going to add a bunch more. This will be the kick in the butt I need to do that. Lol. I do have engineer gobies, in my 120, but if I stop vacuuming, they will dig out all the sand under the rocks, and then, they'll have nothing to dig out, anymore. Nassarius snails are cheap, so, no big deal there, and the other organisms will flourish, once I stop vacuuming them, and they're food out. Let me know, on the sugar fine sand adding? Thanks a ton!

 

Engineer gobies do not need to dig to be healthy. Once they have created a home they just do what other fish do. Live,breathe,eat,and make little fishies.

 

That's true. My engineer gobies dig, until they run out of sand, and then, they are fine. If they didn't want to get rid of the sand, they wouldn't dig it out, in the first place. I'm planning on buying 40lbs. of sugar sized sand, from petco.com, tonight. They're having an internet sale, and it's cheaper, than at the local petco.(I checked.) The sugar sized should just mix into the rest of my sand, and fill in all the spaces, so, the sand will compact more. Next paycheck, I'll buy a bunch of nassarius snails or after I trade in some frags at my lfs, I can use store credit to get a bunch. Anyone near Idaho (Utah, and whatnot)order from reefcleaners.org, and how did it go, if you did? They have good prices, and I'm curious if they'd survive the long trip, out here. I might just order from ebay, and get a 50/50 nassarius/periwinkle pack, and split them between my two tanks.

 

I ordered 40lbs. of sugar fine sand, to lay on top of the mixed sand. I did not vacuum the sand on wedsday. My engineer goby was swimming around the sand, tonight. They don't usually come out of the sand, except to grab food floating by. I hope this isn't a bad sign. Other than that, no issues. The coral, and other fish don't show any signs of stress. I should get my sand the 20th. I ordered led lights for that tank, as well. I should get it, in a week or so, after the order processes, which will be Monday, most likely. My other tank, has had no issues, with both coral, and fish looking healthy. My yellow eye tang, seems to be recovering nicely, from hole in the head. The holes are, almost, gone. Wish me luck!

 

Well water is probably some of the worst water you can use. Seriously, invest in a good ro/di system and a lot of your problems will go away.

 

Seriously, I can't. I'm living with my parents, they won't allow it. We live in a desert, and water is scarce. I've discussed all the possibilities of using the waste water for other uses, and there's no way they'll agree, at this point. Thanks, though. I got the sand, today. I'll add it to the tank, tonight. I add my solar/solor fairy wrasse to my 75 disaply, tonight, as well. I haven't had very many problems, with well water, and I've had my 75 going for 3 years, now. I do get a little algae, but it isn't unmanageable. I wouldn't recommend well water, unless it is very clean, and nuetral, but I wouldn't say it's impossible. It's just the 120gallon that is having problems, and that tank is a work in progress(bought used, and reused everything, and didn't rinse the sand, first.) I really do wish I could use ro/di unit. It would make things so much easier. Less maintenance, less carbon, and gfo. Anyway, thanks, again, for the suggestion.