Removing Algae/cleaning sand?

Discussion in 'Sand' started by t-hac, Oct 12, 2008.

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  1. t-hac

    t-hac Flamingo Tongue

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    hey, im looking to remove a bunch of hair algae from my sandbed and to clean it of any other debris and im wondering whats the best way to do it?

    or is it all manual labour (remove all algae by hand/tool)???

    what works for you guys?
    LMK
    thanks alot
    t
     
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  3. cira030

    cira030 Fire Worm

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    all i do is flip the sand and that seems to work but eventually, you will have to just buy new sand and put that in
     
  4. ardo_ski

    ardo_ski Peppermint Shrimp

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    Is this a new tank? If so what do you have for a clean up crew? I would remove any long hair algae with your hands and leave the shorter stuff for your clean up crew.
     
  5. PharmrJohn

    PharmrJohn The Dude

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    I wouldn't flip the sand. You are likely to start a mini-cycle. What are your params? I want to know NO3 and PO4 levels specifically, but the rest would help also. You can get rid of it by removing it manually or via clean up crew, but I would want to nail the cause of the growth. By removing the nutrients the algae feeds on, you can get rid of the problem.
     
  6. t-hac

    t-hac Flamingo Tongue

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    yea i took out a whole bunch today by hand... and my tank is almost 6 weeks old now and it went through the cycle, and the algae never seemed to really go away....

    ill test for the no and po tomorow (or should i say later today lol 2am) and let you know, i never really thought about looking for the source just by reading all of the horror stories it seemed like once you have it you have it unless you remove whatever its attached to out of the tank...

    i boiled about 20 lbs of LR today (just the extreme cases on the rock) and i think i had some decent byropsis on one rock so the algae is pretty much all gone now on the rocks in the tank, only a little in/on the sand now.. i have about 40lbs in there now and the 20 i just boiled im going to re cure...

    so ill check those parameters again tomorow, but the last time i checked, bout 3-4 days ago they were 0.....

    but then again it could have been the byropsis and all the other algae absorbing it right?

    now that most of its gone ill have to see if the levels rise :eek:
     
  7. unclejed

    unclejed Whip-Lash Squid

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    My best advice is to invest in a Phosphate reactor. Best move I ever made (listened finally to my LFS buddy).
     
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  9. schackmel

    schackmel Giant Squid

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    how long is your lights on for. When I got my first tank I had green hair algea like you would not believe. It looked like my tank was covered in grass. I did not believe the guys in the store when they kept telling my I had my light on too long....I thought hey I paid a lot of money for these lights and I want to see my tank...even if it looks like a lagoon! :eek:

    But here is what I did. Get a small clean up crew. A emerald crab, some hermits and snails. Kill your lights for about 3-4 days all together (even if you have corals they will be ok....just did that with my SPS due to cyano outbreak) and then start slowly restarting your lights back on....one day turn on for 3 hours, next 4 until you get to 6 hours. Dont really need them on much longer then that.

    By boiling your rock you are going to throw your tank back into a cycle...even if you fully cure it prior to placing it in your tank...that is over half your rock!

    You had the algea because your tank was still cycling....6 weeks is not really done cycling...it is the point that everyone thinks it is done, water parameters are "normal" but they are not really stable yet. It can take months before you are completely done cycling. Yeah it is at the point it is safe to put fish in...one or two...but again water levels can fluctuate easily. I am afraid that by boiling the rock you did A LOT of unecessary work for yourself and more then likely that other 20lbs will get more algea on it unless you control the factors...decrease the light and nutrients...if fish in there dont overfeed, etc.
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2008
  10. t-hac

    t-hac Flamingo Tongue

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    ok here are my params john and others

    -no3 is 0
    -po4 is 0
    -and i tested th ph and its at 8.1

    so the removal of rock/algae didnt bring up the params so they still look good i know the ph is a little low and im doing more regular water changes to bring it up now..

    and "shackmel" i only boiled 20lbs of the rock i have 40 lbs in the tanks still with a total of 65 lbs the num above are guestimates.,..

    my lights i run 2 actinics for 2 hours then the full 3 actinics and 3 10ks HO for around 5-6 hours then the 2 actinics again for 2 hours then fully off for the night...

    and as for a clean up crew i have 2 turbos, 3 nassuriaus, a pep shrimp and 5 hermits...
    going to grab some more this week

    any reccomendations... for anything?

    o and ill look into a phosphate reactor to!
     
  11. schackmel

    schackmel Giant Squid

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    I would recommend still killing the lights for a couple days...allow your clean up crew to chow down....get a emerald crab or 2 (cant remember how big tank is) and it will really help

    I was hoping to show you a picture of my tank when I had the hair algea, but I must have deleted them...I understand how bad it is...EVERYONE of my rocks were covered with this thick green algea. But try this before you go out and spend a lot of money....if your phos 0 then it is the lights that are most likely feeding the growth