Sand Stirring

Can you just use a cleaning syphon tube to clean the bed as your draining?

 

Unfortunately, the sand will most likely get sucked up with the water if you did that

 

there are tall siphon tubes and those equipped with flow control so you don't suck up too much sand. works nicely.

as for sand bed stirring --- a goby does a good job too! also a sand stirring star. Not too good for DSB where infauna is critical but for shallow beds it's helpful.

incidentally shallow or deep --- should you hit a black spot it is dangerous unless the spot is small enough or the tank is big enough. If a siphon hits a spot then chances the hydrogen sulphite will be sucked out. So stirring while siphoning is more workable/preferable.

 

So let me get this right. I have about 3 inches in my tank, i had never really considered it a DSB. If you have bubbles of nitrogen in the sand is it a DSB then? I have had a diatom filter for about two weeks now. Right after i did a water change. Whilst doing the water change I stirred up the sand and used a siphon tube to suck and clean a little of the top layer of sand. Amm, nitrate, nitrite all seem to be doing fine. But I cant get rid of the diatoms. getting ready to do a 10% water change. BTW i got to this thread looking for ways to get rid of my diatoms. So I know now that diatom filter contain diatom material. Do they also filter diatoms from the water collumn?
SHould i refrain from stiring up the diatoms on the sand surface?

 

bump.

 

At three inches its not fish or foul well foul for the fish maybe ? what type of stratus do you have on the bottom of this tank that you are having a diatom problem with ? How old is the set up been running? what is the main Load fish or corals ? And you say Diatoms where are they settling out on ? The very bottom of the tank or all over the rock and anyplace else .. Also what about make up water is it a known good source ? And are just the brown diatom bodies all you are seeing or is there a algal issue also ? Diatoms feed on silicates and silicates only and if they are present and stay present then you have to be adding a food source for them to keep appeaing..

 

Looking more closely the sand bed is 2 inches, 3 maybe in some spots. The sand is caribesea aragonite seaflor special grade reef sand. I have about 120#. The setup is about 4 months old. It never really cycled, I had the diatom bloom originally, but it cleared up in about two weeks, then really never had an algae bloom. My amm, nitrite, and nitrate never got elevated. I have had two clowns and a yellow tang in the tank from about the second week after setting up. Right now I have the two clowns, yellow tang and a naso (4inches). two mithrix crabs, two sallys, peppermint shrimp, tons of trucus, nerites, Hawaiian Turbo Grazer, strombus (they reproduce like crazy, coutesy of IPSF), tons of hermits.
The diatoms are settling on the sand and some of the side glass. Make up water is from a Kent Hi-S 35gpd RO/DI. just diatom, no algae. I havent really done anything different as far as feeding goes, I now add more nori because I added the NASO. I did a cleaning with the last water change, cleaned algae from the overflow, sucked the sponges from the sump (mentioned in another thread), and siphoned the top layer of sand. I do have bubbles in the top layer of sand, does this mean I have anaerobic activity down there.

I appreciate all the help, this diatom problem is now about 3 weeks old, getting ready to do a 10% this weekend.

 

Does the "diatom" algae have bubbles in it and have a slimey texture?

 

I would change out the D/I resin myself Diatoms feed on silicates and only silicates and unless you are adding thee silicate through another source ? then it has to be in your make up water when the silicates are exhausted then so will the diatoms be exhausted. D/I resign are not good for much over 500 to 600 gals on average. I know one guy who will use his D/I recharges up in about 100 200 gals. . and that goes faster then most realize. Other area to look is maybe food items in the tank have you changed the brands or types you feed ?

Also with the bottom strata you are using its pours and has lots of areas to let little particles to settle into .. But it sounds more to me you have a make up water issue.

 

when it settles on the glass, yes there are bubbles, doesnt seem slimy though, but i guess it must be if it traps bubbles.

Tangster, the DI/RO is only about 3 months old. Id say id be hard pressed to have put more than a 200 G through it.