Keeping Sand Looking Nice

My tank has been up for...4-5 years. I probably could replenish my clean up crew. I still have a few baby snails and such. I might look into some more flow. I don't think the two hydor powerheads do enough.

 

Hydors are probably the best out there unless you want to step up and get the ecotec units. If you got the hydor 3s they would probably kick but in the tank. But again what is your tank levels at. There had to be something in the tank to feed the algea. Your lights aren't old are they?

 

thats the problem, I have a 2 and a 3...the two is...well lacking IMO, I think I am going to get another 3 and put the two somewhere...else in the tank hah.

 

Look the sand is loaded with absorbed Nutrients and what I'd do is use the pumps you now have and set up a Phosphate reactor and a good media and a test kit . It can take months to clear up sand or rocks that have reached critical mass PO4 are like NO3 and or Copper to iodine its all the same once its become locked up in rocks and sand you have to just keep absorbing them up in a binding media like Ferric oxide and removing them with media change outs . I used a bunk of base rock that had ran on a system for several yrs on well water nasty Va. well water near to tidewater area . po4 out of the tap was off the charts the r/o had went for yrs and not cared for . It took me almost a yr to clean the rocks out . This is your problem as well your bottom sand has became fouled out with them.

 

Yeah, the sand is probably not so nice. Its funny, I am noticing how many thousands of little tubbie worms are in the sand...when I feed the tank it almost looks like little clearish white grass on the sand near the rocks. Hope they are doing something helpful.

 

If you have a DSB ? Its over do to crash and burn at 4 to 5 yrs old as a rule 3 to 4 yrs is average on them If you have a Inch or two then its just loaded up ,is it a finer sand or courser like C.coral stuff ?

Look if you want to get rid of this get a PO4 reactor set up and if you get a real skimmer and if you want a filter get a diatom and clean the sand up . What are the PO4 and NO 3 levels in the water now ?

 

Well its not 4+ inches deep. I would say 2-3 maybe...hard to tell because the tank is sunk in somewhat. Its the old school sand + slightly larger pieces...i would say no more than 3-4mm.

As for levels... yeah, I was going to get test kits sooner or later.

I just did a mini 5 gal water change today and sucked out some sand, i did more of the dead looking sand with green particulate in it.

The tank seems to be doing good, but I am looking into getting some nice little burrowing inverts.

 

Do yourself a favor and save a lot of time get some test kits , With the sand growing algae you have a issue and if you keep messing with it at 2 to 3" on average tehn you will unleash hell if you keep moving it around .. Onday you will have a Phyto bloom and that ain't pretty to see and less pretty to clean up . I bet you a free test kit agianst the cost of the kit you have a real PO4 and maybe a NO3 problem as well.