Sand bed clumping

[tanzy]

Hi all,
I was doing some maintenance work behind my rocks and I found that the surface of the sand behind the rocks is one big arago-crete. I dug up some of the surface and took a picture of them.
What am I suppose to do with them? Put them back or break them up? Is this normal?

 

[Anonymous]

might come from using too much kalkvasser, or an abnormally high Ca or alk level, at one time or another.

i would think that you may try placing the chunks in a container, and swishing 'em around w/some vinegar, to dissolve the calcium carbonate that probably fused your aragonite/sand grains.

or you can just leave 'em to become new live rock :wink:

fwiw-this happened to me when i was new to kalkvasser,and overdosed it abit.it doesn't take alot to make this happen!

 

[D.W.L.]

Here is one left for live rock from an old plenum system.

 

[BROKER]

It could mean that there is an imbalance in ca/alk or it could be bacterial. How often do you do water changes? Maybe you do not have enough flow to that area. Either way you could just break it up or leave it.

 

[tanzy]

Ok, thanks guys.
I think it's overdosing kalk cause I'm having a bit of dino problem and I dose more kalk to raise the pH.
So I don't have to break it up? I was thinking of using them in some high flow areas where the sand is getting disturbed by the water movement.
Also, I run a plenum and probably plenum systems are more prone to clumping. BTW, nice flat piece of rock DWL! :lol: