I yanked the D(ead) sand bed. Pics.

[Anonymous]

Well, I finally did it. I yanked my sand bed. When I did it the sand smelled and some of it was black, but I did turn over the sand and went through it and found NO life. No worms or anything visible.

I used starboard on the bottom and moved my powerheads to the bottom of the tank.

I ended up throwing away 2 pieces of LR that were totatly infested with hair algae.

So far so good for 4 hours later.

Here are some pics.
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[Anonymous]

More pics
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[Anonymous]

After 4 hours
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[npaden]

The sand sifting star might have been part of the reason that your sandbed was devoid of life.

Not sure what it is gonna eat off the starboard? Is there anyway to keep these guys alive by target feeding them?

Just curious. Nathan

 

[Anonymous]

I am planning on taking tthe starfish back to the LFS today. Unless there is a way to target feed them.
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[jandree22]

bet that was a stinky chore! 8O

new sand looks great, though!

 

[Mouse]

Hydrogen Sulphide, a good indication that oxygen free denitrification was taking place. Only thing is i dont think the main tanks the place for it, IMO.

i also second the notion that your Sand Sifting Starfish would have completely obliterated any life your snad bed may once have held. Except for maybee the black bacterea, if thats what it is.

 

[Anonymous]

Any ideas on how to recharge the LR?
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[Anonymous]

What do you mean? Bacterea or other fauna?

 

[Anonymous]

fauna
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[Anonymous]

Well, 2 weeks down and the algae is back. Now growing more rapidly on the glass as well.

Might be time for a depth charge and blow the thing up.
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[Anonymous]

Have you ever tested to your make up water?

I went for years with perfect water out of my RO unit, then moved somewhere that had 550ppm tap water, and my ro couldn't handle it, I had to add a DI cartridge.

 

[Anonymous]

Yep, My tap is 350PPm, after the RO its 35 after the first DI it is 4 and 0 after the second DI.

I am going to switch salt to see if my salt is contaminated.

If thats not it the LR is a goner and if I want to stay with this tank I will have to win the lotto to buy new LR.
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[npaden]

Before you yank the live rock and blame it for your problems you might want to think through your reefkeeping techniques a bit harder. Stocking levels, skimmer size and maintenance, water flow, feeding amounts and frequency, etc.

I personally feel that dsb's get blamed for a lot of problems because they are an easy target. Just like dsb's aren't the be all end all of reefkeeping, starboard or bare bottom isn't the solution either.

Oh well, FWIW, Nathan

 

[EmilyB]

I challenge anyone to take a big scoop from their sand bed and throw it in a bucket and not go EEEEEWWWWW. JMHO

 

[Anonymous]

I conclude no one knows why the hair algea and diatoms come around.

Everyone blames it on the easy targets.

Tap
leaching sand bed or rocks
to much feeding
not enough light
not enough flow

Lets face it. This is going to happen, there are freak incident where it doesnt and thats what we are after.

A needle in a haystack

 

[nice1bruva]

are sand sifting stars really that predatory with all life in sandbeds??
i have just added two to my 75 gallon corner tank to help with dead spots in the sand.

 

[SpecialK]

Hair algae can be frustrating, in my 90G I had Hair algae bad. Nothing seemed to work on it.
I took 1/2 my rock and placed it in a garbage can filled with my tank water and a power head & I just left it there for 2 months. All my algae was gone and it was loaded with pods. I swished it in a diff. bucket to put back in my tank than did the other 1/2 the same way.
Before I put the first 1/2 back in my tank I pulled my DSB. Not another sign of hair algae in the tank since.


Kaye

 

[Anonymous]

I am not saying that the starboard is the answer. The starboard is only to protect the glass in the event of a rock slide. I yanked the DSB because of NO life in it and hair algae growing on it. I have tried allot of things to rid the tank of the algae and I thought I would try removing the DSB since everything else so far didn't work.

I have tried all of the following.

BLasting the LR with a powerhead before performing the water changes.
I tried frequent 15 gallon water changes.
I tried large 30 gallon water changes.
I added 800 gph on a closed loop.
I added 2 maxijet 1200's.
I addes a Seio 800 powerhead.
I treid running phosgard
I tried running carbon
I changed the bulbs (MH and VHO's)
I tried cutting back on the lighting time.
I changed my RO/DI
I tired scrubbing the LR
I tried leaving the LR
I tried dripp kalk (kept cloging)
I tired adding snails (waste of money)
I tried adding crabs (waste of money they just eat the snails)
I test for PO4, Nitrate with 2 different Salifert kits.
I feed 1/2 cube of frozen mysis every 3 days.
I swapped my Myreef MR-1 skimmer for a new Euroreef ES-3 skimmer.

Water parameters:

Sal 1.024
PH 8.0-8.2
Temp 78-81
Cal 380
Alk 10 DKH
Mag 1200
Nitrate 0
PO4 0

Stocking:
2 small false percs
1 six-line wrasse
1 wesophelia
1 yellow acro frag (1 inch)
1 hydo frag (2 inch)
1 monti frag (1 inch)
1 branching frogspawn
1 branching hammer
1 maxima clam

Tank Equipment:
58 Ocenaic
Skimmer: Euroreef ES5-3
Mag 9 on sump return
Seio 800
2 Maxijet 1200's
Blueline HD40 on a SCWD for a closed loop
Won titanium heater connected to a Ranco dual stage controller (fan on cooling side)
PFO 250W HQI 10K pendat/ballast
Icecap660 - 2 VHO 95W Actinics
Poinpoint PH monitor
Lifegard Temp display
Auto topoff- powerhead in a rubbermaid connected to a float switch in the sump.

I got a Precision Marine Kalkreactor to be added once I get it working.


The LR thing next because I do not see any life like I used to on the LR. Even with the bare bottom I do not see any micro life. Could be a cause of some of the problem?
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[Anonymous]

A little info on sand sifting stars can be found here:
http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7596&highlight=