Algae in my sand.

frugm

Reefing newb
I was wondering does anyone have any tips as how to remove algae from my sand. I remove it, it grows back, I remove it, it grows back again. I`ve tried cutting the lights down.

The trouble is I can remove the top layer, but alas some always gets mixed in with the sand so it never looks clean and just grows back.. I hate that dirty sand look. I just want it white again :frustrat:

So any tips on cleaning it up and getting rid of it for good.
I`ve just switched to RO water and my skimmer should be arriving hopfully sometime this coming week. Would a viable option be to remove all the sand and by live sand and replace it slowly. I hate to do that being as mines almost 3 years old. but its driving me crazy..

Thanks Simon.
 
Well I just reciently brought a powerhead, I think i`m gonna pick one more up tomorrow, get a lil more circulation further down. But i`d like to physically remove it if I can, As well.
 
Syphon it out with tubing. That's what I do. Where you at in NY. I lived in Utica a few years . What a hell hole that was!
 
I think that once you get all the tap water out by doing your water changes with ro water and using a skimmer will help you out a lot...your tank has many nutrients in the water which is fueling the algae.
 
Reefrookie i'm living upstate, In Corning. But i'm originally from London, England.

And i`ve tried syphoning it out but just end up getting half the gravel as well. Its like a think green mat.

Smitty, Thats what i'm hoping for that eventually it will just sort itself out, But in the mean time.
 
Currently I have 6 Blue leg hermits, 2 Red legged, a brittle star, 2 Turbo`s, and 6 Bumble bee snails.

I think i'll check down my LFS after work tomorrow see if they have any.
 
Cool, Do you think 10 would be sufficient for a 29 gallon? My LFS does deals on over a certain amount of snails.
 
10 is a good number for a 29. I have about 4 or 5 left in my 29, but then again I don't have much sand that needs to be stirred.

Good thing you have that protein skimmer coming, cuz 5 fish produce a lot of :pooh:, especially if your feeding a lot.

You should try doing some large percentage water changes. Like 6-8 gallons every 4 or 5 days, IMO. Even when you "get the tap water out" the nutrients it's added to your tank will be in your tank for awhile. It's been soaking into your tank for the past 3 years. (guessing you've been using tap for the 3 years)
 
I'm told tiger tail cukes are good for keeping the top layer of sand clean. They're supposed to eat dentifrice and even cyano bacteria, vs sand sifting stars that eat beneficial worms in your DSB. I'm told they don't present the same problems that other cukes present, but I've been having difficulty finding them for purchase.
 

Thanks for the link: What I forgot to say is I'm looking for a yellow tiger tail (they are much harder to get :frustrat:). I said "tiger tail" generically so to give you the option of considering both once you started to reaserach them. Petsolutions.com sometimes has them, but they have been back ordered last time I checked. For my tank, I think the yellow tiger tail is nicer looking, considering how weird they look, as the brown one looks like :pooh: (wondering when I'd get a chance to use that smiley) skirting the tank bottom. You'll see they are back ordered on petsolutions.com.

Google Image Result for http://www.petsolutions.com/images/100/162550L.jpg.

(it's about 1/2 way down the page)

All a person has to do is submit their e mail address and petsoutions contacts them via email. I've been ordering from them for the past two years, and have been good at letting me know when stuff comes in.

If you have questions, Don is very knowledgeable and was a former lfs owner (for what it's worth).
 
Last edited:
You could also try a dragon goby (AKA Sleeper Banded Goby). They should be just about the right size for your 29 and they are a sand sifter. I'm not sure of your fishy population though. If you're already maxed out on fish, adding a dragon goby may not be the best idea! :)
 
Back
Top