Live Rock
Reefer
How can I prevent dissolved nutrients from accumulating in my sandbed?
Dissolved Nutrients in Sand
- Thread starter Live Rock
- Start date
sen5241b
Reef enthusiast
Very good question. Truth is there has never been any perfect way to keep "dissolved nutrients" or detritus from collecting in the sand bed over time. Too many people have stirred up old sand beds and caused disastrous ammonia cycles. The best answer is keep flow strong enough that detritus gets swept into the filtration with floss. Also sand stirrers like nassarius snails and some star fish can help but they generally do not deep stir the sand.
I like to periodically stir my sand by hand one small section every few days to release the crud.
I like to periodically stir my sand by hand one small section every few days to release the crud.
The small section stirring is a great idea. Hadn't thought of that. Since my tank is new, getting started shouldn't be a risk. However, if it's an older tank couldn't even a small section cause a disaster? Also, could this stirring effect my starfish? Would it possibly starve?
SarahSmile
:)
Stirring only keeps everything oxygenated, it does not affect the food that a starfish would eat.
x19
Reefing newb
I think someone here on the forum recommended taking a chopstick and attaching to the end of your siphon tube when doing a water change. Then when you use the chop stick to stir up a small portion of sand the released crap is pulled from your tank immediately. Its a good idea I should probably try at some point.
little_fish
Moderator
Also if you have a sand shifting starfish, PLEASE return it. They require huge, mature sandbeds to survive and in most tanks will just strip the sand bed of beneficial microfauna and then starve to death.
Toolman
RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH
sen5241b
Reef enthusiast
If you stir a small enough section of sand it should not relase that much cycle-causing crud. HOWEVER, if the sand bed is so old and so full of crud that hydrogen sulfide gas bubbles have formed then it could be a problem. Hydrogen sulfide usually does not build up until after years or unless you way over-fed. If you do stir sand, run carbon.
justanotherfishhead
Lisa
I have a related question about sand bed depth I hope someone can help me with. I heard that you should either go deep (6" I think) or shallow (1") not somewhere inbetween. Of course that's after I got set up, and I have about 2" in most areas. Is this okay or should I remove some to get to 1"? Also I have 4 tongan nassarius snails and I'm wondering if I need more. I guess I will start stirring the sand bed a little at every water change.
little_fish
Moderator
I would just leave how you have it, 2 inches or less is fine. I would also get a few more nass snails, I would have around 10.
